How do interviews differ between Glasgow and Liverpool?

Glasgow uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). Liverpool uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (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 (Glasgow); December – February (Liverpool).

Where are Glasgow and Liverpool located, and how does that affect cost?

Glasgow is in Glasgow, UK. Liverpool is in Liverpool, 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?

Glasgow typically releases dentistry decisions March onwards. Liverpool 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

Glasgow vs Liverpool

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

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Glasgow and Liverpool.
Comparison field	GlasgowGlasgow	LiverpoolLiverpool
Quick comparison
Location	Glasgow, UK	Liverpool, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
TrueScore	Glasgow TrueScore 1920	Liverpool TrueScore 1800
UCAT home cut-off	~1850+ RUK; Scottish ~1810+	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online
Post-interview chance	Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.	Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
Contextual A-Level offer	-	Up to a two-grade reduction in entry requirements for eligible contextual / widening-participation applicants (ABB equivalent — assessed via personal circumstances)
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required at grade A	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered with extenuating circumstances only.	A-level resits not normally accepted. Only considered for applicants who narrowly fail academic criteria due to significant extenuating circumstances — would not consider an applicant who achieved less than BBB.
GCSE requirements	Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+.	Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in place at the time of application — no pending grades accepted.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at Higher with Biology and Chemistry at grade A, plus Higher Mathematics or Physics, and National 5 English at grade B.	AAAAA at Higher including Chemistry and Biology
Scottish Advanced Highers	BB at Advanced Higher; three subjects in S6 must include Advanced Higher Biology and Chemistry.	AA at Advanced Higher including Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology, plus Mathematics or Physics at Higher Level (Standard Level 6 considered if HL is not possible).	36 points overall, 666 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	~1920+ /2700	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	~1970+ /2700	-
International cut-off	~1920+ /2700	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT in selection	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 1 or 2 ideal.
UCAT notes	No SJT use. 2025 data not until December.	Liverpool School of Dentistry states it has NO set UCAT cut-off. Scores are considered alongside the non-academic information form and academic attainment, so no threshold should be inferred or estima…

Degree awarded	BDS	BDS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Enquiry-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 2	Year 1
Placement geography	Glasgow and the west of Scotland	Liverpool and Merseyside
Named placement sites	Glasgow Dental Hospital & School	Aintree University Hospital (oral and maxillofacial surgery), Alder Hey Children's Hospital (paediatric dentistry)
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	A mandatory elective study period includes international options.	Students share a three-year Collaborative Learning Core with dental therapy students.

Interview window	December – February	December – February
Interview details	Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) circuit. Personal statement and reference must meet minimum requirements for shortlisting; stations probe motivation, ethics and reflection.	Long MMI lasting over an hour with 10–12 stations. Format demands quick thinking and ability to adapt, as each new station is a fresh scenario. Sample questions: "How would you explain the importance…

Specialities	Dentistry (BDS)	Dentistry (BDS)
Established	1879	1903
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once minimum PS and reference requirements are met. Personal statement is reviewed prior to offer-making but not formally scored.	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.
Official course page	https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/dentistry/	https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/2026/dental-surgery-bds

Glasgow

Quick comparison

Location: Glasgow, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.
TrueScore: Glasgow TrueScore 1920
UCAT home cut-off: ~1850+ RUK; Scottish ~1810+
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.
Decision date: March onwards

Liverpool

Quick comparison

Location: Liverpool, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study
TrueScore: Liverpool TrueScore 1800
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), online
Post-interview chance: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.
Decision date: March onwards

Glasgow vs Liverpool - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Glasgow requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology. Resits only with genuine extenuating circumstances.

Liverpool requires AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry and Biology — all three subjects taken at first sitting after two years of study.

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 — Glasgow: Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+.

Liverpool: Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in…

Interview formats

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

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

Curriculum and teaching style

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

Specifics: Five-year BDS built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements at Glasgow Dental Hospital and West-of-Scotland community sites. Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside community sites.

Intake size: Glasgow — ~75 places per year (Scottish + RUK + small international).; 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.

Post-interview offer rate

Glasgow: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%. 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.

What makes each distinctive

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.

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.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Glasgow feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Liverpool into the England network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Glasgow; 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

Neither school publishes a single fixed UCAT cut-off; both use UCAT as part of a composite shortlisting score alongside GCSE and personal-statement weighting. Glasgow guidance: ~1850+ RUK; Scottish ~1810+. Liverpool guidance: Liverpool School of Dentistry states it has NO set UCAT cut-off. Scores are considered alongside the non-academic information form and academic attainment, so no threshold should be inferred or estimated..

Glasgow requires AAA including chemistry and biology. Resit only with genuine extenuating circumstances.. 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.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Glasgow — Resits considered with extenuating circumstances only.. Liverpool — Resits accepted with explanation..

Glasgow — Six GCSEs at grade 7/A including Mathematics or Physics, plus English Language or English Literature. English accepted at grade 6/B if the other six are at grade 7+. Liverpool — Minimum 8 GCSEs including at least 5 subjects at grade 7/A and 3 at grade 6/B. Grade 6/B required in English Language, Mathematics and Science (dual science or Biology). GCSE requirements must be in place at the time of application — no pending grades accepted. Used only as minimum threshold beyond meeting the floor — UCAT + SJT + non-academic information form drive the ranking

Glasgow's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + MMI. Strong Scottish + RUK focus. Personal statement reviewed but not scored. Liverpool's selection methodology: GCSE attainment plus UCAT, considered together with the non-academic information form, then MMI. There is no UCAT cut-off to clear - only the GCSE minimum operates as a hard gate. 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.

Glasgow: Scottish: 76/108 = 70%. RUK: 42/70 = 60%. International: 22/27 = 81%.. Liverpool: Non-widening participation (2024): 89/402 = 22%.. 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%.

Glasgow runs a PBL curriculum. Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Glasgow specifics: Five-year BDS built around problem-based learning. Clinical placements at Glasgow Dental Hospital and West-of-Scotland community sites. Liverpool specifics: Five-year BDS. Clinical placements at Liverpool University Dental Hospital and Cheshire & Merseyside 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

GlasgowEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LiverpoolEntry 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.

Glasgow vs Liverpool

Side-by-side comparison

Glasgow vs Liverpool - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Glasgow vs Liverpool?

How do interviews differ between Glasgow and Liverpool?

What A-Level grades do Glasgow and Liverpool require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Glasgow vs Liverpool?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Glasgow or Liverpool?

Where are Glasgow and Liverpool located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Glasgow and Liverpool use?

Should I apply to both Glasgow and Liverpool?

Where to go next

Other dental school comparisons