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UK Medicine · 2027 Entry
Cardiff Medical School
2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Cardiff University in Cardiff asks 2027-entry medicine applicants for AAA at A-level. It publishes no fixed UCAT cut-off; NextGen MedPrep's TrueScore model predicts 1700+ for an interview invitation (home tier, 2027 entry). Cardiff holds multiple mini interviews (MMI): December 2026 - February 2027. Decisions for 2027 entry: March 2027 onwards.
- Location
- Cardiff, UK
- Established
- 1893
- Interviews (2027 entry)
- December 2026 - February 2027
- Decisions (2027 entry)
- March 2027 onwards
Photo: Jeremy Segrott (from Cardiff, Wales, UK) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped
Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Martin Speck · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Athena's Pix (Back, but give me time!) profile at Flickr website · CC BY 2.0
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Full guide
How to get into Cardiff medicine
Step-by-step: entry requirements, UCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Interview guide
Prepare for the Cardiff interview
Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →The course
What the Cardiff medicine course is like
Team-based learning + Case-based learning + Spiral, 5 years, placements in Wales.
See the course →Overview
About Cardiff
Cardiff is Wales's leading medical school, with the C21 spiral curriculum and the unique CARER community placement that runs through the entire course.
What makes Cardiff different
Leading Welsh medical school with strong community-medicine and research focus. GCSE-heavy scoring (/27) - full points typically requires 9 grade 8/9s. UCAT is used to rank candidates only when there are too many at the maximum GCSE score.
Cardiff course & teaching
Case-based curriculum. Five-year MBBCh with case-based learning. Cardiff splits clinical placements across South Wales (Cardiff & Vale, Aneurin Bevan, Cwm Taf Morgannwg).
Cardiff research strengths
Cardiff is strong in these research areas:
- Neuroscience & mental health
- Cancer
- Infection & immunity
- Population medicine
Intercalation at Cardiff
Optional intercalated BSc - selective.
How the Cardiff interview runs
Format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
MMI format with stations testing motivation for medicine, communication, ethics and understanding of the Welsh healthcare context. You are told the general topic of each station beforehand.
Cardiff intake
~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100).
Where Cardiff is
Cardiff University was founded in 1893 and is based in Cardiff.
Programmes offered:
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
Practise
Practise the Cardiff interview with an AI interviewer
These are real recordings of the interviewers you would meet, from a panel of 52 photoreal faces. Speak your answers out loud, get pressed with follow-ups, and receive rubric-scored feedback about two minutes after you finish, with a replay of your answers.
Try the AI interviewerTrueScore
Predicted UCAT for Cardiff
TrueScore
What is TrueScore?
A data-driven estimate of the UCAT score you'll likely need to be invited to interview at Cardiff for 2027 entry entry — based on its published cut-offs and recent admissions data. Treat it as a target to aim past, not a guarantee.
- Home1700
- Rest of UK2050
- International1550
Cardiff's TrueScore is 1700. Build a week-by-week UCAT plan that works back from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
Entry requirements
What you need to apply to Cardiff
Cardiff at a glance
| A-level offer | AAA |
|---|---|
| NGMP TrueScore (2027 entry) | 1700+ predicted for interview (home tier) |
| Interview format | Multiple mini interviews (MMI) |
| Intake | ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100) |
| Decisions (2027 entry) | March 2027 onwards |
| A-Level requirements | AAA at A-level including Biology OR Chemistry plus a second science from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. A pass in the science practical element is required where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Required A-Level subjects | Biology and Chemistry both required |
| A-Level resit policy | Resits only considered for applicants who held a conditional offer in the previous cycle and provide evidence of exceptional circumstances. GCSE resits accepted within one year of original sitting (English Language any time). No use of predicted A-level grades - achieved grades only. |
| GCSE requirements | Top 9 GCSEs scored /27, must include Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Chemistry (or Double Science): A*/8/9 = 3 pts, A/7 = 2 pts, B/6 = 1 pt. Achieved A-levels add up to 3 further points (A* = 3, A = 2). 27/27 typical for RUK. |
| International Baccalaureate | 36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry |
| Graduate-entry degree requirement | Graduate applicants need a 2:1 (Hons) or to be working towards one, plus BBB/ABC at A-level including the subject requirements and the minimum GCSEs. Applicants who have completed a PhD need only BBC at A-level, with all other criteria still met. |
UCAT Selection at Cardiff
Weighting
GCSE-heavy /27 scoring (top 9 GCSEs incl. Maths, English Lang, Biology, Chemistry; 3 pts per A*/8/9). 27/27 typically required for RUK. Welsh applicants and contextual candidates receive up to 3 additional points. UCAT only applied as a tie-break when too many applicants reach 27/27. Personal statement reviewed but not scored.
SJT band
Not considered at all
Contextual / WP eligibility
Welsh-domiciled and contextualised applicants get up to 3 extra GCSE points and additional consideration in initial selection. UCAT bar significantly lower for Welsh applicants - in some years effectively no UCAT minimum.
Cardiff is academically led: GCSE and UCAT decile scores are combined to rank applicants, with an extra point for academic achievement in further or higher education. The UCAT therefore acts as a separator among a strong academic field rather than as an entry gate. The SJT is not used.
| SJT Band | Not considered at all |
|---|---|
| Specialities offered | Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy |
Interview
How Cardiff interviews applicants
| Format | Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) |
|---|---|
| Interview window (2027 entry) | December 2026 - February 2027 |
| Decision date (2027 entry) | March 2027 onwards |
| Post-interview chances | International (2024): 60/146 = 41%; Welsh: 232/349 = 66%; RUK: 347/664 = 52%; ~600 offers from 1000 interviews in 2025 |
Tutor insight
Be specific about why Cardiff: the C21 spiral curriculum and CARER placement come up often in "why this school" questions. Prepare to discuss differences between Welsh and English healthcare systems - they often surface in scenario stations.
Practice
Practise for your Cardiff interview
PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside
Interview questions matched to Cardiff
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Cardiff’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
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Get support
Apply to Cardiff with confidence
We've helped students into Cardiff and other UK medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
UCAT Tutoring
Hit the UCAT cut-off for Cardiff with one-to-one tutoring from top scorers.
Learn moreInterview preparation
Practise the Multiple Mini Interviews format with students who interviewed at Cardiff.
Learn morePersonal statement help
Get your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreSources
Where Cardiff's figures come from
Checked field-by-field against Cardiff University's official course page on 14 August 2026.
FAQ
Cardiff — frequently asked questions
Home applicants: No minimum. Cardiff states there is no minimum UCAT score, and that a cut-off is only introduced - and varies each cycle - when more applicants reach the highest academic scores than it can interview (around 1,000).. Cardiff is academically led: GCSE and UCAT decile scores are combined to rank applicants, with an extra point for academic achievement in further or higher education. The UCAT therefore acts as a separator among a strong academic field rather than as an entry gate. The SJT is not used.
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We've helped students turn their UCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Cardiff and other UK medicine schools.