Where are Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS) located, and how does that affect cost?

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) is in London, UK. Hull York (HYMS) is in Hull/York, 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?

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Hull York (HYMS) 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

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS)

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Barts and The London (Queen Mary) is based in London (London) while Hull York (HYMS) sits in Hull/York (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

Their A-Level requirements (A*AA vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. The interview formats diverge — Panel vs MMI — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Barts and The London (Queen Mary) is the older institution (founded 1785); the other (founded 2003) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS).
Comparison field	Barts and The London (Queen Mary)London	Hull York (HYMS)Hull/York
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer	A*AA at A-level achieved in one sitting over a study period of no longer than two years	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore	Barts and The London (Queen Mary) TrueScore 2010	Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980
UCAT home cut-off	A hard floor at the fourth decile: Queen Mary states your application will not be considered beyond first shortlisting if your total UCAT falls below it. Clearing the fourth decile is no guarantee of an interview.	~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format	Panel interview with two senior academic or clinical staff, sometimes a lay selector (online)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	UK Undergrad: 948/1294 = 73% (2025); International: 61/159 = 38%; A101 Graduate Medicine: 55/127 = 43%	All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	A*AA at A-level achieved in one sitting over a study period of no longer than two years	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
Contextual A-Level offer	AAA at A-level for standard or enhanced contextual applicants. AAB for care-leavers.	ABB at A-level for widening-access applicants
Required A-Level subjects	First A-level: Chemistry or Biology. Second A-level: a further science from Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Mathematics. Third A-level: any subject.	Biology and Chemistry both required. AAB + grade A in EPQ also accepted.
A-Level resit policy	Resits only with extenuating circumstances. UCAS tariff scoring applies only to the 3 A-levels meeting the A*AA requirement (not EPQ or music qualifications).	Resits accepted only if first sitting was BBB or higher. Applicants may repeat or restart Year 12 once with no restrictions.
GCSE requirements	At least 6 GCSEs at grades 777666 (AAABBB pre-2017) including Biology, Chemistry, English Language or English Literature, and Mathematics. Science Double Award may substitute all sciences. GCSEs not required for graduates.	Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending).
GCSE scoring methodology	Used only as minimum threshold once met - UCAT-led ranking takes over	Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	38 points overall, 7,6,6 at Higher Level - including HL Chemistry or Biology and a second science / Maths	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. A101 4-year accelerated Graduate Entry programme available.	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements)
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	~2020+ /2700 (similar threshold to home, ranked separately)
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 4 auto-rejected. SJT used minimally post-interview (B1=2pts, B2=1pt, B3=0).	Used to shortlist, scored /15. Band 4 automatically rejected. (B1 = 15, B2 ≈ 10, B3 ≈ 5)
UCAT notes	Queen Mary says plainly that it is not possible to predict what the thresholds will be in any given year, nor to use previous years' data to predict them - so treat any specific figure quoted elsewher…	Points system out of 100: UCAT by decile /35 + SJT band /15 + best six achieved GCSEs /35 + contextual /15. HYMS states it does not look for a specific score - it ranks applicants numerically within t…

Degree awarded	MBBS	MB BS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Problem-based learning + Team-based learning	Problem-based learning
Anatomy teaching	Full-body dissection	-
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	East London and north east London	Yorkshire and the Humber
Named placement sites	The Royal London Hospital, Homerton Hospital, Newham Hospital, Whipps Cross Hospital, King George Hospital, Queen's Hospital	-
Intercalation	Intercalated degree options include Experimental Pathology, Global Medical Humanities, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics, Prehospital Medicine, and Sports and Exercise Medicine.	An optional additional year, with options including clinical anatomy, immunology and infection, neuroscience, pharmacology and drug development, public health, and health professions education.
Course highlight	-	The MB BS is awarded jointly by the University of Hull and the University of York.

Interview window	December - February	December - March
Interview details	Online panel-style MMI of about 20 minutes. You speak with a current medical student before it begins, which can help settle nerves. Stations cover motivation for medicine, teamwork, communication and…	Five-station MMI: two 10-minute mini-interviews with 5 minutes' prep each, a 10-minute student station, a 20-minute PBL group exercise led by a tutor, and a 5-minute scenario station built around a pr…

Specialities	Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences	Medicine, Medical Education
Established	1785	2003
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	No longer 50:50 weighted on A-level predictions and UCAT - anyone who exceeds the UCAT cut-off generally gets an interview regardless of predictions. SJT band adds bonus points to interview score post…	Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-bas…
Official course page	https://www.qmul.ac.uk/fmd/study/undergraduate/courses/a100/	https://www.hyms.ac.uk/medicine/mbbs-medicine

Barts and The London (Queen Mary)

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level achieved in one sitting over a study period of no longer than two years
TrueScore: Barts and The London (Queen Mary) TrueScore 2010
UCAT home cut-off: A hard floor at the fourth decile: Queen Mary states your application will not be considered beyond first shortlisting if your total UCAT falls below it. Clearing the fourth decile is no guarantee of an interview.
Interview format: Panel interview with two senior academic or clinical staff, sometimes a lay selector (online)
Post-interview chance: UK Undergrad: 948/1294 = 73% (2025); International: 61/159 = 38%; A101 Graduate Medicine: 55/127 = 43%
Decision date: March onwards

Hull York (HYMS)

Hull/York

Quick comparison

Location: Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore: Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980
UCAT home cut-off: ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date: March onwards

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) requires A*AA at A-level achieved in one sitting over a study period of no longer than two years.

