What Is A Good UCAT Score For Dentistry?
Dental schools in the UK use an aptitude test as part of their admissions procedure. The UCAT is a 2 hour long exam exam required for most dental schools in the UK. It is made up of four sections including verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and the situational judgement test. The time allocated for each section is slightly different and each section has a different number of questions.
Do you need UCAT to study dentistry?
Most undergraduate dental schools in the UK require applicants to sit the UCAT as part of the admissions process. However, there are exceptions. For example, the University of Leeds does not require the UCAT and instead assesses applicants using its own selection criteria (such as academic performance and interviews).
The BMAT is no longer used for dentistry admissions in the UK, as it was discontinued in 2024.
For graduate-entry dentistry, requirements vary by university. Some courses may still require the UCAT, while others use the GAMSAT, or may not require an admissions test at all.
For example, the GAMSAT has been used by institutions such as:
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University of Plymouth (Peninsula Dental School)
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St George’s University of London
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University of Nottingham
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Swansea University
However, requirements can change frequently, so it is essential to check the specific course and entry year for each university before applying.
The UCAT is scored across four cognitive sections (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning), each ranging from 300 to 900, giving a total score between 1200 and 3600.
The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is scored separately in Bands 1–4, with:
Band 1 = highest performance
Band 4 = lowest performance
A competitive UCAT score typically depends on the performance of your cohort in that year, but as a general guide:
650–700+ per section (2600–2800 total) → Competitive
2800–3000+ total → Strong
3000+ total → Very competitive for most dental schools
SJT Band 1 or 2 → Preferred by most universities
UCAT scores are scaled each year, so universities adjust their expectations based on that year’s average performance.
What is a good UCAT score?
Each year, UCAT publishes interim and final statistics. These include:
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Mean total score
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Mean scores for each section
For reference, in recent years, the average total UCAT score has typically been around ~2500–2600, but this changes annually, so you should always compare your score to your specific test year.
How UCAT averages work
Cut-off scores and UCAT usage vary between universities. Below is an updated list of UK dental schools and how they use the UCAT in admissions:
University of Aberdeen
UCAT scores are considered alongside academic performance when selecting candidates for interview. There is no fixed UCAT cut-off. The SJT is not used in the initial selection process but may be used to differentiate between borderline applicants.
University of Birmingham
Applicants are ranked based on UCAT score and divided into quartiles. Those in the lowest quartile are typically rejected. The SJT is not considered. Strong academic performance may help compensate for a lower UCAT score.
University of Bristol
UCAT plays a significant role in interview selection. Greater emphasis is now placed on UCAT score and academic achievement, with the personal statement no longer a major factor in selection.
Cardiff University
There is no fixed UCAT cut-off. Applicants are initially assessed based on academic performance (particularly GCSEs), after which UCAT is used as part of the ranking process for interview selection.
University of Dundee
Selection for interview is based on a combination of UCAT score and predicted grades. There is no fixed cut-off, and performance is assessed relative to other applicants in the same cycle.
King’s College London
UCAT is an important component of the selection process. Greater emphasis is placed on the overall UCAT score rather than individual subsection scores. There is no official cut-off, but high UCAT scores are typically required.
University of Liverpool
There is no fixed UCAT cut-off; however, applicants with SJT Band 4 are unlikely to be considered. UCAT is used alongside academic performance.
Newcastle University
A UCAT cut-off score is used and varies each year depending on applicant performance. This is typically one of the more UCAT-heavy universities, often requiring above-average scores.
University of Manchester
There is no fixed UCAT cut-off. Applicants with SJT Band 4 are not considered, and those with Band 1 or 2 are prioritised over Band 3. UCAT is considered alongside academic criteria.
University of Plymouth
A UCAT cut-off score is used and varies each year depending on cohort performance. Cut-offs are often slightly lower than more competitive UCAT-heavy universities.
Queen Mary University of London
Applicants are ranked using UCAT scores, and those below a certain threshold (e.g. lower deciles) are not considered for interview.
Queen’s University Belfast
UCAT is incorporated into a points-based system. Higher scores receive more points. The SJT is not usually considered unless differentiating between borderline applicants.
University of Sheffield
Applicants with SJT Band 4 are not considered. Typically, applicants need to score above the cohort average in UCAT to be invited to interview.
University of Glasgow
UCAT scores are an important factor in interview selection. A cut-off score is used each year and varies depending on overall applicant performance, generally requiring an above-average UCAT score.
How universities use my UCAT score, cut-offs, and which universities to apply to
FAQ's
Can I retake the UCAT?
You can only take the UCAT once in each cycle. If you re-apply to dentistry the following year, you will be required to resit the test in the cycle you apply.
What are the best resources to help me?
The IWTBAD has many resources including online UCAT mastery courses and 1-1 UCAT tuition. With our pre-interview packages you can buy a combination of these services.
All UCAT courses and resources have been developed by top ranking UCAT candidates and the online courses will be tailored to you.
The UCAT website also has practice questions and papers which are very useful to go through as these mimic the exam.
How many weeks/months shall I practice?
It is important to start practicing early so that you are able to maximise your performance however, you do not want to burn out! Ideally you should spend 4-8 weeks preparing for your exam but this will vary between applicants.
The most important thing is to ensure you are using your time efficiently! Make sure you spend time reviewing answers and understanding the different techniques used to answer questions. It is also important to recognise which types of questions you get wrong and come up with ways to approach these.
What section is most difficult?
On average, students tend to score lower on the verbal reasoning sub-test than other sections. The questions may not be as difficult as others however, due to the time pressured nature of the station, applicants often find themselves struggling in the exam.
The best way to tackle this is by practicing under timed conditions! Set yourself a number of questions and give yourself the exact amount of time to complete them. For example, if you want to do 12 questions (3 passages), set yourself 6 minutes to do them all.