Cardiff vs Liverpool

Cardiff's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1700, while Liverpool sits at approximately 1910.

The 210-point spread matters: Cardiff offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Liverpool expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Cardiff: not separately disclosed; Liverpool: ~1730+ /2700 (2024 entry contextual lowest invited ≈ 1733). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Cardiff requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Liverpool requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

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 — Cardiff: Top 9 GCSEs scored out of 27 points (must include Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry). A*/8/9 = 3 pts, A/7 = 2, B/6 = 1. Liverpool: Top 9 GCSE subjects scored. Must include English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or dual science). 2 points per 7+, 1 point per 6.

Min total 15 points (≈ 6×7s + 3×6s).

Both Cardiff and Liverpool 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: Cardiff interviews in December - February; Liverpool in December - February.

Cardiff runs a Case-based curriculum; Liverpool runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Cardiff leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Liverpool uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBBCh with case-based learning. Cardiff splits clinical placements across South Wales (Cardiff & Vale, Aneurin Bevan, Cwm Taf Morgannwg). Five-year MBChB with integrated theory and clinical practice. Strong NHS placement breadth across Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Intake size: Cardiff — ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100).; Liverpool — ~280 home + ~30 international places per year (A100 Standard Entry Medicine).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Cardiff: International (2024): 60/146 = 41%; Welsh: 232/349 = 66%; RUK: 347/664 = 52%; ~600 offers from 1000 interviews in 2025. Liverpool: Home applicants (2024): 612/1870 = 33%; International: 22/138 = 16%. Low post-interview chances for both.

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.

Cardiff: 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.

Liverpool: Historic medical school known for tropical medicine and global health. GCSE-heavy scoring (top 9 GCSEs counted). Personal statement not normally used in shortlisting but reserved for borderline cases. Low post-interview success rate compared with peers.