What A-Level grades do Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) require?

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) requires AAA including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Where are Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) located, and how does that affect cost?

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) is in Chelmsford, UK. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is in Belfast, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

When does each school release decisions?

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) releases medicine decisions April 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

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Anglia Ruskin (ARU) is based in Chelmsford (England) while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits in Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1310-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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the older institution (founded 1849); the other (founded 2018) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
Comparison field	Anglia Ruskin (ARU)Chelmsford	Queen's University Belfast (QUB)Belfast
Quick comparison
Location	Chelmsford, UK	Belfast, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. The third subject may not be General Studies or Critical Thinking.	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore	Anglia Ruskin (ARU) TrueScore 2030	Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off	2010+ /2700 (2026 entry main cut-off)	No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	UK Applicants: 463/648 = 71% (2025)	Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date	March onwards	April onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. The third subject may not be General Studies or Critical Thinking.	A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology required, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Mathematics / Physics / Psychology	Standard offer: A*AA inc Chemistry and Biology, OR Chemistry and Maths/Physics with grade B in AS Biology. Alternative: AAA + grade A in 4th AS-level/EPQ (Chemistry + one of Biology/Maths/Physics; if Maths or Physics chosen, AS Biology grade A required).
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted.	Resits accepted only for previous Belfast applicants who held a conditional firm offer and must have achieved AAA or A*AB on first attempt
GCSE requirements	Minimum 4 GCSEs at grade 5/B or above including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects.	Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	Minimum 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level in Biology and/or Chemistry plus one other science, including Mathematics or English.	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology (or Chemistry plus Maths/Physics)
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	1960+ East of England, 1920+ WAMS or Essex, 1870+ East of England + WAMS, 1830+ Essex + WAMS. FSM/care-experienced applicants invited regardless of UCAT (provided academic + band 1–3 SJT)	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	1830+ main, 1790+ East of England, 1740+ Essex	-
SJT band	Band 4 = auto reject	May be used if borderline before/after interview. 2025: anyone with 30/42 received interview, didn't matter. 2024: 38/42 cut off, or 37/42 with B1 or B2.
UCAT notes	International applicants not accepted. Band 4 SJT auto-rejected. ARU publishes hard cut-offs, ranked by UCAT.	Because UCAT is only part of a combined score, a lower UCAT can still be carried by a strong GCSE profile and vice versa. Queen's publishes the exact scoring system each cycle in its "How we choose ou…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MB BCh BAO
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Traditional / lecture-led + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Mixed	Dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Essex	Across Northern Ireland
Named placement sites	Colchester Hospital, Basildon Hospital, Harlow (Princess Alexandra) Hospital, Southend Hospital, Broomfield Hospital, St Andrew's Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns, Essex Cardiothoracic Centre	Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Western Health and Social Care Trust
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Essex's first medical school.	-

Interview window	December - March	January - February
Interview details	MMI format heavy on real-world scenarios and role-play. Practise reasoning out loud through clinical or ethical situations and showing critical thinking under follow-up questioning.	MMI format with stations centred around the qualities of a good doctor - for example, "describe a time you have shown resilience" rather than NHS-policy or current-affairs questions.

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
Established	2018	1849
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Local applicants (East of England, especially Essex) get a UCAT cut-off reduction. Free School Meals or care-experienced applicants are invited to interview regardless of UCAT score, provided academic…	Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42…
Official course page	https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/medicine	https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/medicine-mb-a100/

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)

Chelmsford

Quick comparison

Location: Chelmsford, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. The third subject may not be General Studies or Critical Thinking.
TrueScore: Anglia Ruskin (ARU) TrueScore 2030
UCAT home cut-off: 2010+ /2700 (2026 entry main cut-off)
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: UK Applicants: 463/648 = 71% (2025)
Decision date: March onwards

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location: Belfast, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: No cut-off published. Queen's ranks applicants on cognitive performance, with the overall UCAT score contributing points alongside GCSE attainment, and invites roughly the top 700 to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.
Decision date: April onwards

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) vs Queen's University Belfast (QUB) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2010, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700.

That's a 1310-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1100-1600 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Anglia Ruskin (ARU).

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Anglia Ruskin (ARU): 1960+ East of England, 1920+ WAMS or Essex, 1870+ East of England + WAMS, 1830+ Essex + WAMS. FSM/care-experienced applicants invited regardless of UCAT (provided academic + band 1–3 SJT); Queen's University Belfast (QUB): not separately disclosed. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) requires AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics or Psychology. The third subject may not be General Studies or Critical Thinking.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules).

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the stricter A-Level offer; Anglia Ruskin (ARU) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Anglia Ruskin (ARU) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Anglia Ruskin (ARU): Minimum 4 GCSEs at grade 5/B or above including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level.

Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 =…

Interview formats

Both Anglia Ruskin (ARU) and Queen's University Belfast (QUB) 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: Anglia Ruskin (ARU) interviews in December - March; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) in January - February.

Post-interview offer rate

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

Anglia Ruskin (ARU): Local applicants (East of England, especially Essex) get a UCAT cut-off reduction. Free School Meals or care-experienced applicants are invited to interview regardless of UCAT score, provided academic and SJT minimums are met.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42 received an interview regardless.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Anglia Ruskin (ARU) is the lower-risk academic option.

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Anglia Ruskin (ARU) feeds into the England foundation programme network; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) into the Northern Ireland 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

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)'s typical home cut-off is around 2010, while Queen's University Belfast (QUB) sits at approximately 700 — a 1310-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Anglia Ruskin (ARU) expects performance closer to the top 26% 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.

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Queen's University Belfast (QUB) 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 (Anglia Ruskin (ARU)); January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)).

Anglia Ruskin (ARU) — Minimum 4 GCSEs at grade 5/B or above including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — Minimum grade C/4 in GCSE Mathematics, English and Physics (or 4-4 in Double Science) if not offered at AS-level or A-level. Top 9 GCSEs scored /36: A*/9 = 4 pts, A/7-8 = 3 pts, B/6 = 2 pts, C/4-5 = 1 pt. GCSEs are 80% of pre-interview score under the 2026 system (UCAT 20%).

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)'s selection methodology: Newer programme (first cohort 2018). UCAT + academic + MMI interview. Strong East-of-England focus. Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. 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.

Anglia Ruskin (ARU): UK Applicants: 463/648 = 71% (2025). Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Good. Queen's states that once you reach interview it anticipates at least a one-in-two chance of an offer, so the hard part is being among the roughly 700 selected.. 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%.

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

Anglia Ruskin (ARU)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)Entry 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.