How do interviews differ between Dundee and Leeds?

Dundee uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Leeds uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Five-station MMI (online). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: December – February (Dundee); December – February (Leeds).

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Dundee's selection methodology: Combined academic + UCAT + MMI. Strong Scottish focus. SJT not used. Leeds's selection methodology: Combined UCAT + GCSE + A-Level prediction score. MMI interview. Understanding each school's exact algorithm is the single highest-leverage piece of pre-application research — it tells you whether your profile is competitive before you spend an application choice.

Where are Dundee and Leeds located, and how does that affect cost?

Dundee is in Dundee, UK. Leeds is in Leeds, UK. Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS pay no tuition fees at Scottish medical schools — a substantial funding advantage worth tens of thousands of pounds over the degree. Rest-of-UK applicants still pay £9,250/year.

When does each school release decisions?

Dundee typically releases dentistry decisions March onwards. Leeds releases dentistry decisions March onwards. If one is earlier than the other, you may need to hold a decision while waiting for the second school — be ready to compare in real time.

Dental school comparison

Dundee vs Leeds

Dundee and Leeds are both UK dental schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Dundee is based in Dundee (Scotland) while Leeds sits in Leeds (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1750-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Dundee and Leeds.
Comparison field	DundeeDundee	LeedsLeeds
Quick comparison
Location	Dundee, UK	Leeds, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore	Dundee TrueScore 1500	Leeds TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off	Dundee does not publish a UCAT threshold for dentistry on the current scale. Its historical admissions figures were measured on the retired /3600 four-subtest test and, as Dundee itself warns, are not directly comparable with scores from 2025 onwards.	~1850+/2700 minimum
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Five-station MMI (online)
Post-interview chance	Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%.	All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits not accepted (one-sitting expectation)	One resit attempt at full A-levels accepted (unless mitigating circumstances allow further). Extenuating circumstances for resit candidates should be highlighted in the reference.
GCSE requirements	Mathematics and English at grade 6/B or above (National 5 or GCSE) — used in shortlisting, higher grades essential	Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science). 8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile.
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers). Higher grades essential due to weighting.	GCSE forms part of total ranking score alongside achieved/predicted A-levels and UCAT. A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT, and vice versa. Personal statement is also scored.
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at Higher in S5 including Chemistry and Biology	Option (a) AABBB at Higher (with AA at Advanced Higher in Biology + Chemistry); option (b) AAABB at Higher with A in Chemistry or Biology (plus A at Advanced Higher in the other); or option (c) AAAAAA at Higher including Biology and Chemistry
Scottish Advanced Highers	AB at Advanced Higher in S6 (in addition to S5 Highers above), recommended for competitive ranking	AA at Advanced Higher in Biology and Chemistry (option a); or A at Advanced Higher in Biology or Chemistry (option b combined with Higher specification)
International Baccalaureate	37 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology	35 points overall, including HL 6 in Chemistry and HL 6 in Biology plus a further Higher Level at grade 6. English required at Higher or Standard Level (grade 5 minimum if not at GCSE).
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. Graduate weighting reversed: 40% academic + 60% UCAT.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree. UCAT still required.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1670+/2700
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	~1690+/2700
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	No use of SJT in selection (academic + UCAT + PS scoring)
UCAT notes	The SJT is not used. Scottish, RUK and international applicants are considered against separately funded intakes, so the effective bar differs between them.	2024 thresholds were notably higher. Personal statement scored.

Degree awarded	BDS	BChD
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Dundee	Leeds, Bradford and Hull
Named placement sites	-	Leeds Dental Institute
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Students work with Thiel cadavers, which preserve life-like flexibility and tissue quality.	Clinical areas covered include restorative dentistry, oral surgery, children’s dentistry, oral radiography and radiology, and oral medicine.

Interview window	December – February	December – February
Interview details	Multiple Mini Interview format. Personal statement is not assessed pre-interview but is used as a basis for discussion at certain stations. Tone is friendly and conversational rather than adversarial.	Five-station MMI format, currently virtual. Familiarity with key benefits and challenges of NHS dentistry expected, plus practising ethical scenarios and beyond a dentistry-specific context. Successfu…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1916	1831
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Non-graduate weighting: 60% academic / 40% UCAT. Graduate weighting: 40% academic / 60% UCAT. Both A-level predictions and GCSEs feed the academic score, so consistent strong grades matter.	Total score combines UCAT, academic record (achieved/predicted A-levels + GCSEs) and personal statement. Personal statement is also scored, so it is worth tailoring specifically for Leeds.
Official course page	https://www.dundee.ac.uk/undergraduate/dentistry	https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate-courses?query=dentistry

Dundee

Quick comparison

Location: Dundee, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.
TrueScore: Dundee TrueScore 1500
UCAT home cut-off: Dundee does not publish a UCAT threshold for dentistry on the current scale. Its historical admissions figures were measured on the retired /3600 four-subtest test and, as Dundee itself warns, are not directly comparable with scores from 2025 onwards.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%.
Decision date: March onwards

Leeds

Quick comparison

Location: Leeds, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore: Leeds TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off: ~1850+/2700 minimum
Interview format: Five-station MMI (online)
Post-interview chance: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).
Decision date: March onwards

Dundee vs Leeds - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Dundee's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 3600, while Leeds sits at approximately 1850.

