How do interviews differ between Aberdeen and Leeds?

Aberdeen uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Leeds uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). 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 - March (Aberdeen); December - February (Leeds).

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

Aberdeen is in Aberdeen, 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?

Aberdeen typically releases medicine decisions March/April. Leeds releases medicine 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.

Medical school comparison

Aberdeen vs Leeds

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

Aberdeen is the older institution (founded 1495); the other (founded 1904) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Aberdeen and Leeds.
Comparison field	AberdeenAberdeen	LeedsLeeds
Quick comparison
Location	Aberdeen, UK	Leeds, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (predictions also AAA minimum). An A* cannot compensate for a B in another subject.
TrueScore	Aberdeen TrueScore 1700	Leeds TrueScore 1950
UCAT home cut-off	-	No cut-off. Leeds states plainly: "There is no fixed UCAT cut-off score."
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%	Home student: 300/742 = 40% (2024); International: 12/32 = 38%
Decision date	March/April	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level	AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (predictions also AAA minimum). An A* cannot compensate for a B in another subject.
Contextual A-Level offer	-	ABB for Access to Leeds applicants. Chemistry and Biology must both be taken, with an A in either Chemistry or Biology.
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry required, plus one of Biology / Human Biology / Mathematics / Physics, plus one other subject	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits only accepted with serious extenuating circumstances or personal difficulties	From 2026 entry: one A-Level resit attempt accepted without mitigating circumstances.
GCSE requirements	English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum.	Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above including Mathematics, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or 6-6 Dual Science). Meeting the minimum alone is unlikely to shortlist - scoring uses the top 8 GCSEs.
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSEs are not used in scoring - minimum threshold only (2025 entry onwards)	Top 8 GCSEs scored as part of the ranking alongside UCAT.
Scottish Highers	AAAAB at one sitting including Chemistry plus two of Biology / Human Biology / Mathematics / Physics. AAAB for widening-access applicants.	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, including HL 6,6,6 with HL Chemistry plus HL Maths / Biology / Physics, and one other HL subject	36 points overall with a mark of 6 in three Higher Level subjects, which must include Chemistry and Biology.
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	SIMD20 and care-experienced school leavers receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score; SIMD40 school leavers receive 5%.	-
Scottish (where applicable)	No cut-off. Scotland-domiciled applicants are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum academic requirements and their UCAT sits within the top 75% of scores from Aberdeen applicants.	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	No use of SJT - band 4 accepted	SJT not used or considered
UCAT notes	Aberdeen does not use a minimum UCAT cut-off at all. Your score is converted into points relative to every other Aberdeen applicant that year, and feeds a total of academic attainment 30%, UCAT 20% an…	Your UCAT total is one of four inputs to a points-based ranking, alongside your top eight GCSEs, your top three predicted grades and contextual information. Because applicants are ranked rather than f…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBChB
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Case-based learning + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	-
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Grampian, the Highlands and the Scottish islands	West Yorkshire
Named placement sites	Aberdeen Royal Infirmary	-
Intercalation	A one-year intercalated honours degree in Medical Science or Medical Humanities at the end of year 3 or 4.	Available after year 2, 3 or 4.
Course highlight	The world’s first full-body MRI scanner was developed and built by researchers at Aberdeen.	The Patient, Carer Community (PCC) initiative provides learning alongside clinical placements.

Interview window	December - March	December - February
Interview details	Multiple Mini Interview format with applicants rotating through several stations. Each station has two interviewers and assesses a specific competency such as motivation, ethical reasoning, communicat…	Leeds uses a multiple mini-interview format but does not publish the number of stations or their timings, so treat any specific circuit description you see elsewhere as unofficial. Expect the usual MM…

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Rural Health	Medicine, Dentistry, Healthcare Sciences
Established	1495	1904
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Shortlisting weights academic 60% (A-level scores) / UCAT 40%. Scottish-domiciled applicants in the top 75% academically receive guaranteed interview. Care leavers and Quintile 1 postcode applicants r…	Well-established medical school with strong community links and clinical training. Total shortlisting score combines UCAT, GCSE and A-level predictions. SJT is not used in selection.
Official course page	https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree-programmes/796/A100/medicine-5-years/	https://courses.leeds.ac.uk/5580/medicine-and-surgery-mbchb

Aberdeen

Quick comparison

Location: Aberdeen, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level
TrueScore: Aberdeen TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%
Decision date: March/April

Leeds

Quick comparison

Location: Leeds, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (predictions also AAA minimum). An A* cannot compensate for a B in another subject.
TrueScore: Leeds TrueScore 1950
UCAT home cut-off: No cut-off. Leeds states plainly: "There is no fixed UCAT cut-off score."
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Home student: 300/742 = 40% (2024); International: 12/32 = 38%
Decision date: March onwards

Aberdeen vs Leeds - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Aberdeen requires AAA at A-level.

