Queen's University Belfast (QUB) vs Sheffield

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1700, while Sheffield sits at approximately 2120.

That's a 420-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1800-2000 band would be competitive at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) but borderline at Sheffield.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Queen's University Belfast (QUB): ~1500+ /2700 (with strong GCSE); Sheffield: 1800+ /2700 (Access Sheffield / Bradford / Sheffield Hallam). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Sheffield 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.

Both Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and Sheffield 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: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) interviews in January - February; Sheffield in November - February.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%. Sheffield: All Students (2024): 722/1029 = 70%; International: 55/104 = 53%.

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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42 received an interview regardless.

Sheffield: SJT used post-interview as a virtual MMI station rather than in shortlisting. Sheffield prioritises balanced performance - applicants achieving 3/5 or more in every section are favoured over those who peak in some and dip in others.