2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
University of Bristol Dental School in Bristol asks 2027-entry dentistry applicants for AAA at A-level (contextual offer ABB). Its published home UCAT threshold was ~2280+/2700. Bristol holds a panel interview: December 2026 – February 2027. Decisions for 2027 entry: March 2027 onwards.
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Photo: AmW22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Rept0n1x · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: John Winder · CC BY-SA 2.0
Step-by-step: entry requirements, UCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →Integrated + Spiral, 5 years, placements in Bristol and the surrounding area.
See the course →High-UCAT dental school in the South West with strong clinical training and creative pre-interview tasks.
Entirely UCAT-based shortlisting (work experience encouraged, not required). No SJT use. No significant personal-statement scoring - medical applicants often get offers with a medical statement.
Spiral curriculum. Five-year BDS spiral curriculum. Clinical placements at Bristol Dental Hospital and South-West community sites.
Bristol is strong in these research areas:
Optional intercalated BSc - competitive.
Format: Structured panel-style interview (Zoom, remote)
30–45 minute structured interview with four assessors over Zoom. Bristol often sets unusual pre-interview tasks - e.g. building a 3-dimensional pasta model of an animal that represents your personality (then explaining why), or preparing a 5-minute presentation on a topic such as water fluoridation. Assesses manual dexterity and communication.
~70 home + ~20 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.
University of Bristol Dental School was founded in 1828 and is based in Bristol.
Programmes offered:
These are real recordings of the interviewers you would meet, from a panel of 50 photoreal faces. Speak your answers out loud, get pressed with follow-ups, and receive rubric-scored feedback about two minutes after you finish, with a replay of your answers.
Try the AI interviewerWhat is TrueScore?
A data-driven estimate of the UCAT score you'll likely need to be invited to interview at Bristol for 2027 entry entry — based on its published cut-offs and recent admissions data. Treat it as a target to aim past, not a guarantee.
Bristol's TrueScore is 2280. Build a week-by-week UCAT plan that works back from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
| A-level offer | AAA |
|---|---|
| Contextual offer | ABB |
| UCAT (home) | ~2280+/2700 |
| NGMP TrueScore (2027 entry) | 2280+ predicted for interview (home tier) |
| Interview format | Panel interview |
| Intake | ~70 home + ~20 international places per year for BDS Dentistry |
| Decisions (2027 entry) | March 2027 onwards |
| A-Level requirements | AAA at A-level including Chemistry and one of Biology / Physics / Mathematics / Further Mathematics |
|---|---|
| Contextual A-Level offer | ABB at A-level including A in Chemistry and B in one of Biology / Physics / Mathematics / Further Mathematics (for Next Step Bristol contextual applicants) |
| Required A-Level subjects | Chemistry required, plus one of Biology / Physics / Mathematics / Further Mathematics |
| A-Level resit policy | Resits considered |
| GCSE requirements | Mathematics at grade 7/A or higher. English Language or English Literature at grade 4/C or higher. |
| Scottish Highers | AAAAB at Higher including Chemistry and one of Biology / Physics / Mathematics |
| Scottish Advanced Highers | AA at Advanced Higher in Chemistry and one of Biology / Physics / Mathematics |
| International Baccalaureate | 36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry (Biology recommended) |
| Graduate-entry degree requirement | 2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in a related/core science subject. UCAT still required. |
No use of SJT in selection
Personal statement and reference only used to distinguish borderline academic profiles. No SJT use.
| SJT Band | No use of SJT in selection |
|---|---|
| Specialities offered | Dentistry (BDS) |
| Work experience | Encouraged but not required. |
| Format | Structured panel-style interview (Zoom, remote) |
|---|---|
| Interview window (2027 entry) | December 2026 – February 2027 |
| Decision date (2027 entry) | March 2027 onwards |
| Post-interview chances | UK applicants: 89/169 = 53% (2025). |
Bristol's interview is held remotely over Zoom in a 'structured interview format' with four assessors. They often give pre-interview tasks - e.g. a 3D pasta model of an animal that represents your personality. Manual dexterity and communication/explanation skills will continue to be assessed. Be prepared for questions on motivations for dentistry, teamwork and communication.
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Bristol’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
The mother of a 17-year-old boy patient telephones and enquires whether her son has been attending his appointments with you. What would you do?
Likely follow-up · At what age can a patient independently control their own healthcare information?
Do you have the personality that it takes to do dentistry?
Likely follow-up · What personality traits do you believe are essential for a dentist?
We've helped students into Bristol and other UK dentistry schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
Hit the UCAT cut-off for Bristol with one-to-one tutoring from top scorers.
Learn morePractise the Panel interview format with students who interviewed at Bristol.
Learn moreGet your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreA field on this record was corrected against University of Bristol Dental School's official course page on 14 August 2026; the record as a whole has not been re-checked against source.
We've helped students turn their UCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Bristol and other UK dentistry schools.
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