Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Liverpool

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1820, while Liverpool sits at approximately 1980.

The 160-point spread matters: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Liverpool expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.

Liverpool requires AAA prediction and offer. Must include biology and chemistry, all 3 subjects taken in one sitting. Contextual: ABB offer. A-level resits not normally accepted.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree. Liverpool: AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Biology. Top 9 GCSE subjects scored (similar to Liverpool medicine).

Both Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) and Liverpool use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer.

That said, the specifics differ slightly: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) runs 90-minute mmi; offers made on interview performance only; Liverpool runs multiple mini interviews (mmi), online. Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) interviews in Spring; Liverpool in December – February.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) runs a PBL curriculum; Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Liverpool uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside community sites.

Intake size: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-40 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort).; Liverpool — ~75 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places. Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Academic attainment weighted 60% (predicted/achieved degree result), UCAT 40%. A-levels not used. UK applicants only. ~60 candidates interviewed; ~30 offers made for 20 places - ~7 offers to RUK candidates.

Liverpool: No set UCAT cut-off - UCAT considered alongside non-academic information form (sent shortly after UCAS deadline, 2 weeks to complete). SJT band 4 is automatically rejected.