How do interviews differ between Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester?

Hull York (HYMS) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Leicester 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 (Hull York (HYMS)); December - March (Leicester).

Where are Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester located, and how does that affect cost?

Hull York (HYMS) is in Hull/York, UK. Leicester is in Leicester, 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?

Hull York (HYMS) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Leicester 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

Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester

Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester 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 (AAA vs A*AA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester.
Comparison field	Hull York (HYMS)Hull/York	LeicesterLeicester
Quick comparison
Location	Hull/York, UK	Leicester, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences
TrueScore	Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980	Leicester TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off	~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix	Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%	UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences
Contextual A-Level offer	ABB at A-level for widening-access applicants	Predicted ABB acceptable for UKWPMed (widening-access) applicants
Required A-Level subjects	Biology and Chemistry both required. AAB + grade A in EPQ also accepted.	Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology. A* must fall in one of the sciences.
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted only if first sitting was BBB or higher. Applicants may repeat or restart Year 12 once with no restrictions.	Resit applicants who did not attain required grades at first sitting only considered if they previously held a conditional firm offer from Leicester and have significant mitigating circumstances
GCSE requirements	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).	Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances.
GCSE scoring methodology	Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.	Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96.
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science / Maths / Psychology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree. Achieved-grades graduate route assessed at 5th decile UCAT minimum.
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)	The equivalent automatic-interview route requires the top 3 deciles, again with an SJT of Band 1-3.
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Used to shortlist, scored /15. Band 4 automatically rejected. (B1 = 15, B2 ≈ 10, B3 ≈ 5)	Band 4 automatically rejected - no further use
UCAT notes	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…	Everyone else is scored on academic ability and UCAT together, then ranked within one of five groups - predicted A-level, achieved A-level, resitting A-level, graduate and access - with the highest sc…

Degree awarded	MB BS	MBChB
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Problem-based learning	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	Full-body dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	-
Placement geography	Yorkshire and the Humber	Leicester, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
Named placement sites	-	Glenfield Hospital
Intercalation	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.	One of the few UK medical schools still teaching anatomy through full-body cadaveric dissection.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	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…	In-person MMI testing problem solving, analytical reasoning, communication, writing, listening and speaking abilities. Plenty of follow-up questioning, so staying focused on the actual question matter…

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Education	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Genetics
Established	2003	1975
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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…	Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.
Official course page	https://www.hyms.ac.uk/medicine/mbbs-medicine	https://le.ac.uk/courses/medicine-mbchb/2026

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

Leicester

Quick comparison

Location: Leicester, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences
TrueScore: Leicester TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%
Decision date: March onwards

Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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

Leicester requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences.

Leicester 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 — 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… Leicester: Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science).

Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with…

Interview formats

Both Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester 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: Hull York (HYMS) interviews in December - March; Leicester in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering,

Intake size: Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.; Leicester — ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100 standard 5-year programme).. 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

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.

Leicester: Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.

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. Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily.

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. Hull York (HYMS) guidance: ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix. Leicester guidance: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview..

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently). Leicester requires A*AA including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science, with the A* in one of the sciences. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Hull York (HYMS) — Resits accepted.. Leicester — Resits accepted with mitigating circumstances..

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. Leicester — Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances. Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96.

Hull York (HYMS)'s selection methodology: Joint Hull-York programme. UCAT + academic + MMI. Distinctive 'Hull York' brand with placements across both cities. Leicester's selection methodology: UCAT-banded shortlisting after academic minimums met. SJT band 1-3 typically required. Multiple Mini Interview format. 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.

Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. Leicester: UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%. 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%.

Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. Leicester runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Hull York (HYMS) specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Leicester specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Lincoln).

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

Hull York (HYMS)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

LeicesterEntry 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.

Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester

Side-by-side comparison

Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester - 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 Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester?

How do interviews differ between Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester?

What A-Level grades do Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Hull York (HYMS) vs Leicester?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Hull York (HYMS) or Leicester?

Where are Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester use?

Should I apply to both Hull York (HYMS) and Leicester?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons