What A-Level grades do Edinburgh and Exeter require?

Edinburgh requires AAA including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Exeter requires Applicants need to apply via UCAS by 15 October; academic profile + admissions test used to determine interview invite. Typical A-Level offer A*AA (contextual AAB) for 2026 entry.. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Where are Edinburgh and Exeter located, and how does that affect cost?

Edinburgh is in Edinburgh, UK. Exeter is in Exeter, Devon, England, UK, 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?

Edinburgh typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Exeter releases medicine decisions March onwards / mid-May. 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.

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Medical school comparison

Edinburgh vs Exeter

Edinburgh and Exeter are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Edinburgh is based in Edinburgh (Scotland) while Exeter sits in Exeter, Devon, England, UK (England), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

The interview formats diverge — Assessment day vs MMI — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Edinburgh is the older institution (founded 1583); the other (founded 2013) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Edinburgh and Exeter.
Comparison field	EdinburghEdinburgh	ExeterExeter, Devon, England, UK
Quick comparison
Location	Edinburgh, UK	Exeter, Devon, England, UK, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but AAA* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics	A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology
TrueScore	1700	1900
UCAT home cut-off	-	~1880+ /2700 with AAA* (5th decile) OR ~2100+ /2700 with AAA (8th decile). Points cut-off 74+/100.
Interview format	Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	RUK student: 166 offers from 300 interviewed (~55%); Scottish student: 424/432 = 98% (effectively not interviewed); Overseas student: 45/98 = 46%	International (2026 policy): ~33% (10 places, ~30 interviews); UK Undergrad: 366/696 = 53%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards / mid-May

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but AAA* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics	A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for contextual / WP-eligible applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics	Chemistry and Biology both required at grade A or higher
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered with strong justification.	Resits accepted - predicted grades can still be considered in shortlisting scores
GCSE requirements	Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. In practice, RUK applicants need top 8 GCSEs scored - 5 grade 8s + 3 grade 7s ideal.	Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements.
GCSE scoring methodology	Top 8 GCSEs scored as part of pre-interview academic score (50% of pre-interview ranking). Must include Maths, Biology, Chemistry, English. AAA* predictions + 5+ grade 8s GCSE ideal for full points.	-
Scottish Highers	National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers all considered. Standard offer requires strong Higher and Advanced Higher performance - 4th decile (≈ 2040 /2700) UCAT minimum for Scottish applicants with B2+ SJT and good academics.	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	Strong Advanced Higher performance expected for full academic points	-
International Baccalaureate	38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics	38 points overall, 7,6,6 at Higher Level including HL 6 in Chemistry and HL 6 in Biology. Contextual: 34 points overall, 6,6,5 at Higher Level.
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. UCAT still required - graduate applicants ranked alongside undergraduate by total academic + UCAT score.	Graduate applicants must sit GAMSAT (rather than UCAT) - no specific minimum degree class published; competitive applicants typically hold a 2:1 or above
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	~1500+ /2700 with WP uplift (SIMD40: 10% uplift; SIMD Plus / UCAT bursary: no min requirement)	~1820+ /2700 with AAA* (4th decile) OR ~2010+ /2700 with AAA (7th decile)
Scottish (where applicable)	~1700+ /2700 (2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1584; mean ≈ 2087)	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	~1900+ /2700 (2024 lowest invited ≈ 1724; mean ≈ 2263); 2240+ safer with B1 SJT and AAA* predictions	-
International cut-off	~2100+ /2700 (2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1931; mean ≈ 2330)	~2100+ /2700 (points cut-off 80+)
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	B1/B2 consider; B3 unlikely for English RUK; international B1 safer; Band 4 automatically rejected	SJT is not used - band 4 is appropriate
UCAT notes	1650 /2700 is the absolute minimum (necessary not sufficient). Decile-based UCAT scoring within the 35% UCAT pre-interview weight.	Points-based system combining A-level prediction (75% weight) + UCAT decile (25% weight). Achieved A-level grades scored more generously than predictions.

Interview window	December - February	December – March
Interview details	Multi-panel format that sits between MMI and a traditional panel - applicants face a series of panels with deeper follow-up questioning than a typical MMI. Includes a collaborative group task. Expect…	Online MMI via Zoom breakout rooms - typically 4 stations of 5 minutes each, with a few minutes between stations. Strong focus on ethics, personal qualities and motivation. Fewer follow-up questions t…

Specialities	Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Sciences	Primary Care, Hospital Medicine, Community Medicine, Clinical Science, Rural & Regional Health
Established	1583	2013
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Around 50% academic, 35% UCAT and 15% SJT in shortlisting; SJT band 4 is rejected outright. Scottish applicants face a much lower bar than RUK and are effectively guaranteed an interview if they meet…	Focus on non-academic qualities including communication, empathy, role-play and realistic insight into the course and career. Points-based shortlisting combining A-level prediction + UCAT decile (75%…
Official course page	https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/354-mbchb-medicine-6-year-programme	https://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate-degrees/bmbs-medicine/

Edinburgh

Quick comparison

Location: Edinburgh, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but A*A*A* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore: 1700
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')
Post-interview chance: RUK student: 166 offers from 300 interviewed (~55%); Scottish student: 424/432 = 98% (effectively not interviewed); Overseas student: 45/98 = 46%
Decision date: March onwards

Exeter

Exeter, Devon, England, UK

Quick comparison

Location: Exeter, Devon, England, UK, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology
TrueScore: 1900
UCAT home cut-off: ~1880+ /2700 with A*A*A* (5th decile) OR ~2100+ /2700 with A*A*A (8th decile). Points cut-off 74+/100.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: International (2026 policy): ~33% (10 places, ~30 interviews); UK Undergrad: 366/696 = 53%
Decision date: March onwards / mid-May

Compare different schools

Edinburgh vs Exeter - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Edinburgh requires AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but A*A*A* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics.

Exeter requires A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology.

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Edinburgh: Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. In practice, RUK applicants need top 8 GCSEs scored - 5 grade 8s + 3 grade 7s ideal. Top 8 GCSEs scored as part of pre-interview… Exeter: Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements.

Interview formats

Edinburgh uses Assessment day (Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')); Exeter uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)). These two formats reward different skills — Assessment day emphasises academic reasoning and thinking aloud through unfamiliar problems, while MMI rewards breadth and quick recovery.

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

Interview windows: Edinburgh interviews in December - February; Exeter in December – March.

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

Edinburgh: Around 50% academic, 35% UCAT and 15% SJT in shortlisting; SJT band 4 is rejected outright. Scottish applicants face a much lower bar than RUK and are effectively guaranteed an interview if they meet minimums. Strong research focus and international reputation.

Exeter: Focus on non-academic qualities including communication, empathy, role-play and realistic insight into the course and career. Points-based shortlisting combining A-level prediction + UCAT decile (75% academic / 25% UCAT). SJT not used - band 4 is fine.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Edinburgh is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Edinburgh feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Exeter 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. Edinburgh guidance: 1650 /2700 is the absolute minimum (necessary not sufficient). Decile-based UCAT scoring within the 35% UCAT pre-interview weight.. Exeter guidance: ~1880+ /2700 with A*A*A* (5th decile) OR ~2100+ /2700 with A*A*A (8th decile). Points cut-off 74+/100..

Edinburgh uses Assessment day: Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format'). Exeter 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 (Edinburgh); December – March (Exeter).

Edinburgh — Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. In practice, RUK applicants need top 8 GCSEs scored - 5 grade 8s + 3 grade 7s ideal. Top 8 GCSEs scored as part of pre-interview academic score (50% of pre-interview ranking). Must include Maths, Biology, Chemistry, English. A*A*A* predictions + 5+ grade 8s GCSE ideal for full points. Exeter — Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements.

Edinburgh's selection methodology: UCAT, academic record (including GCSEs/Highers), and personal statement combined. Edinburgh does not use traditional interviews - replaces with multiple-mini-interview-style admissions tasks. Exeter'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.

Edinburgh: RUK student: 166 offers from 300 interviewed (~55%); Scottish student: 424/432 = 98% (effectively not interviewed); Overseas student: 45/98 = 46%. Exeter: International (2026 policy): ~33% (10 places, ~30 interviews); UK Undergrad: 366/696 = 53%. 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

EdinburghEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full ExeterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

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School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 7 September 2026.