Leeds requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (predictions also AAA minimum). An A* cannot compensate for a B in another subject.

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 — Aberdeen: English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum. GCSEs are not used… Leeds: Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above including Mathematics, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or 6-6 Dual Science).

Meeting the minimum alone is unlikely to shortlist - scoring uses the top 8…

Interview formats

Both Aberdeen 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.

Interview windows: Aberdeen interviews in December - March; Leeds in December - February.

Curriculum and teaching style

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

Specifics: Five-year MBChB with early clinical exposure from Year 1. Distinctive remote/rural placement strand in Highlands and Western Isles. Five-year MBChB with integrated theory and clinical placements from Year 1; clinical years across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Intake size: Aberdeen — ~257 Scottish + ~24 RUK + ~39 International per year (2025 entry data).; Leeds — Leeds does not publish an A100 intake figure.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Aberdeen: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%. Leeds: Home student: 300/742 = 40% (2024); International: 12/32 = 38%.

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

Aberdeen: Shortlisting weights academic 60% (A-level scores) / UCAT 40%. Scottish-domiciled applicants in the top 75% academically receive guaranteed interview. Care leavers and Quintile 1 postcode applicants receive a 10% UCAT uplift; Quintile 2 receives 5%.

Leeds: Well-established medical school with strong community links and clinical training. Total shortlisting score combines UCAT, GCSE and A-level predictions. SJT is not used in selection.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Aberdeen feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Leeds into the England network.

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 or six 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. Aberdeen guidance: Aberdeen does not use a minimum UCAT cut-off at all. Your score is converted into points relative to every other Aberdeen applicant that year, and feeds a total of academic attainment 30%, UCAT 20% and interview 50%. Applicants are ranked on that total, so UCAT is only a fifth of the decision and the interview is half of it.. Leeds guidance: No cut-off. Leeds states plainly: "There is no fixed UCAT cut-off score.".

Aberdeen requires AAA including Chemistry, plus one of Biology, Human Biology, Mathematics or Physics, plus one other subject. Leeds requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology (predictions also AAA minimum). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Aberdeen — Resits considered with strong justification.. Leeds — From 2026 entry: one A-Level resit attempt accepted without mitigating circumstances..

Aberdeen — English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. A combination of grade 6–9 GCSEs expected, especially in sciences. National 5 (Scottish): English and Maths at B/6 minimum. GCSEs are not used in scoring - minimum threshold only (2025 entry onwards) Leeds — Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above including Mathematics, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or 6-6 Dual Science). Meeting the minimum alone is unlikely to shortlist - scoring uses the top 8 GCSEs. Top 8 GCSEs scored as part of the ranking alongside UCAT.

Aberdeen's selection methodology: Aberdeen scores academic attainment and predictions at 30%, UCAT at 20% and interview performance at 50%, then ranks applicants on the total; those above the required threshold are interviewed and may then be offered a place. There is no minimum UCAT cut-off - your score is converted to points relative to all other Aberdeen applicants that year. Scotland-domiciled applicants who meet the academic minimum and sit within the top 75% of Aberdeen's UCAT scores are guaranteed an interview. Leeds's selection methodology: Eligible applicants are shortlisted on a points-based system combining the top eight GCSE results (including any required subjects), the top three predicted grades (including any required subjects), the overall UCAT score and contextual information. Applications are then ranked on that combined score, with extra points for applicants meeting contextual criteria. There is no fixed UCAT cut-off, and the personal statement is not part of shortlisting. 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.

Aberdeen: RUK 74/165 = 45% (2025); Scottish 736/863 = 85%; International 101/140 = 72%. Leeds: Home student: 300/742 = 40% (2024); International: 12/32 = 38%. 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%.

Aberdeen runs a Integrated curriculum. Leeds runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Aberdeen specifics: Five-year MBChB with early clinical exposure from Year 1. Distinctive remote/rural placement strand in Highlands and Western Isles. Leeds specifics: Five-year MBChB with integrated theory and clinical placements from Year 1; clinical years across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

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

AberdeenEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LeedsEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

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

Aberdeen vs Leeds

Side-by-side comparison

Aberdeen vs Leeds - 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 Aberdeen vs Leeds?

How do interviews differ between Aberdeen and Leeds?

What A-Level grades do Aberdeen and Leeds require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Aberdeen vs Leeds?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Aberdeen or Leeds?

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

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Aberdeen and Leeds use?

Should I apply to both Aberdeen and Leeds?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons