What A-Level grades do Buckingham and Keele require?

Buckingham requires ABB including Chemistry or Biology (4.5-year MBChB). Keele requires A*AA, or AAA with an EPQ at grade A. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Buckingham — Resits considered.. Keele — Resits accepted with explanation; achieved-grade route also available..

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Buckingham or Keele?

Buckingham: Refused to state. Keele: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%. 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%.

Where are Buckingham and Keele located, and how does that affect cost?

Buckingham is in Buckingham, UK. Keele is in Staffordshire, 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?

Buckingham typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Keele 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

Buckingham vs Keele

Q: How are GCSEs weighted at Buckingham vs Keele?

Buckingham — At least grade 4 in GCSE English and at least grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent). Keele — Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent).

Buckingham and Keele are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in England, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy. Their A-Level requirements (ABB vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Traditional — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Buckingham and Keele.
Comparison field	BuckinghamBuckingham	KeeleStaffordshire
Quick comparison
Location	Buckingham, UK	Staffordshire, UK
A-Level offer	Minimum ABB at A-level including Chemistry OR Biology - both are not required.	A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
TrueScore	-	Keele TrueScore 1900
UCAT home cut-off	-	~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points.
Interview format	Three-stage selection: academic screening, digital Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA), then an MMI/OSSE task circuit	Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart
Post-interview chance	Refused to state	International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	Minimum ABB at A-level including Chemistry OR Biology - both are not required.	A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAA at A-level for contextual applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology (one of the two, not both)	One of Biology / Chemistry required, plus a second from Chemistry / Biology / Mathematics / Physics / Economics / Psychology
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered.	Resits only accepted with the new achieved grades after completion of A-level resits - predicted resit grades not used in shortlisting
GCSE requirements	At least grade 4 in GCSE English and at least grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent).	Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent)
GCSE scoring methodology	-	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	Total score of at least 32 points including three Higher Level subjects, with at least HL6 in Chemistry or Biology and at least HL5 in the other.	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level - including HL Biology or Chemistry plus a second science / Maths / Economics / Psychology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1700+ /2700 with up to 3 contextual points (UCAT bursary, postcode, local school)
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	~1950+ /2700 minimum requirement; 2024 entry international avg 1882, lowest 1763
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	UCAT not used - uses MMA computer-based test instead	Band 4 automatically rejected. Band 3 can compensate with higher stats. Scored /2 (B1=2, B2=1, B3=0).
UCAT notes	UCAT not used. Selection is by Buckingham's own computer-based MMA (Multiple Mini Assessment). Private university, applied to directly outside UCAS.	Points system /25: PS /15 + UCAT /5 (decile-based) + SJT /2 + contextual /3. Cut-off 15/25 (or 14/25 + 600+ VR).

Degree awarded	MB ChB	MBChB
Course length	4.5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Spiral + Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	Dissection
First patient contact	-	Year 1
Placement geography	Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Cheshire	Staffordshire and Shropshire
Named placement sites	Milton Keynes University Hospital, St Andrew's Hospital, Northampton, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Macclesfield General Hospital (East Cheshire Trust), Leighton Hospital (Mid Cheshire Hospitals)	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (Royal Stoke, County Hospital Stafford), Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (Bradwell, Haywood, St George’s Stafford, Redwoods Shrewsbury), North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust (Harplands, Stoke), Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (Royal Shrewsbury, Princess Royal Telford)
Intercalation	-	Available after year 2 at bachelor's level or year 4 at master's level, at Keele or another university.
Course highlight	Buckingham is an independent, privately funded university — tuition is £41,500 a year for UK students and £47,000 for international students.	-

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Buckingham selects in three stages for January 2027 entry: academic screening, a digital Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA), then an MMI/OSSE — a series of tasks assessing Good Medical Practice attributes…	Keele's 2027-entry selection uses two 15-minute structured online interviews via Microsoft Teams, usually about two hours apart, discussing pre-released GMC 'Good Medical Practice' guidance and a case…

