How do interviews differ between St George's and UCL?

St George's uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). UCL uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI (Home), Traditional (International). 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: November - February (St George's); December - March (UCL).

What A-Level grades do St George's and UCL require?

St George's requires A*AA or AAA including Chemistry and Biology/Human Biology (offer depends on cohort strength). UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Where are St George's and UCL located, and how does that affect cost?

St George's is in London, UK. UCL is in London, 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?

St George's typically releases medicine decisions Rolling-basis after Interviews have finished. UCL releases medicine decisions Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed. 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.

Back to Medical School Compare

Medical school comparison

St George's vs UCL

St George's and UCL are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in London, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: St George's and UCL.
Comparison field	St George'sLondon	UCLLondon
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	London, UK
A-Level offer	A*AA or AAA at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength). Predicted AAA required including Chemistry and Biology / Human Biology.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A in Chemistry or Biology
TrueScore	1950	2120
UCAT home cut-off	~1950+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 1950; 2024 entry was 2018)	~2100+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2100, first UCAT cycle replacing BMAT)
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	MMI (Home), Traditional (International)
Post-interview chance	Home Undergrad (2024): 247/677 = 36% (or 423/686 = 62% inc. deferred); Overseas Undergrad: 25/146 = 17% (or 58/152 = 38% inc. deferred)	Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%
Decision date	Rolling-basis after Interviews have finished	Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed

A-Level offer	A*AA or AAA at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength). Predicted AAA required including Chemistry and Biology / Human Biology.	AAA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A in Chemistry or Biology
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for Access UCL contextual applicants - Biology and Chemistry both at grade A
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology (or Human Biology) both required	Chemistry and Biology both required
A-Level resit policy	Resits or third year of study accepted with extenuating circumstances only	Resits not accepted
GCSE requirements	Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or 6-6 Dual Award Science). GCSE resits accepted.	Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language and Mathematics. No score or assessment of other GCSEs. GCSE resits accepted.
GCSE scoring methodology	Used only as minimum threshold - wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once met	Used only as minimum threshold (Eng + Maths grade 6/B). Other GCSEs not scored or assessed.
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	37 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Chemistry and HL Biology	39 points overall, 19 at Higher Level - including HL 7,6,6 with HL Chemistry and HL Biology
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any discipline. Graduate for Undergraduate Programme available - UCAT cut-off applies (~2100+ /2700).	Graduate applicants accepted on the standard 6-year MBBS BSc - typically holding 2:1 or above with required A-level Chemistry and Biology
Alternative qualifications	-	-

Contextual cut-off	-	~1950+ /2700 (Access UCL - 2025 cut-off ≈ 1950)
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	~2050+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2063)	~2300+ /2700 (2025 cut-off ≈ 2295)
Graduate cut-off	~2100+ /2700 (Graduate for Undergraduate Programme)	-
SJT band	SJT used post-interview in offer making. Combined with MMI score → B1=15 pts, B2=10, B3=5, B4=none.	Only used where candidates are on the same UCAT score
UCAT notes	Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once GCSE met. Minimum 500/900 in each individual UCAT subsection required.	2024/25 was UCL's first cycle using UCAT (replacing BMAT). Wholly UCAT-based shortlisting. SJT only for tie-breaks. Personal statement not used in shortlisting.

Interview window	November - February	December - March
Interview details	Six-station MMI of 4 minutes per station - fast-paced. Stations cover scenarios, work experience and role-play, with several including multiple questions to handle inside the time.	Eight-station MMI run online, with one station serving as a five-minute rest. Stations are conversational and probe motivation, real-world medical and social issues, communication skills and your scie…

Specialities	Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Healthcare Sciences	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Global Health
Established	1733	1826
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Strong holistic-care and soft-skills emphasis. SJT used post-interview in offer making (B1 = 15 pts, B2 = 10, B3 = 5, B4 = nothing). St George's is also generous with deferred-entry offers, often made…	Cut-offs differ from Imperial - UCL's home threshold is lower while its international threshold is higher, partly because UCL holds more interviews relative to offers. SJT is only used as a tie-breake…
Official course page	https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-students/courses/undergraduate/medicine	https://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/undergraduate/courses/medicine-mbbs-bsc

St George's

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA or AAA at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength). Predicted AAA required including Chemistry and Biology / Human Biology.
TrueScore: 1950
UCAT home cut-off: ~1950+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 1950; 2024 entry was 2018)
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Home Undergrad (2024): 247/677 = 36% (or 423/686 = 62% inc. deferred); Overseas Undergrad: 25/146 = 17% (or 58/152 = 38% inc. deferred)
Decision date: Rolling-basis after Interviews have finished

UCL

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A* in Chemistry or Biology
TrueScore: 2120
UCAT home cut-off: ~2100+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2100, first UCAT cycle replacing BMAT)
Interview format: MMI (Home), Traditional (International)
Post-interview chance: Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%
Decision date: Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed

Compare different schools

St George's vs UCL - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

St George's's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1950, while UCL sits at approximately 2100.

The 150-point spread matters: St George's offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while UCL expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — St George's: not separately disclosed; UCL: ~1950+ /2700 (Access UCL - 2025 cut-off ≈ 1950). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

St George's requires A*AA or AAA at A-level (offer depends on cohort strength). Predicted AAA required including Chemistry and Biology / Human Biology.

UCL requires A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A* in Chemistry or 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.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — St George's: Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or 6-6 Dual Award Science). GCSE resits accepted. Used only as minimum threshold -… UCL: Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language and Mathematics. No score or assessment of other GCSEs. GCSE resits accepted.

Used only as minimum threshold (Eng + Maths grade 6/B). Other GCSEs not scored…

Interview formats

Both St George's and UCL 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.

That said, the specifics differ slightly: St George's runs multiple mini interviews (mmi); UCL runs mmi (home), traditional (international). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep.

Interview windows: St George's interviews in November - February; UCL 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

St George's: Strong holistic-care and soft-skills emphasis. SJT used post-interview in offer making (B1 = 15 pts, B2 = 10, B3 = 5, B4 = nothing). St George's is also generous with deferred-entry offers, often made to borderline applicants in lieu of rejection.

UCL: Cut-offs differ from Imperial - UCL's home threshold is lower while its international threshold is higher, partly because UCL holds more interviews relative to offers. SJT is only used as a tie-breaker between equally scored candidates.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), St George's is the more realistic firm-choice option. Both schools sit in the same London 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

St George's's typical home cut-off is around 1950, while UCL sits at approximately 2100 — a 150-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; St George's is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while UCL expects performance closer to the top 22% 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.

St George's — Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or 6-6 Dual Award Science). GCSE resits accepted. Used only as minimum threshold - wholly UCAT-based shortlisting once met UCL — Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language and Mathematics. No score or assessment of other GCSEs. GCSE resits accepted. Used only as minimum threshold (Eng + Maths grade 6/B). Other GCSEs not scored or assessed.

St George's's selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. UCL's selection methodology: Beyond minimum academic requirements, shortlisting is wholly by UCAT total score. Higher post-interview offer rate (more interviews relative to offers) than Imperial. 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.

St George's: Home Undergrad (2024): 247/677 = 36% (or 423/686 = 62% inc. deferred); Overseas Undergrad: 25/146 = 17% (or 58/152 = 38% inc. deferred). UCL: Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%. 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

St George'sEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full UCLEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

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