UCAS tariff
A*AA - AAB
Direct school leavers
The entry requirements set out in this section apply to you if you completed your GCE A levels, or equivalent qualifications, within five years of the start of the application cycle, e.g. qualifications completed since 2015 would still be valid when applying in 2020. If your qualifications fall outside this criteria please refer to the Non-direct school leaver section below.
Please note that none of the typical offers listed in this prospectus is necessarily the threshold for selection for interview. Other factors, including the number of applications received, and performance in the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), influence the threshold for selection for interview.
The school reserves the right to use all information on the UCAS form including evidence of social engagement and insight into dentistry in the selection process for interview.
GCSEs
Applicants need to achieve 7 GCSE passes at grades A-C/9-4 which must include English language, mathematics and either GCSE double award science or two from single award chemistry, biology, or physics.
Plus suitable level 3
qualifications as outlined below.
GCE A level
The typical offer is A*AA – AAB at GCE A level which must include an A
grade in Biology
and A in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and Psychology. Your third GCE A
level can be from any subject area including the Humanities, Languages, Music, Sport, Science and the
Social Sciences.
GCE A levels and Cambridge Pre-U Diploma
Applications will be assessed on an individual basis according to the subjects studied. Chemistry must be achieved at D3 in lieu of grade A at GCE A level. For a non-science subject a minimum grade M1 is required.
If you are looking to apply with AAB
The University of Plymouth is committed to widening access (WA) and ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed,
regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply with us. The additional
information gained through contextual data enables our admissions advisory
panel to recognise a student’s achievements and identify their potential to
succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants will need to meet a minimum of three from the following WA
indicators to be considered.
- Living in a low participation neighbourhood as
determined by your postcode (POLAR4 quintiles 1 & 2).
- Living in an area categorised as being in Indices of Mass Depravation (IMD) 1 – 4 or 20% most deprived as determined by your English postcode. Northern Ireland postcode,
Scottish postcode, and Welsh postcode.
- Attending or attended a low performing school/college whilst completing your level 3 qualifications in England e.g.
16-18 performance in the ‘below’ or ‘well below average’ classifications. If you attend a secondary school
or college in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, please contact meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
- In receipt of a UCAT bursary
– the admissions team will receive this data directly from UCAT.
- Being in receipt of free school meals - evidenced by a letter from your
school or college submitted at the point of application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
- Significant engagement in our Peninsula Pathways programme.
International BaccalaureateThe typical offer is 36-38 points overall including six in biology and one further science from chemistry, physics, maths, and psychology at the Higher Level.
Scottish Advanced HighersGrades AAA-AAB including a grade A in Biology and one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and Psychology.
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced DiplomaA pass in the Diploma, plus grades A*A/AA in biology and one further science from chemistry, physics, maths, and psychology. General studies at A/AS level is not included within any offer.
Cambridge Pre-U DiplomaD3, D3, M1 including biology and one further science from chemistry, physics, maths, and psychology at D3.
Other UK qualifications
Applicants offering the following qualifications will need to take the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT). Please see entry requirements for non-Direct School Leavers:
- BTEC National Diploma
- Advanced Diploma
- Access to HE Diploma.
Extended entry requirements
Re-sit Applicants
We welcome applications from re-sit applicants providing a minimum attainment has been achieved at the first attempt. For example: A level candidates need to have achieved ABB for dentistry in the first attempt. For other qualification re-sit criteria please contact the admissions team at meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk. Please note that applicants undertaking re-sits must achieve their final qualification profile for consideration in no more than three academic years i.e. allowing for 1 re-sit year attempt only.
If you have been affected by Centre Assessed Grades, please refer to the information above.
Centre Assessed Grades
We appreciate that the past few months have been very challenging, emotional and disappointing due to the unprecedented process in which this year’s Level 3 qualifications have been awarded. With this in mind, the University of Plymouth will be amending the way we consider applicants who have been awarded Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs).
If you have received CAGs that are in line with our entry requirements, along with the required GCSE and UCAT results, we would encourage you to submit an application as normal.
If you were unsuccessful in meeting the required grades through CAGs, your application will be considered as follows:
- If you are sitting A level exams in the autumn of 2020, we will consider this your first attempt at A levels and you will be able to apply with predicted grades, which will need to be provided by your school, college or tutor. Your CAGs will not be considered.
- If you are sitting A level exams in the summer of 2021, we will consider this your second attempt at A levels. In this instance, we will apply a resit grade requirement which will be more flexible than our usual threshold of ABB on the first attempt, allowing three grade drops over three subjects (BBB) or three grade drops over two subjects (ABC). You will need to apply with predicted grades for your summer 2021 exams from your school, college or tutor.
Qualifications completed outside of the UK
Please contact the Admissions Team if you have studied outside of the UK
so we can advise on the suitability of your qualifications.
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
As part of our commitment to a fair and transparent admissions process,
Peninsula Medical School uses the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in
order to make more informed choices from amongst the many highly qualified
applicants who apply for a place on the BMBS programme. UCAT test results will
be used alongside the above listed qualifications to select Direct School
Leavers for interview. You will be required to meet a minimum overall target
score which is set and reviewed annually by the Admissions Advisory Panel.
