IB Requirements for Medicine UK 2026 (2027 Entry): Every Medical School Explained

What is the minimum IB score for medicine in the UK?

The lowest published IB minimum for a UK medical school that accepts school-leaver applicants is 34 points, at Buckingham, Greater Manchester (widening participation route), Hull York, Nottingham, and UEA. The majority of medical schools sit at 36 points. These are minimums - the typical competitive offer is usually higher, and your overall application profile including UCAT score, personal statement, and interview performance all contribute to the final decision.

Does Cambridge medicine require 40 or 42 IB points?

Cambridge does not publish a fixed minimum IB points total in the same way as other universities, and the Medical Schools Council tool does not list a specific figure. The official prospectus indicates the typical offer is in the range of 40 to 42 points with 776 or 777 at Higher Level. In practice, the majority of IB students admitted to Cambridge medicine score 41 to 42 with 777 at HL. A score of 40 with 776 at HL could be competitive at certain Colleges but should not be assumed sufficient across the board.

Which UK medical schools accept IB without Chemistry at Higher Level?

Exeter, Southampton, and Bristol require Biology HL and allow the second required science to be chosen from Chemistry, Physics, or Maths. Lancaster allows any two of Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology at HL, making it the most flexible school on subject requirements. However, offering Chemistry at Higher Level is strongly advisable regardless of where you apply, as it underpins pharmacology and the majority of pre-clinical study content.

Can you get into UCL medicine with IB?

Yes. UCL requires 39 IB points with a minimum of 19 points from three Higher Level subjects. Biology and Chemistry must both be offered at HL, with one at grade 6 and one at grade 7 in either order. No Higher Level score should fall below 5. English Language and Mathematics must be covered at GCSE grade B or 6 or above if they are not included in your IB Diploma.

What IB score do I need for Imperial College London medicine?

Imperial's minimum published requirement is 38 IB points with Biology and Chemistry at Higher Level - both at grade 6 minimum - and English at Standard Level grade 5. The typical offer made to at least half of successful applicants is 39 points, with a grade 7 in either Biology or Chemistry at HL. Building your application around the 38-point minimum is a risk; 39 with strong HL science grades is the realistic competitive target.

Is Biology required at Higher Level for UK medical schools?

The majority of UK medical schools require Biology at Higher Level, either as a fixed requirement or as one of two acceptable science HL subjects. A handful of schools - including Bristol and Exeter - require Chemistry HL and allow Biology, Physics, or Maths as the second science HL. Offering Biology HL is strongly recommended regardless: it directly covers the content most relevant to the first two years of medical training, and several schools including Barts, Aberdeen, and Dundee require it explicitly.

What happens if I miss my IB grade offer for medicine?

If you miss either the total points requirement or a subject-specific HL grade, your offer will almost certainly be withdrawn - both conditions must be met simultaneously. Your options at that point include contacting the admissions team immediately to explain circumstances and asking whether the grade is reviewable; requesting a remark on the specific paper where you narrowly missed; applying through UCAS Clearing if the school participates (very few medical schools do); or reapplying the following year, usually with a higher threshold as a resit applicant. Taking a structured gap year and reapplying is the most common and successful route after a near-miss.

Do I still need to take the UCAT as an IB student?

Yes. The UCAT requirement applies equally to all applicants regardless of qualification route. If you are applying to schools that require the UCAT - which is the majority - you must sit it in the summer before your UCAS application, typically between July and October of your final year. Oxford uses its own pre-interview assessment rather than the UCAT. Cambridge Colleges use varying assessments. Buckingham does not require an admissions test. All other schools in this table require the UCAT.

Can I study medicine in the UK with 35 IB points?

Yes, though your options narrow considerably. At 35 points with the right HL subject combination you meet the published minimum for Sunderland. Several 36-point schools may also consider 35 in exceptional circumstances with a very strong UCAT score and relevant contextual factors. Your HL grades and UCAT performance become especially important at this total. At 35 points you would not meet the minimum for Edinburgh, KCL, Glasgow, Exeter, Barts, Imperial, Oxford, UCL, or Cambridge.

Does the IB Extended Essay help a medicine application?

The Extended Essay is not formally weighted in the admissions process in the way that HL grades are. However, a well-executed EE in a subject relevant to medicine - a biology investigation or chemistry research question, for instance - provides strong material for both the personal statement and the interview. Interviewers at many medical schools ask candidates about independent research and intellectual interests beyond the curriculum, and an EE on a medically relevant topic is a natural and credible answer to that question. Choose your EE topic with both academic rigour and application utility in mind.