Edinburgh Medical School

Pre-assessment day scoring process

How we score your application.

The academic portion of each application to our Medicine programme is scored independently by two members of the Admissions Team. The academic scores outlined in the table below are doubled, to provide an academic score out of a total of 20 points. The academic portion of each application constitutes 25% of the overall application score.

Once the academic part of an application is scored, we await confirmation of each applicant's UCAT total score and Situational Judgement Test banding directly from UCAT. These are weighted separately, with the UCAT total score awarding 17.5% of the total application score and the SJT banding awarding 7.5%. Applicants who are awarded Band 4 in the SJT or whose UCAT total score falls below our cut-off score for that cycle are removed from the selection process (with the exception of Plus Flag applicants, who are exempt from the UCAT total score cut-off).

The total of these three components (50% of the overall application score) is used to shortlist for invitations to our Assessment Day (per fee category). The Assessment Day (Interview) score provides the final 50% of the overall application score. This final overall score is then used to shortlist for offers (also per fee category).

The tables below show our current academic scoring guidelines for our most common UK qualifications.

 

SQA applicants (school leavers)

Our only requirements at Nat 5 are Bs in the four required subjects as stated.  However, if these requirements are not met but the same subject is being taken at Higher, we will still consider the application and it will not be rejected from the process.  If however, this required subject is not being taken at Higher, the application would be processed as unsuccessful.

Qualification Breakdown Points Awarded

National 5s

(best 6 to include the four required subjects of English, Maths, Biology & Chemistry

Any Bs or lower in required subjects 1
Any Bs or lower in non-required subjects 2
All As 3
PLUS

Highers

(Best 5 to include Chemistry plus two from Biology/Human Biology; Maths/Applications of Maths or Physics  - min 3 in 1 year)

Up to and including S5 study

 

5 x As

 

4

PLUS

Advanced Highers/S6 Higher

(no subject requirements)

BB 1
AB 2
AA 3
TOTAL POTENTIAL POINTS   10

SQA (school leavers) bypassing National 5s

Qualification Breakdown Points Awarded

Highers

(best 5 - min three in one year to include Chemistry plus two from

Biology/Human Biology; Maths/Application of Maths or Physics)

Up to and including S5 study

 

5 x As

 

6

PLUS

Advanced Highers S6 study

(minimum 2 AHs - no subject requirements)

BB 1
AB 2
AA 4
TOTAL POTENTIAL POINTS   10

GCE A level applicants (school leavers)

Qualification
Breakdown
Points awarded

GCSEs (or EdExcel Level 1 and 2 Certificates from 2012 onward)

(Best 8 but to include:  Chemistry, Biology, (or dual science),  Maths and English (either Language or Literature, whichever grade is more competitive).

Any Bs or lower in non-required subjects 1
All 7s/As and up to five 8s/A*s 2
7s/As and more than five 8s/A*s 3
PLUS

A Levels

(Best 3 A Levels taken in upper sixth to include Chemistry and one of Biology/Maths/Physics

Only one from Maths and Further Maths is accepted.

A*AA (A* in Chemistry 4
A*A*A (A* in Chemistry and non-required subject) 5
A*A*A (A* in Chemistry and other required subject) 6
A*A*A* 7
TOTAL POTENTIAL POINTS
 
10

* References would be checked for school policy issues which impact on qualifications and combinations available. If less than 8 GCSEs are taken overall and this was the applicant’s school policy, proportional scoring would be used.

* Our only requirements at I/GCSE are A/7 in the four required subjects as stated.  If these requirements are not met but the same subject is being taken at A Level, we will still consider the application and it will not be rejected from the process.  If however, this required subject is not being taken at A Level, the application would be processed as unsuccessful.

* One BTEC National Extended Certificate/Cambridge Technical/AQA Level 3 Extended Certificate in an approved subject stated on our webpages can be accepted in lieu of an A Level but NOT to replace a required subject with the exception of BTEC National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology which can replace A Level Biology/Human Biology.  BTEC in Biology will not be accepted alongside A Level Biology/Human Biology. (BTEC qualifications are awarded with three mandatory results eg DDD – applicants are required to meet our standard requirements in each component).

 

International Baccalaureate

Qualification
Breakdown
Points awarded

Overall score (including TOK and EE)

40 1
41-43 2
44-45 3
PLUS
   

Higher Level scores

667 with 7 in Chemistry plus one from either Biology; Maths or Physics

(Biology must be taken to at least SL)

667- 7  in Chemistry 4
677-7 in Chemistry & non-required subject 5
677-7 in Chemistry & other required subject 6
777 7
Total potential score
 
10

We check that SL requirements or equivalent are met however these will not be used directly for scoring purposes.

Maths is classed as a science for scoring purposes – we accept both streams: analysis & approaches and applications & interpretations.