Please note that the UCAT is valid for 12 months and must be sat in the
year of application.
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) threshold score applied to
determine candidate selection for interview can alter each year and is
influenced by overall candidate performance in the UCAT and the number and
quality of applications received. Below are examples of the score thresholds
applied during the 2015-2020 admissions cycles and the requirement for 2021
entry.
Year of entry |
Verbal reasoning |
Quantitive analysis |
Abstract reasoning |
Decision analysis |
Overall
|
2015 entry |
500 |
620 |
570 |
560 |
2280
|
2016 entry |
480 |
610 |
560 |
550 |
2280
|
2017 entry |
- |
- |
- |
x |
1790
|
2018 entry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2230
|
2019 entry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2190
|
2020 entry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2280
|
2021 entry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2290 |
The Peninsula Dental School
will again be applying an overall target score methodology in this application cycle for entry next September to facilitate selection for interview. We do
not currently include the SJT banding score.
If you have sat the UCATSEN please be aware that you will need to
provide standard evidence of your entitlement to this additional time by
submitting the following:
- If
you are still in education, an official letter from your school, college,
University that states that on the basis of a diagnosis from a qualified
medical practitioner, educational psychologist or specialist teacher the
candidate is currently entitled to additional time in public examinations
(or have had additional time in public examinations within the last 2
years);
Or
- If
you are no longer in education, a post-16 year’s diagnosis or report from
a qualified medical practitioner or educational psychologist that
explicitly recommends additional time in public examinations.
UCAT Website
Official UCAT
candidate preparation toolkit
Official UCAT advice and information
videos on YouTube
Widening access to
Medicine
As part of our commitment to widening access to medicine, Faculty of
Health undertakes a programme of outreach activities with local schools in
Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. For further information please visit our outreach pages.
The School is also represented at the UCAS Higher Education Conventions
in the UK.
Graduate Medical School Admissions
Test (GAMSAT)
Faculty of Health uses the Graduate Medical
School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as the entrance requirement for
non-direct school leavers. GAMSAT assesses your academic aptitude for the study
of dentistry. Results from the test will be used alongside the other information
contained on your UCAS form to select non-direct school leavers for interview.
The results are valid for two years. Please note that you do not
need to have completed degree level study to sit the GAMSAT.
GAMSAT is a 5 and a half hours
written test that assesses your reasoning in humanities, social science,
biological science, physical science and written communication. As this test
only assesses academic aptitude, if you're successful you'll still need to show
us at interview that you have the appropriate personal qualities to train and
practise as a dentist.
If you'd like
to know more or to register for the test, please visit the GAMSAT website.
Below are examples of the score thresholds applied in previous admissions cycles.
|
2015 entry |
2016 entry |
2017 entry |
2018 entry |
2019 entry |
2020 entry |
2021 entry
|
Section 1 |
47 |
50 |
51 |
50 |
50 |
49 |
54
|
Section 2 |
48 |
51 |
54 |
50 |
54 |
56 |
57
|
Section 3 |
42 |
42 |
47 |
43 |
52 |
49 |
49
|
Overall |
47 |
48 |
54 |
49 |
56 |
54 |
56
|
Graduates
from the University of Plymouth BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy and Hygiene (DTH), who
achieve a distinction, are invited to apply to join Year 2 of the Bachelor of
Dental Surgery (BDS) degree. This entry route is valid for two years
post BSc completion and all applications must be submitted through UCAS between
1 September and 15 October. All eligible applicants
will be subject to the standard selection interview for the BDS course and
all offers will be conditional. For DTH graduates who do not achieve a
distinction the current process, which requires you to sit the GAMSAT exam to
apply to join Year 1 of the BDS course, will remain.
International student admissions
If you're an international applicant you need to meet the equivalent
admissions criteria described for home students, including the UCAT. Applicants
applying with overseas qualifications should contact the Admissions Team
at meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk prior to
submitting an application through UCAS. Please note that from 2021 entry
applicants from the EU will be considered international students for fee paying
purposes and may be required to obtain a visa to allow study in the UK.
In addition, international applicants need to be fully proficient in the
English language. If English is your first language, we will accept your home
country’s equivalent of a GCSE grade A/8 in English Language providing it is at
Level C1 or above according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in
the English language by achieving one of the following qualifications:
- IELTS
band 7.5 or above with at least 7.0 in each of the Speaking and Listening
sections (taken within 12 months of entry).
- lGCSE
or GCSE English Language (as a first language) grade A. A supplementary
statement confirming inclusion of the Speaking and Listening components
will be required for IGCSE 0500.
- IB
score of 6 at the ordinary level in English Language (as a first
language).
We know that university life is a challenge for any student but
especially when you're a long way from home. We pride ourselves on being friendly and supportive and we
have a nominated academic tutor to coordinate the induction and academic
support provided to international students. International
Student Advice (ISA) also provide support and can assist you with
any non-academic issues affecting international students. There are also
student welfare support and counselling services, wardens and student health
centres on hand if you need them.
Student visas
If you have an offer of a place at the Faculty of Health you will need
to apply under the Tier 4 (General Student) category unless you have an
alternate visa which allows study or a suitable UK passport. Further
information is available on the UK Border Agency's
website.