How do interviews differ between Leicester and Newcastle?

Leicester uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Newcastle 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 (Leicester); December - January (Newcastle).

Where are Leicester and Newcastle located, and how does that affect cost?

Leicester is in Leicester, UK. Newcastle is in Newcastle, 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?

Leicester typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Newcastle 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

Leicester vs Newcastle

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

Newcastle is the older institution (founded 1834); the other (founded 1975) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Leicester and Newcastle.
Comparison field	LeicesterLeicester	NewcastleNewcastle
Quick comparison
Location	Leicester, UK	Newcastle, UK
A-Level offer	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	AAA at A-level (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Practical pass required for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
TrueScore	Leicester TrueScore 1750	Newcastle TrueScore 1950
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.	No cut-off - UCAT is converted to points on a published table and added to your academic score. 2,400 and above scores the maximum 60 points, falling by one point per 10 UCAT points down to 1 point at 1,810 and below.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%	International: 82/88 = 93% (2025); Graduate Entry: 46/86 = 53%; Home Non-Contextual: 418/577 = 72%; Home Widening Participation: 194/350 = 55%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	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	AAA at A-level (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Practical pass required for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Contextual A-Level offer	Predicted ABB acceptable for UKWPMed (widening-access) applicants	ABB at A-level for contextual / Partners applicants. BBB for those entering through supported entry programmes.
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology. A* must fall in one of the sciences.	Subjects including Maths and sciences considered in scoring (no specific science requirement; AAA must come from accepted subjects)
A-Level resit policy	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	Resits acceptable if the score increases
GCSE requirements	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.	Best 8 GCSEs scored - applicant must have achieved at this level for academic competitiveness. Not used if academic A-level criteria are met.
GCSE scoring methodology	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.	Best 8 achieved GCSEs scored out of 40 - Newcastle names no compulsory GCSE subjects. 9/A* = 5 pts, 8 = 4 pts, 7/A = 3 pts, 6/B = 1 pt, 5/C = 0 pts. National 5: A = 5, B = 1, C = 0. Resat GCSEs are sc…
Scottish Highers	-	Scottish qualifications are accepted and may be taken in more than one sitting; National 5s are scored on the same Level 2 table (A = 5 points, B = 1, C = 0). Confirm the current Higher grade profile directly with the School of Medicine, as Newcastle publishes only its A-level and IB headline offers.
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	AA at Advanced Higher Grade
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science / Maths / Psychology	36 points overall. Newcastle publishes only this headline figure; because its A-level rule requires Biology or Chemistry plus a second science, IB applicants should confirm the required Higher Level subjects with the School of Medicine before choosing their subjects.
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.	A 2:1 honours degree at minimum. Predicted or achieved classifications are scored as part of the academic screen: a first class scores 40 points and a 2:1 scores 36. Applicants whose degree was awarded more than five years ago must show continued engagement with education, such as postgraduate study, or they will not be considered; Masters and PhD qualifications are not themselves scored.
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	Same points table, but contextual applicants are ranked as a separate stream from standard applicants.
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	The equivalent automatic-interview route requires the top 3 deciles, again with an SJT of Band 1-3.	International and A101 applicants are ranked on total UCAT score alone - their academic results are not scored.
Graduate cut-off	-	A101 applicants are ranked on total UCAT score alone, like international applicants.
SJT band	Band 4 automatically rejected - no further use	SJT band 4 is rejected; SJT band contributes to interview score (B1=5, B2=3, B3=1)
UCAT notes	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…	Academic screen = academic points (max 40) + UCAT points (max 60). The academic score uses your MOST RECENT achieved qualification, so achieved A-levels replace GCSEs in the calculation; degrees score…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MB BS
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Case-based learning
Anatomy teaching	Full-body dissection	-
First patient contact	-	Year 3
Placement geography	Leicester, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire	The north east of England
Named placement sites	Glenfield Hospital	-
Intercalation	-	A broad range of Biomedical Science BSc degrees and master's degrees.
Course highlight	One of the few UK medical schools still teaching anatomy through full-body cadaveric dissection.	Year 2 students can take a Malaysia exchange at the NUMed campus.

Interview window	December - March	December - January
Interview details	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…	Home A100 and A101 applicants generally sit Multiple Mini Interviews on campus, assessed by an individual selector at each station using a mix of role play and interview questions. Applicants classed…

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Genetics	Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences
Established	1975	1834
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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.	Newcastle publishes an unusually explicit scoring model: academic points out of 40 plus UCAT points out of 60, combined into one ranked academic-screen score. The UCAT table is published in full, so y…
Official course page	https://le.ac.uk/courses/medicine-mbchb/2026	https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/a100/

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

Newcastle

Quick comparison

Location: Newcastle, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Practical pass required for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
TrueScore: Newcastle TrueScore 1950
UCAT home cut-off: No cut-off - UCAT is converted to points on a published table and added to your academic score. 2,400 and above scores the maximum 60 points, falling by one point per 10 UCAT points down to 1 point at 1,810 and below.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: International: 82/88 = 93% (2025); Graduate Entry: 46/86 = 53%; Home Non-Contextual: 418/577 = 72%; Home Widening Participation: 194/350 = 55%
Decision date: March onwards