That's a 1750-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 2400-3000 band would be competitive at Leeds but borderline at Dundee.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Dundee: not separately disclosed; Leeds: ~1670+/2700. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Dundee requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.

Leeds requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology.

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 — Dundee: Mathematics and English at grade 6/B or above (National 5 or GCSE) — used in shortlisting, higher grades essential. GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers)… Leeds: Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science).

8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile. GCSE forms part of…

Interview formats

Both Dundee and Leeds 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: Dundee runs multiple mini interviews (mmi); Leeds runs five-station mmi (online). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Dundee interviews in December – February; Leeds in December – February.

Curriculum and teaching style

Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum; Leeds runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Dundee delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Leeds uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with spiral curriculum. Clinical placements at Dundee Dental Hospital and Tayside community sites. Five-year BChD with integrated science and clinical practice. Clinical placements at Leeds Dental Institute and Yorkshire community sites.

Intake size: Dundee — ~75 places per year (predominantly Scottish + RUK + small international).; Leeds — ~80 home + ~10 international places per year for BChD Dentistry.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Dundee: Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%. Leeds: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).

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.

What makes each distinctive

Dundee: Non-graduate weighting: 60% academic / 40% UCAT. Graduate weighting: 40% academic / 60% UCAT. Both A-level predictions and GCSEs feed the academic score, so consistent strong grades matter.

Leeds: Total score combines UCAT, academic record (achieved/predicted A-levels + GCSEs) and personal statement. Personal statement is also scored, so it is worth tailoring specifically for Leeds.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Leeds is the more realistic firm-choice option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Dundee feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Leeds into the England network.

If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Dundee; if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better. Your firm/insurance choice should ultimately weight: where your UCAT and predicted grades sit relative to each school's threshold, which interview format you can prepare for most credibly, and where you'd actually want to live for five years.

Common questions

Dundee's typical home cut-off is around 3600, while Leeds sits at approximately 1850 — a 1750-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Leeds is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Dundee expects performance closer to the top -33% of test-takers. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

Dundee requires AAA including chemistry and biology, all in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted. Resits not accepted.. Leeds requires AAA including chemistry and biology. One resit attempt accepted (full A-levels), unless mitigating circumstances. If re-sitting Level 3 qualifications, extenuating circumstances should be highlighted in the reference.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Dundee — Resits not accepted (one-sitting expectation).. Leeds — From 2026 entry: one A-Level resit attempt accepted..

Dundee — Mathematics and English at grade 6/B or above (National 5 or GCSE) — used in shortlisting, higher grades essential. GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers). Higher grades essential due to weighting. Leeds — Minimum 6 GCSEs (or National 5 at grade B) including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology (or Dual Science). 8 grade 8/9s ideal — closer to Cardiff-style profile. GCSE forms part of total ranking score alongside achieved/predicted A-levels and UCAT. A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT, and vice versa. Personal statement is also scored.

Dundee: Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%.. Leeds: All applicants (2025): 76/547 = 14% headline, but ~25% in reality (the 547 includes Dental Hygiene & Therapy applicants - likely ~400 dentistry interviews for 76 places + waitlist offers).. Post-interview odds tell you how competitive each school is at the final stage. Two schools with similar UCAT thresholds can have very different post-interview rates — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%.

Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum. Leeds runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Dundee specifics: Five-year BDS with spiral curriculum. Clinical placements at Dundee Dental Hospital and Tayside community sites. Leeds specifics: Five-year BChD with integrated science and clinical practice. Clinical placements at Leeds Dental Institute and Yorkshire community sites.

You can — UCAS allows 4 medicine/dentistry choices in total, so listing both is feasible if your profile fits each school's selection algorithm. Apply to both only if your UCAT, GCSE and predicted-grade profile is competitive against each school's published weighting. A common mistake is using two of your four slots on similar schools when a more spread-out portfolio (one safe + one stretch) would maximise overall offer probability.

Where to go next

DundeeEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LeedsEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other dental school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 19 September 2026.