Some medical schools require you to sit an entry exam, particularly for graduate entry, so you should investigate this before applying. Find out more about admissions tests below.
You usually need to register and complete the exam by a specific date. Check with the university you want to apply to which admissions test they use, which is likely to be one of the following:
UCAT research shows that students who do the best have carried out at least 30 hours practice on the free papers available on their website.
Their YouTube channel has advice from past candidates as well as a playlist collecting admissions videos from the majority of their consortium universities.
GradMed also offers preparatory courses for medical admissions tests. You can buy books or even go on courses to practice, but some medical schools feel the courses aren’t really worth the money.
You can practice general aptitude tests for free on our Recruitment Tests page, which you might find helpful for certain sections of the admissions test.
Bursaries for admissions tests
Bursaries for admissions tests
Check with individual courses, but it is extremely rare for any of them to offer financial support due to the large volume of applicants.
The UCAT offers bursaries, but eligibility criteria apply.
See our GAMSAT bursary award for more information on our available funding and criteria.
UCAT scores and shortlisting
UCAT scores and shortlisting
Newcastle University never reveals the UCAT threshold. The threshold changes every year, as the performance of the applying cohort as a whole changes every year.
Also, while the UCAT score is the main criteria used to shortlist for interview, it is not the only criteria. Other factors are taken into account.
The UCAT website states that the UCAT is not negatively marked.
Our GAMSAT bursary offers financial assistance to those applying to 4 year graduate entry medicine programmes at medical schools requiring the GAMSAT aptitude test.
1.You must be applying for 2023 Entry to Medical School at one or more of the following acerated A101, 4 year programmes:
Cardiff University of Medicine
University of Nottingham Medical School
ScotGEM (University of Dundee and University of St Andrews)
St George’s, University of London
Swansea University Medical School
Ulster University School of Medicine
University Of Worcester MBChB
2. You must be working at an academic average of 65%
3. You must be a current undergraduate Newcastle University student who is paying UK Home tuition fees
4. You must also meet at least one of the following criteria:
entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
have experienced time in care
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*
*if you indicate one of these criteria in your application, you will be asked to provide additional evidence supporting your status.
Unfortunately this funding is NOT available to international students.
In this form you will be asked to provide details of the medical schools that require the GAMSAT you are applying to, so you may want to do some research if you have not yet thought about this.
You can refer to the eligibility criteria above for a list of relevant medical schools.
As part of the application, we also require proof of your academic achievements. You will be asked to submit this through uploading transcripts available from the Student Self Service Portal (S3P).
We want to give you as much time as possible to prepare your application so you can find details of the three application questions below.
1. Why do you aim to pursue a career as a doctor? (300 Words)
You should use this section to explain your motivation for a career in medicine.
We are looking to see you understand the realities of a doctor's role, including what sets it apart from other patient-facing staff in healthcare.
2. Please use this space to provide a list of the extracurricular activities you have undertaken since entering university which will support your goal of pursuing Graduate Entry Medicine.
You should provide this in the following format:
Date commenced - Date concluded/Ongoing. Position title. Short summary of activity.
This list can include activities such as part-time work, internships, volunteering, positions of responsibility, work experience, shadowing, sport and society membership etc.
3. Reflecting on your time in university so far including your degree and extracurricular activities, how are you developing the core values and attributes needed to study medicine? (300 Words)
If you are unsure of the core values and attributes needed to study medicine, you can consult the following guide.
We do not expect you to evidence all 17 attributes. Please select those you feel are the most relevant to your application.
If you are successful in your application for a bursary fund you will be agreeing to fulfil the following commitments.
We will require you to:
Provide proof of registration and purchase of preparation materials. Detail of how to do this will be provided to those successful in their application
Refund the registration fee if you do not sit the GAMSAT test. (Valid extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration)
Inform the Careers Service of your GAMSAT test results
Provide confirmation of your application to medical school and your course choices
Inform the Careers Service of any interview offers for medical school
Inform the Careers Service about any offers to medical school and your selected choice
Write a 500 word piece upon accepting a place at medical school, reflecting on your experience applying, and providing advice for future applicants
Write a 500 word piece upon the completion of your first year at medical school, reflecting on the experience and your choice to pursue medicine
The Careers Service is also committed to supporting your application to medical and will be available for guidance appointments, personal statement checks, and interview coaching sessions throughout the process.
