Cardiff vs Newcastle

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

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 0 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Cardiff: not separately disclosed; Newcastle: Partners: ~2050+/2700. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

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

Newcastle requires AAA including chemistry and biology. Two-grade reduction (ABB offer) for partners programme (BBB prediction). Resit accepted only from candidates who previously applied to Newcastle dentistry; max two exam sittings; one grade higher than the offer they would otherwise have received.

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. Newcastle: AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Biology. Top 8 GCSE grades scored.

Cardiff uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), in person (overseas online)); Newcastle uses Panel (Online semi-structured panel interview with two selectors (~20 min)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Newcastle may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Cardiff is the better fit.

Interview windows: Cardiff interviews in February; Newcastle in February – March.

Both schools deliver a Case-based-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Cardiff University Dental Hospital and South Wales community sites. Five-year BDS with case-based learning. Clinical placements at Newcastle Dental Hospital and North-East community sites.

Intake size: Cardiff — ~70 home + ~10 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.; Newcastle — ~85 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.. 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%. Newcastle: 2025: ~126/328 = 38%. Partners (2024): 59/164 = 36%. Home non-partners (2024): 47/179 = 26%. International (2024): 9/10 = 90%.

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.

Newcastle: No use of SJT. Partners (contextual) programme accepts ethnic-minority and private-school students (recently expanded eligibility). 2026 admissions policy expects a minimum of 10 days relevant work experience - but reasonable alternatives accepted (e.g. free online courses).