Specialities	Medicine, Accelerated Medicine	Medicine, Community Medicine, Primary Care
Established	1976	1978
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	UCAT is not used - Buckingham selects with its own computer-based MMA (Multiple Mini Assessment). Private university: fees rise to £41,500/year for UK and £47,000/year for international applicants (£1…	Personal statement is heavily weighted (/15 of the /25 total score) - Keele has very specific PS criteria. Strong PS with band 1-2 SJT can compensate for relatively low UCAT. International applicants…
Official course page	https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/mb-chb-medicine-4.5-year-degree/	https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/medicine/

Buckingham

Quick comparison

Location: Buckingham, UK
A-Level offer: Minimum ABB at A-level including Chemistry OR Biology - both are not required.
TrueScore: -
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Three-stage selection: academic screening, digital Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA), then an MMI/OSSE task circuit
Post-interview chance: Refused to state
Decision date: March onwards

Keele

Staffordshire

Quick comparison

Location: Staffordshire, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative)
TrueScore: Keele TrueScore 1900
UCAT home cut-off: ~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points.
Interview format: Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart
Post-interview chance: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%
Decision date: March onwards

Buckingham vs Keele - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Buckingham requires Minimum ABB at A-level including Chemistry OR Biology - both are not required.

Keele requires A*AA at A-level (or AAA + grade A in EPQ as alternative).

Keele is the stricter A-Level offer; Buckingham is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Buckingham carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Buckingham: At least grade 4 in GCSE English and at least grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent). Keele: Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, plus minimum grade 6 in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (6-6 Combined Science accepted as equivalent).

Interview formats

Buckingham uses MMI (Three-stage selection: academic screening, digital Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA), then an MMI/OSSE task circuit); Keele uses Traditional (Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Traditional rewards malleability and intellectual honesty.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, either may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Buckingham is the better fit.

Interview windows: Buckingham interviews in December - March; Keele in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Buckingham runs a Integrated curriculum; Keele runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Buckingham delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Keele uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Four-and-a-half-year accelerated MB ChB (no UCAT required). Clinical placements at Milton Keynes, Stoke Mandeville and partner NHS sites. Five-year MBChB with spiral curriculum. Strong rural/community placement strand across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.

Intake size: Buckingham — ~70 home + significant international places per year (UK's only private medical school).; Keele — ~150 home + ~10 international places per year (5-year MBChB) + ~30 Health Foundation Year places.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Buckingham: Refused to state. Keele: International: 23/54 = 43%; Home Non-Contextual: 167/491 = 34%.

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

Buckingham: UCAT is not used - Buckingham selects with its own computer-based MMA (Multiple Mini Assessment). Private university: fees rise to £41,500/year for UK and £47,000/year for international applicants (£186,750 and £211,500 across the 4.5 years). Apply directly, outside UCAS.

Keele: Personal statement is heavily weighted (/15 of the /25 total score) - Keele has very specific PS criteria. Strong PS with band 1-2 SJT can compensate for relatively low UCAT. International applicants selected on UCAT only.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Buckingham is the lower-risk academic option. Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Buckingham; 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. Buckingham guidance: UCAT not used. Selection is by Buckingham's own computer-based MMA (Multiple Mini Assessment). Private university, applied to directly outside UCAS.. Keele guidance: ~1700+ /2700 absolute minimum (with 15/25 total score or 14/25 + 600+ VR). Top 20% UCAT (~2100+) maximises points..

Buckingham uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Three-stage selection: academic screening, digital Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA), then an MMI/OSSE task circuit. Keele uses Traditional interview: Two 15-minute structured online interviews (traditional format, not MMI; Microsoft Teams), usually around two hours apart. 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 - March (Buckingham); December - March (Keele).

Buckingham's selection methodology: Buckingham does not require UCAT or BMAT. Selection by interview + academic profile + personal statement. Annual fees ~£40,000+ (private school, no NHS bursary). Keele's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + Multiple Mini Interview. Keele's contextual route (Keele Health Foundation Year) provides extensive support for North Midlands widening-participation applicants. 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.

Buckingham runs a Integrated curriculum. Keele runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Buckingham specifics: Four-and-a-half-year accelerated MB ChB (no UCAT required). Clinical placements at Milton Keynes, Stoke Mandeville and partner NHS sites. Keele specifics: Five-year MBChB with spiral curriculum. Strong rural/community placement strand across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.

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

BuckinghamEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

KeeleEntry 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.