A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Practical pass required for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Contextual A-Level offer: ABB at A-level for contextual / Partners applicants. BBB for those entering through supported entry programmes.
Required A-Level subjects: Subjects including Maths and sciences considered in scoring (no specific science requirement; AAA must come from accepted subjects)
A-Level resit policy: Resits acceptable if the score increases
GCSE requirements: Best 8 GCSEs scored - applicant must have achieved at this level for academic competitiveness. Not used if academic A-level criteria are met.
GCSE scoring methodology: Best 8 achieved GCSEs scored out of 40 - Newcastle names no compulsory GCSE subjects. 9/A* = 5 pts, 8 = 4 pts, 7/A = 3 pts, 6/B = 1 pt, 5/C = 0 pts. National 5: A = 5, B = 1, C = 0. Resat GCSEs are sc…
Scottish Highers: Scottish qualifications are accepted and may be taken in more than one sitting; National 5s are scored on the same Level 2 table (A = 5 points, B = 1, C = 0). Confirm the current Higher grade profile directly with the School of Medicine, as Newcastle publishes only its A-level and IB headline offers.
Scottish Advanced Highers: AA at Advanced Higher Grade
International Baccalaureate: 36 points overall. Newcastle publishes only this headline figure; because its A-level rule requires Biology or Chemistry plus a second science, IB applicants should confirm the required Higher Level subjects with the School of Medicine before choosing their subjects.
Graduate-entry degree requirement: A 2:1 honours degree at minimum. Predicted or achieved classifications are scored as part of the academic screen: a first class scores 40 points and a 2:1 scores 36. Applicants whose degree was awarded more than five years ago must show continued engagement with education, such as postgraduate study, or they will not be considered; Masters and PhD qualifications are not themselves scored.
Alternative qualifications: -

Leicester vs Newcastle - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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.

Newcastle requires AAA at A-level (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Practical pass required for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — 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… Newcastle: Best 8 GCSEs scored - applicant must have achieved at this level for academic competitiveness.

Not used if academic A-level criteria are met. Best 8 achieved GCSEs scored out of 40 - Newcastle names…

Interview formats

Both Leicester and Newcastle 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: Leicester interviews in December - March; Newcastle in December - January.

Curriculum and teaching style

Leicester runs a PBL curriculum; Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Leicester leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Newcastle centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Five-year MBBS with case-based learning. Clinical placements across Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and partner sites in the North East.

Intake size: Leicester — ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100 standard 5-year programme).; Newcastle — Newcastle does not publish an A100 intake figure in its admissions policy. Note that NUMed Malaysia, the branch campus teaching the same MBBS, runs its own separate admissions route and is not part of the Newcastle intake..

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

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.

Newcastle: Newcastle publishes an unusually explicit scoring model: academic points out of 40 plus UCAT points out of 60, combined into one ranked academic-screen score. The UCAT table is published in full, so you can read your own score straight off it.

Standard and contextual applicants are ranked as separate streams, and PARTNERS is Newcastle's supported-entry route with its own eligibility conditions and a compulsory summer school.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Newcastle 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 Leicester; 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. 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.. Newcastle guidance: No cut-off - UCAT is converted to points on a published table and added to your academic score. 2,400 and above scores the maximum 60 points, falling by one point per 10 UCAT points down to 1 point at 1,810 and below..

Leicester requires A*AA including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science, with the A* in one of the sciences. Newcastle requires AAA (excluding Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture). Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Leicester — Resits accepted with mitigating circumstances.. Newcastle — Resits accepted if A-Level score increases..

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. Newcastle — Best 8 GCSEs scored - applicant must have achieved at this level for academic competitiveness. Not used if academic A-level criteria are met. Best 8 achieved GCSEs scored out of 40 - Newcastle names no compulsory GCSE subjects. 9/A* = 5 pts, 8 = 4 pts, 7/A = 3 pts, 6/B = 1 pt, 5/C = 0 pts. National 5: A = 5, B = 1, C = 0. Resat GCSEs are scored on the most recent grade.

Leicester's selection methodology: UCAT-banded shortlisting after academic minimums met. SJT band 1-3 typically required. Multiple Mini Interview format. Newcastle's selection methodology: Three stages: academic screen, interview, offers. The academic screen scores your most recent achieved qualification out of 40 and your UCAT out of 60, combines them, and ranks applicants - standard and contextual as separate streams. International and A101 applicants are ranked on UCAT alone. Those above the points threshold are invited to interview. 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.

Leicester: UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%. Newcastle: International: 82/88 = 93% (2025); Graduate Entry: 46/86 = 53%; Home Non-Contextual: 418/577 = 72%; Home Widening Participation: 194/350 = 55%. 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%.

Leicester runs a PBL curriculum. Newcastle runs a Case-based curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Leicester specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Lincoln). Newcastle specifics: Five-year MBBS with case-based learning. Clinical placements across Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust and partner sites in the North East.

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

LeicesterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

NewcastleEntry 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.

Leicester vs Newcastle

Side-by-side comparison

Leicester vs Newcastle - 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 Leicester vs Newcastle?

How do interviews differ between Leicester and Newcastle?

What A-Level grades do Leicester and Newcastle require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Leicester vs Newcastle?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Leicester or Newcastle?

Where are Leicester and Newcastle located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Leicester and Newcastle use?

Should I apply to both Leicester and Newcastle?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons