How do interviews differ between Exeter and St Andrews?

Exeter uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). St Andrews 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 (Exeter); December - March (St Andrews).

What A-Level grades do Exeter and St Andrews require?

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.. St Andrews requires AAA including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

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

Exeter is in Exeter, Devon, England, UK, UK. St Andrews is in St Andrews, 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?

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

Exeter vs St Andrews

Exeter and St Andrews are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Exeter is based in Exeter, Devon, England, UK (England) while St Andrews sits in St Andrews (Scotland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 1230-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (A*AA vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. St Andrews is the older institution (founded 1413); 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: Exeter and St Andrews.
Comparison field	ExeterExeter, Devon, England, UK	St AndrewsSt Andrews
Quick comparison
Location	Exeter, Devon, England, UK, UK	St Andrews, UK
A-Level offer	A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology	AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore	Exeter TrueScore 1900	St Andrews TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off	~1880+ /2700 with AAA* (5th decile) OR ~2100+ /2700 with AAA (8th decile). Points cut-off 74+/100.	No threshold published. Applicants who meet the requirements are ranked on their UCAT global score, and roughly the top 650 are invited to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	International (2026 policy): ~33% (10 places, ~30 interviews); UK Undergrad: 366/696 = 53%	RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%
Decision date	March onwards / mid-May	March onwards

A-Level offer	A*AA at A-level including A in Chemistry and A in Biology	AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
Contextual A-Level offer	AAB at A-level for contextual / WP-eligible applicants	AAB at A-level for widening-access applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required at grade A or higher	Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted - predicted grades can still be considered in shortlisting scores	Resits considered with extenuating circumstances.
GCSE requirements	Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements.	Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not offered at A-level. GCSE resit allowed.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used only as a minimum threshold - once met, shortlisting is entirely UCAT-based
Scottish Highers	-	Standard entry: AAAAB in S5, predicted to achieve at least BBB in Highers, Advanced Highers or a mix in S6. Minimum entry: AAABB in S5, predicted at least BB in S6.
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	Mix of Highers and Advanced Highers in S6 acceptable - minimum BB
International Baccalaureate	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.	38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level + 6,6,6 at Standard Level. Minimum: 36 points (6,6,5 HL + 6,6,5 SL). Must include HL Chemistry and HL in one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics. If Maths not at HL, applicants must have SL in Biology, Maths and English. Either Maths Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretation accepted.
Graduate-entry degree requirement	Graduate applicants must sit GAMSAT (rather than UCAT) - no specific minimum degree class published; competitive applicants typically hold a 2:1 or above	ScotGEM applicants must have achieved (or be predicted to achieve) a 1st or 2:1 Honours degree in any discipline (Arts, Science, etc.). Plus: Chemistry Higher or A-level (grade A or B) or equivalent; Mathematics at Standard Grade Credit 1/2, Intermediate 2 (A or B), National 5 (A or B), or GCSE (B). GAMSAT required.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	~1820+ /2700 with AAA* (4th decile) OR ~2010+ /2700 with AAA (7th decile)	Widening-access applicants receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score.
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	~2100+ /2700 (points cut-off 80+)	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	SJT is not used - band 4 is appropriate	No use of SJT (was many years ago but not any more or in the future)
UCAT notes	Points-based system combining A-level prediction (75% weight) + UCAT decile (25% weight). Achieved A-level grades scored more generously than predictions.	St Andrews warns explicitly that the 2025 UCAT changes - three subtests and a maximum of 2,700 - mean historical UCAT figures are not comparable with current cycles, so older "lowest invited" numbers…

Degree awarded	BMBS	BSc (Hons) Medicine, then MBChB/MBBS elsewhere
Course length	5 years	6 years (3 at St Andrews + 3 clinical)
Teaching style	Case-based learning	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Imaging and models	Dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Devon and Cornwall	St Andrews for three years, then a partner school
Named placement sites	Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (Truro)	-
Intercalation	Between years 3 and 4 — ten bachelor's options and more than ten master's options.	-
Course highlight	Every student spends at least one year based in Cornwall, at the Knowledge Spa in Truro.	You graduate with a BSc Honours before you begin clinical training.

Interview window	December – March	December - March
Interview details	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…	MMI format with chatty, casual interviewers across multiple stations. Topics include ethical scenarios, role-play and motivation for the unusual three-year BSc Honours course before transferring to a…

Specialities	Primary Care, Hospital Medicine, Community Medicine, Clinical Science, Rural & Regional Health	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Gateway to Medicine
Established	2013	1413
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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%…	Three-year pre-clinical course at St Andrews followed by transfer to a partner medical school for clinical years. SJT not used (was used many years ago, not now or in future). Scottish students face m…
Official course page	https://www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate-degrees/bmbs-medicine/	https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/medicine-bsc-a100/

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: Exeter 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

St Andrews

Quick comparison

Location: St Andrews, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore: St Andrews TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off: No threshold published. Applicants who meet the requirements are ranked on their UCAT global score, and roughly the top 650 are invited to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%
Decision date: March onwards

Exeter vs St Andrews - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Exeter's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1880, while St Andrews sits at approximately 650.

That's a 1230-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1100-1500 band would be competitive at St Andrews but borderline at Exeter.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Exeter: ~1820+ /2700 with A*A*A* (4th decile) OR ~2010+ /2700 with A*A*A (7th decile); St Andrews: Widening-access applicants receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score.. Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

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

St Andrews requires AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics.

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Exeter: Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements. St Andrews: Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not…

Interview formats

Both Exeter and St Andrews 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: Exeter interviews in December – March; St Andrews 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

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.

St Andrews: Three-year pre-clinical course at St Andrews followed by transfer to a partner medical school for clinical years. SJT not used (was used many years ago, not now or in future). Scottish students face much lower cut-offs than RUK applicants.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), St Andrews is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, St Andrews is the lower-risk academic option.

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Exeter feeds into the England foundation programme network; St Andrews into the Scotland 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

Exeter's typical home cut-off is around 1880, while St Andrews sits at approximately 650 — a 1230-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; St Andrews is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while Exeter expects performance closer to the top 30% 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.

Exeter — Grade 6/B in English Language. No other GCSE requirements. St Andrews — Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not offered at A-level. GCSE resit allowed. Used only as a minimum threshold - once met, shortlisting is entirely UCAT-based

Exeter's selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. St Andrews's selection methodology: Applicants who meet the academic requirements, provide a positive reference and can show relevant medically related work experience are ranked on their UCAT global score; roughly the top 650 are interviewed. Offers then turn on the interview score and the route applied for. St Andrews teaches the first three years (BSc Medicine) and most students then transfer to a partner clinical school such as Glasgow, Manchester or Dundee. 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.

Exeter: International (2026 policy): ~33% (10 places, ~30 interviews); UK Undergrad: 366/696 = 53%. St Andrews: RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%. 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

ExeterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

St AndrewsEntry 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.