FOI_24-267 MBBS Medicine applicant figures and entry criteria

Date of response: 12 November 2024

We have now considered your request of 22 September 2024 for the following information:

I would like to request information about the following questions regarding your A100 Medicine course. All information required is for the past 6 admission cycles.

Question 1. What were the UCAT scores for applicants who got invited for an interview and for those given an offer including the average, lowest and highest UCAT scores for home students (UK). Also, could you include separate data for those with contextual offers/UCAT scores.

Our response:

Please note the University does not split applicants into categories of ‘contextual’ or non-contextual’ for the A100 MBBS Medicine course. There is no contextual offering for this course.

Question 2. The total number of applicants that applied, got offered an interview and received offers

Our response:

Question 3. If you can then a spreadsheet with statistics consisting of GCSEs, predicted A-level grades, final achieved A-level grades and the total UCAT scores of applicants.

One spreadsheet is for those invited for an interview, and another is for those who received offers. (You can give the average, lowest and highest pieces of data)

Our response:

Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_24-267 Appendix A for the UCAT scores of applicants, split by those interviewed and those given an offer, for each requested year.

Information not held - s.1(1)(a), Freedom of Information Act

On this occasion it is not possible to provide all of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for three elements of your question above:

For applicant UCAT scores, both for those invited to interview and for those given an offer, some applicants did not hold any UCAT scores.

For predicted A Levels and predicted GCSEs of applicants, this data is provided in free-text via UCAS and we are unable to extract this information in a machine-readable file.

Lastly, not all applicants are A Level applicants, therefore some of the requested information is not held.

We have provided confirmation of the applicants who have applied and got an interview/offer with the minimum prediction and GCSE profile. A Level achieved grades are not available depending on the applicant’s decision post-interview and offer. However, we can confirm that any offers were made to applicants with AAA, unless they presented with additional qualifications, such as a degree.

Please see our website for full information on the entry requirements: MBBS Medicine 2025/26 | UEA. Note that this includes the entry requirements for UK and International applicants.

Question 4. How many applicants out of the total students were declined after the interview and how many of them were home students

Our response:

Question 5. How many contextual offers were available

Our response:

On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for the number of contextual offers available. The University does not make contextual offers for the A100 MBBS Medicine course, therefore does not allocate any number of places available for contextual applicants.

Question 6. Weightage by percentage for each part of the application (UCAT, A levels, GCSEs, personal statement, work experience, interview)

Our response:

Please see our webpage for these details. https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/mbbs-medicine#entry_requirements

All on-time applications proceed to primary screening, where checks are made to see that applicants meet, or are predicted to meet, our minimum academic entry criteria, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference and have taken the UCAT test in the summer prior to submitting the application. Applicants are then invited to interview (from late November/December onwards). 

If the number of applications received, exceed the number of interview places available, those meeting primary screening requirements may also undergo secondary screening, where the overall UCAT score may be ranked against the applicant cohort, with the strongest applicants invited to interview. 

Following the completion of interviews, interviewed applicants are ranked (by interview scores – which includes the UCAT SJT subsection score - and UCAT overall scores) within the applicant cohort. The interview score and UCAT score is weighted equally, and the top-ranking applicants will receive offers. 

Question 7. Will you only be accepting applicants with the highest possible GCSE grades and what were the average, lowest and highest GCSE and A-Level grades for those invited for an interview and for those given an offer

Our response:

No, please see our response to question 6.

Question 8. For 2025 entry, I would like to know if contextual offers will be receiving special consideration in the form of additional points for ranking purposes and if so, how many?

Our response:

No.

Question 9. Will there be any additional benefits and support for contextual offered to applicants such as bursaries, scholarships etc.

Our response:

None.

Question 10. What are, if there are any, reduced grade offers for applicants with contextual offers

Our response:

None. The University offers a separate course, MBBS Medicine with Gateway Year (A104), which has contextual criteria.

Question 11. The acceptance rate of applicants after interview process in order to send offers

Our response:

Following the completion of interviews, interviewed applicants are ranked (by interview scores – which includes the UCAT SJT subsection score - and UCAT overall scores) within the applicant cohort. The interview score and UCAT score is weighted equally, and the top-ranking applicants will receive offers.  Please see the website for full details - MBBS Medicine 2025/26 | UEA