Cardiff vs Glasgow

Cardiff's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2080, while Glasgow sits at approximately 1850.

The 230-point spread matters: Glasgow offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Cardiff expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Cardiff requires AAA including biology or chemistry. No prediction requirement. A-level resits not considered except for firm offer-holders who miss offers.

Glasgow requires AAA including chemistry and biology. Resit only with genuine extenuating circumstances.

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Cardiff: AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Strong GCSE profile. Glasgow: AAA including Chemistry. National 5 / GCSE English, Biology, Maths at grade 6+.

Both Cardiff and Glasgow 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: Cardiff runs multiple mini interviews (mmi), in person (overseas online); Glasgow runs multiple mini interview (mmi). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Cardiff interviews in February; Glasgow in December – February.

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum; Glasgow runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Cardiff leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Glasgow centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Cardiff University Dental Hospital and South Wales community sites. Five-year BDS built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements at Glasgow Dental Hospital and West-of-Scotland community sites.

Intake size: Cardiff — ~70 home + ~10 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; Glasgow — ~75 places per year (Scottish + RUK + small international).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Cardiff: Total: 128/319 = 40% (2025). Home: 117/298 = 39%. International: 11/21 = 52%. Glasgow: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.

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.

Cardiff: Application score calculated /28 from 7 GCSEs (8/9/A* = 4 pts, etc.) - must include biology and chemistry. Welsh-domiciled and contextually eligible applicants get extra consideration.

Glasgow: Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once minimum PS and reference requirements are met. Personal statement is reviewed prior to offer-making but not formally scored.