How do interviews differ between Dundee and Plymouth?

Dundee uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Plymouth uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Five-station MMI (online), ~55 minutes. 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); February – April (Plymouth).

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Dundee's selection methodology: Combined academic + UCAT + MMI. Strong Scottish focus. SJT not used. Plymouth's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. Strong South-West focus. 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 Plymouth located, and how does that affect cost?

Dundee is in Dundee, UK. Plymouth is in Plymouth, 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. Plymouth releases dentistry decisions Spring. 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 Plymouth

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

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1577-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Dundee and Plymouth.
Comparison field	DundeeDundee	PlymouthPlymouth
Quick comparison
Location	Dundee, UK	Plymouth, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.	A*AA – AAB at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength) including grade A in Biology and grade A in a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
TrueScore	Dundee TrueScore 1500	Plymouth TrueScore 1990
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.	Not published on the current scale. The average thresholds Plymouth published for the 2023-2025 cycles were measured on the retired /3600 four-subtest test and cannot be converted to /2700 - removing a subtest does not scale a score.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Five-station MMI (online), ~55 minutes
Post-interview chance	Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%.	Home: 132/499 = 26% (2025). Overseas: 8/28 = 29%. Home Foundation Year: 17/104 = 16%.
Decision date	March onwards	Spring

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects in the same sitting. Ideally 1–2 A* predicted.	A*AA – AAB at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength) including grade A in Biology and grade A in a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for widening-access applicants — A in Biology and A in a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required	Biology required at grade A, plus a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology at grade A
A-Level resit policy	Resits not accepted (one-sitting expectation)	Resits accepted: with predicted grades, minimum ABB on first sitting (ABC for widening access). If applying with achieved A-level resit grades, first-sitting requirements waived.
GCSE requirements	Mathematics and English at grade 6/B or above (National 5 or GCSE) — used in shortlisting, higher grades essential	Seven GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, must include English Language, Mathematics, and either 4-4 Dual Science or two from Biology / Chemistry / Physics
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers). Higher grades essential due to weighting.	Used as minimum threshold only — Plymouth does not consider personal statements or work experience when selecting for interview
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at Higher in S5 including Chemistry and Biology	Scottish Highers NOT accepted — Plymouth Dental School requires Advanced Highers only
Scottish Advanced Highers	AB at Advanced Higher in S6 (in addition to S5 Highers above), recommended for competitive ranking	AAA at Advanced Higher including grade A in Biology and grade A in one further science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
International Baccalaureate	37 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology	36–38 points overall, with HL 6 in Biology and HL 6 in one further science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. Graduate weighting reversed: 40% academic + 60% UCAT.	Applicants must have achieved or be predicted to achieve a 1st (70%) or higher in a University of Plymouth School of Biomedical Science programme
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	No use of SJT in selection
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.	The SJT is not used under the selection policy. The UCAT must be sat in the year of application and is used by the Admissions Advisory Panel alongside academic qualifications to select for interview;…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Dundee	Devon and Cornwall
Named placement sites	-	Portland Square (Plymouth main campus), Devonport Dental Education Facility, Derriford (Plymouth), Exeter Dental Education Facility, Truro Dental Education Facility
Intercalation	-	Selected students may intercalate between year 3 and year 4, taking a one-year MSc in the Plymouth research laboratories.
Course highlight	Students work with Thiel cadavers, which preserve life-like flexibility and tissue quality.	Won a Times Higher Education Award in 2023 for contribution to the community.

Interview window	December – February	February – April
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.	Online MMI format. 5 stations of ~11 minutes each by 4 different interviewers. Each station has a 'red flag' section - Yes/No reflecting suitability for the programme. One MMI station dedicated to a m…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1916	2007
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.	Interview-score-based offer making. Personal statements and work experience are NOT considered for interview selection - UCAT and academic minimums alone determine who reaches interview.
Official course page	https://www.dundee.ac.uk/undergraduate/dentistry	https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/bds-dental-surgery

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

Plymouth

Quick comparison

Location: Plymouth, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA – AAB at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength) including grade A in Biology and grade A in a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology
TrueScore: Plymouth TrueScore 1990
UCAT home cut-off: Not published on the current scale. The average thresholds Plymouth published for the 2023-2025 cycles were measured on the retired /3600 four-subtest test and cannot be converted to /2700 - removing a subtest does not scale a score.
Interview format: Five-station MMI (online), ~55 minutes
Post-interview chance: Home: 132/499 = 26% (2025). Overseas: 8/28 = 29%. Home Foundation Year: 17/104 = 16%.
Decision date: Spring

Dundee vs Plymouth - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Dundee's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 3600, while Plymouth sits at approximately 2023.

That's a 1577-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 2500-3100 band would be competitive at Plymouth but borderline at Dundee.

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.

Plymouth requires A*AA – AAB at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength) including grade A in Biology and grade A in a second science from Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology.

Plymouth is the stricter A-Level offer; Dundee is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Dundee carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

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)… Plymouth: Seven GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, must include English Language, Mathematics, and either 4-4 Dual Science or two from Biology / Chemistry / Physics. Used as minimum threshold only — Plymouth does…

Interview formats

Both Dundee and Plymouth 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); Plymouth runs five-station mmi (online), ~55 minutes. Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: Dundee interviews in December – February; Plymouth in February – April.

Curriculum and teaching style

Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum; Plymouth runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Dundee delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Plymouth centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year BDS with spiral curriculum. Clinical placements at Dundee Dental Hospital and Tayside community sites. Five-year BDS with PBL. Plymouth Peninsula Dental School - clinical placements across South-West community sites.

Intake size: Dundee — ~75 places per year (predominantly Scottish + RUK + small international).; Plymouth — ~75 home places per year for BDS Dentistry (smaller cohort, regional focus).. 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%. Plymouth: Home: 132/499 = 26% (2025). Overseas: 8/28 = 29%. Home Foundation Year: 17/104 = 16%.

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.

Plymouth: Interview-score-based offer making. Personal statements and work experience are NOT considered for interview selection - UCAT and academic minimums alone determine who reaches interview.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Plymouth is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Dundee is the lower-risk academic option.

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Dundee feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Plymouth into the England network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Plymouth; 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 Plymouth sits at approximately 2023 — a 1577-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Plymouth 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.. Plymouth requires A*AA – AAA offer (AAB widening access - A in biology + second science). Including biology and a second science from chemistry/physics/maths/psychology. Resit (with predicted grades): minimum ABB on first sitting (or ABC WP).. 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).. Plymouth — Resits 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. Plymouth — Seven GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, must include English Language, Mathematics, and either 4-4 Dual Science or two from Biology / Chemistry / Physics. Used as minimum threshold only — Plymouth does not consider personal statements or work experience when selecting for interview

Dundee: Scottish: 71/149 = 48%. RUK: 17/127 = 13%. Overseas: 28/58 = 48%.. Plymouth: Home: 132/499 = 26% (2025). Overseas: 8/28 = 29%. Home Foundation Year: 17/104 = 16%.. 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. Plymouth runs a PBL 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. Plymouth specifics: Five-year BDS with PBL. Plymouth Peninsula Dental School - clinical placements across South-West 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

PlymouthEntry 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.