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently).

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) is the stricter A-Level offer; Hull York (HYMS) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Hull York (HYMS) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Barts and The London (Queen Mary): At least 6 GCSEs at grades 777666 (AAABBB pre-2017) including Biology, Chemistry, English Language or English Literature, and Mathematics. Science Double Award may substitute all sciences.

GCSEs not… Hull York (HYMS): Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending). Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly…

Interview formats

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) uses Panel (Panel interview with two senior academic or clinical staff, sometimes a lay selector (online)); Hull York (HYMS) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)). These two formats reward different skills — Panel emphasises narrative coherence and the ability to develop a thread under follow-up questioning, while MMI rewards breadth and quick recovery.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Barts and The London (Queen Mary) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Hull York (HYMS) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Barts and The London (Queen Mary) interviews in December - February; Hull York (HYMS) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) runs a Integrated curriculum; Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Barts and The London (Queen Mary) delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Hull York (HYMS) centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year MBBS with integrated theory and clinical practice. Strong East London NHS placement network (Royal London, Whipps Cross, Newham, Mile End). Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites.

Intake size: Barts and The London (Queen Mary) — 311 Home places and up to 24 Overseas expected for September 2026 entry on the five-year A100 - one of the larger UK medical schools.; Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

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

Barts and The London (Queen Mary): No longer 50:50 weighted on A-level predictions and UCAT - anyone who exceeds the UCAT cut-off generally gets an interview regardless of predictions. SJT band adds bonus points to interview score post-interview (Band 1 = +2, Band 2 = +1, Band 3 = 0).

Hull York (HYMS): Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-based curriculum.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Hull York (HYMS) is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Barts and The London (Queen Mary) feeds into the London foundation programme network; Hull York (HYMS) into the England network.

If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Hull York (HYMS); 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 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. Barts and The London (Queen Mary) guidance: A hard floor at the fourth decile: Queen Mary states your application will not be considered beyond first shortlisting if your total UCAT falls below it. Clearing the fourth decile is no guarantee of an interview.. Hull York (HYMS) guidance: ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix.

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) uses Panel interview: Panel interview with two senior academic or clinical staff, sometimes a lay selector (online). Hull York (HYMS) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The two formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each, with at least 3 full mock interviews per format before sitting either. Interview windows: December - February (Barts and The London (Queen Mary)); December - March (Hull York (HYMS)).

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology/Physics/Mathematics. Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Barts and The London (Queen Mary) — Resits considered with explanation.. Hull York (HYMS) — Resits accepted..

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) — At least 6 GCSEs at grades 777666 (AAABBB pre-2017) including Biology, Chemistry, English Language or English Literature, and Mathematics. Science Double Award may substitute all sciences. GCSEs not required for graduates. Used only as minimum threshold once met - UCAT-led ranking takes over Hull York (HYMS) — Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending). Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.

Barts and The London (Queen Mary)'s selection methodology: You must be predicted a minimum UCAS tariff of 152 (A*AA) from the required subjects, and your total UCAT must reach at least the fourth decile to pass first shortlisting. Beyond that, candidates are shortlisted for the MMI, with the SJT used after interview. Queen Mary does not publish, and says it cannot predict, the year's threshold. Hull York (HYMS)'s selection methodology: Joint Hull-York programme. UCAT + academic + MMI. Distinctive 'Hull York' brand with placements across both cities. 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.

Barts and The London (Queen Mary): UK Undergrad: 948/1294 = 73% (2025); International: 61/159 = 38%; A101 Graduate Medicine: 55/127 = 43%. Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. 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%.

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) runs a Integrated curriculum. Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Barts and The London (Queen Mary) specifics: Five-year MBBS with integrated theory and clinical practice. Strong East London NHS placement network (Royal London, Whipps Cross, Newham, Mile End). Hull York (HYMS) specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS 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

Barts and The London (Queen Mary)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Hull York (HYMS)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.

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS)

Side-by-side comparison

Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS) - 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 Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS)?

How do interviews differ between Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS)?

What A-Level grades do Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Barts and The London (Queen Mary) vs Hull York (HYMS)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Barts and The London (Queen Mary) or Hull York (HYMS)?

Where are Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS) use?

Should I apply to both Barts and The London (Queen Mary) and Hull York (HYMS)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons