What Is a Good UCAT Score in 2026? Average Scores, Deciles and What You Need

At TheUKCATPeople, the first question students ask after walking out of the exam is always some version of the same thing: is my score good enough? After 14 years of working with thousands of students through this process, the honest answer is: it depends on where you are applying. A score that secures an interview at one medical school may fall below the historically observed threshold at another.

This guide gives you a precise, data-driven answer. We cover the final 2026 results, the 2025 results and full decile breakdown, what each score bracket realistically allows you to apply for, and how the answer differs for medicine versus dentistry. We also cover what the SJT band means for your application and what the highest scores in 2025 actually looked like.

Before reading further, these tools will be useful alongside this guide:

• UCAT Score Calculator: enter your raw scores and see your scaled total and percentile
• UCAT Scores and Scoring: full data reference
• UCAT Cut-Off Scores for Every UK Medical School
• How Hard Is the UCAT? An Honest Breakdown

The 2026 UCAT Final Results: What 42,359 Students Scored

The UCAT Consortium published the final 2026 statistics after the testing window closed on 24 September 2026. The average total was 1918 out of 2700 (Verbal Reasoning 602, Decision Making 640, Quantitative Reasoning 675), up from 1891 in 2025. The top 20% started at 2140 and the top 10% at 2250. These are the national benchmarks for 2027 entry.

In the SJT, 15% of 2026 candidates reached Band 1, 40% Band 2, 34% Band 3 and 11% Band 4. The 2025 results below are kept for comparison as the first year on the 2700 scale. The score brackets further down use the final 2026 deciles.

What an SJT band means for your application: UCAT SJT Band 4 and medical school

The 2025 UCAT Final Results: What 41,354 Students Scored

The UCAT is scored out of 2700 from 2025 onwards. Abstract Reasoning was removed, reducing the total from 3600. Do not compare your score directly to pre-2025 totals. Use deciles instead, as they account for cohort differences across years.

These are the final 2025 section averages across all 41,354 candidates:

• Verbal Reasoning average: 602 out of 900
• Decision Making average: 628 out of 900
• Quantitative Reasoning average: 661 out of 900
• Total cognitive average: 1891 out of 2700

Three things worth noting from this data. VR has been the lowest-scoring section every single year, with a 602 average versus 661 for QR.

If you are still in preparation, VR is where most students have the most room to improve. QR rose significantly from 649 in 2024 to 661 in 2025, reflecting better preparation resources being available. The overall average has risen year on year since 2022, meaning the competitive bar is gradually moving upward.

👉 UCAT Verbal Reasoning: Strategy & Worked Examples

👉 UCAT Quantitative Reasoning: Complete Guide

👉 UCAT Decision Making: Complete Guide

The 2025 UCAT Decile Breakdown

Deciles divide all 41,354 candidates into groups of 10%. The 9th decile means you scored higher than 90% of everyone who sat. Here are the 2025 final decile scores:

For the full historical decile data going back to 2015, and the subtest decile breakdown by VR, DM, and QR, see the dedicated guide:

👉 UCAT Deciles 2026: The Complete Guide

These are the 2025 figures, kept for comparison. Every 2026 decile came in between 10 and 40 points higher, which is why the score brackets below use the 2026 boundaries.

2025 SJT Results: What Band Did Most Students Get?

The Situational Judgement Test is scored separately from the cognitive total. It does not contribute to your score out of 2700. It produces a band from 1 (best) to 4 (worst).

The 2025 SJT band distribution was:

• Band 1: 21% of candidates (up from 13% in 2024)
• Band 2: 39% of candidates (the most common outcome)
• Band 3: 29% of candidates
• Band 4: 10% of candidates (down from 13% in 2024)

Most students score Band 2. Band 1 returned to 21% in 2025 after an unusually low 13% in 2024. Band 4 decreased from 13% to 10%.

What your band means in practice is covered fully in the SJT section below. The critical point up front: Band 4 can eliminate an otherwise strong application at multiple universities regardless of your cognitive score. It is not a soft outcome.

👉 UCAT SJT: Complete 2026 Guide

👉 UCAT SJT Tips: How to Prepare and Get Band 1

What Is a Good UCAT Score? Five Brackets Explained

The most useful way to think about your score is not whether it is good in the abstract. It is whether it meets, clears or exceeds the historically observed threshold at the universities you are targeting. The five brackets below use the final 2026 deciles and historical admissions data from UK medical and dental schools.

No university publishes a guaranteed threshold in advance. The figures cited throughout reflect what historical admissions data has shown in recent cycles and should be used as planning guidance, not as guarantees. Always check each university's most recent admissions page and any published historical data before finalising your application choices.

Is 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200 or 2300 a good UCAT score?

These are the official 2026 percentiles for common totals, from the UCAT Consortium's final look-up. The percentile is roughly the share of 2026 candidates who scored lower.

• 1800: 33rd percentile. Below the 2026 average of 1918; apply where the UCAT carries less weight.
• 1900: 48th percentile. Just under the average; competitive at schools that combine the UCAT with GCSEs.
• 2000: 63rd percentile. Above average and competitive at many schools with careful choices.
• 2100: 76th percentile. A strong score that clears most observed thresholds.
• 2200: 87th percentile. Top 15%, competitive almost everywhere.
• 2300: 93rd percentile. Top 10%, competitive even at schools that rank on the UCAT alone.

To check any other total, use the UCAT score calculator. For how scaling, deciles and percentiles work, see UCAT scores and scoring.

2250 and above: Top 10% (9th decile and above)

A score in this bracket places you above 90% of all candidates. Based on historical admissions data, it has been sufficient for interview selection at virtually every UK medical and dental school.

The universities where historical data shows the highest observed UCAT scores among those shortlisted are Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and UCL.

Bristol has historically ranked applicants almost entirely on UCAT total for interview selection, with the observed interview line in recent cycles falling in the upper deciles. Oxford and Cambridge use UCAT as a significant component of numerical shortlisting alongside academic performance, and their applicant pools are among the most competitive in the country. Imperial and UCL moved from the BMAT to the UCAT for 2025 entry. Based on their applicant profiles, scores in the upper decile range are most likely to be competitive in their early UCAT cycles.

Newcastle has historically ranked applicants by UCAT score for interview selection, with the observed line typically falling in the upper deciles. Southampton, St Andrews, and Glasgow have similarly used UCAT performance as the primary shortlisting criterion, with historical data placing competitive applicants in the top 20 to 30%.

If your score is in this bracket, check each target university's most recent admissions statistics and confirm your score aligns with what has historically been sufficient. Some universities combine UCAT with GCSE scoring, and a high UCAT alone does not guarantee selection if academic criteria are also weighted.

👉 UCAT Cut-Off Scores for Every UK Medical School: full historical data by university

2140 to 2249: Top 20% (8th decile)

A score in this bracket places you above 80% of all candidates. Based on historical data, it has been sufficient to clear the observed interview threshold at the majority of UK medical and dental schools.

Universities using points-based combined systems are well within reach in this bracket, particularly where academic performance is also strong, in 2026 entry:

• Birmingham weights UCAT at 40% alongside academic score and contextual factors
• Leicester combines UCAT and GCSE points in a transparent scoring system
• Queen's Belfast allocates 9 UCAT points out of 45 total, meaning a score in this bracket earns near-maximum UCAT points while leaving the overall result substantially determined by academic performance
• KCL has historically ranked applicants using a combination of academics and UCAT, and a score in this bracket combined with strong GCSEs and A Level predictions has placed applicants in a competitive position for shortlisting in recent cycles

Historically observed interview thresholds at Edinburgh, Sheffield, and Keele have sat considerably below this bracket, meaning a score of 2100 to 2219 has been well above their typical observed minimums in recent cycles.

👉 How Universities Use Your UCAT Score: ranking, cut-offs and points systems explained

1980 to 2139: Top 20 to 40% (6th to 7th decile)

A score in this bracket places you above 60 to 70% of all candidates. Based on historical data, it has been sufficient to clear the observed threshold at many universities, though not at those where historical data shows the interview line consistently falling in the upper deciles.

Universities using holistic or balanced selection criteria that have historically been accessible in this bracket include:

• Leeds: no historically observed fixed cut-off, weights GCSEs heavily alongside UCAT, and strong academic performance has historically compensated for a UCAT score in this range
• Aberdeen and Dundee: state no minimum cut-off and consider UCAT relative to the applicant cohort
• Cardiff: considers UCAT only after looking at GCSEs
• Liverpool: has historically observed its interview threshold around the 40th percentile, meaning a score in this bracket meets or exceeds what has been required

For this bracket, strategic university selection matters significantly. Focus on institutions where the combined weighting system gives your academic performance meaningful influence over the outcome.

👉 Where to Apply With a Low UCAT Score

👉 UCAT Cut-Off Scores for Every UK Medical School

1850 to 1979: Top 40 to 60% (4th to 5th decile)

A score in this range places you around or just above the national average. Based on historical data, it has been sufficient to clear the observed threshold at several universities but falls below what has been historically required at many others, particularly those that rank primarily on UCAT.

Some important notes on specific universities in this bracket:

• Sunderland has historically required applicants to be within the top 8 deciles. A score around the 4th to 5th decile does not meet this and Sunderland should be excluded as a target.
• Kent and Medway sets a cycle-specific threshold each year that has historically been observed around the 40th to 44th percentile.
• Leicester, Birmingham, and QUB all use structured combined scoring where academic performance has historically been able to offset a below-average UCAT score to a meaningful degree.

A score in this bracket requires careful university selection. Applying without accounting for each university's UCAT approach is the most common and most avoidable application mistake.

👉 Where to Apply With a Low UCAT Score

Below 1850: Bottom 40% (3rd decile and below)

A score below 1850 places you in the bottom 40% of 2026 candidates. Historical admissions data shows that several universities have observed interview thresholds at or above this level in recent cycles:

• Keele has historically observed a low effective minimum and places most of its selection weight on the Personal Statement rather than UCAT rank. Once past the minimum, the exact score has historically mattered less than the quality of the written application. The UCAT is worth 5 points, the SJT 2 points and the Personal Statement 15 points (in 2026 entry)
• Sunderland has required top 8 deciles, which this bracket does not meet
• Edinburgh has historically stated a minimum of 1650 though in practice much higher scores are needed .

This does not mean medicine or dentistry is out of reach. It means university selection must be precise and realistic.

Universities that have historically been most accessible in this bracket include:

• Leicester and Birmingham: both use transparent combined scoring where strong GCSE and A Level performance has historically been able to meaningfully offset a lower UCAT score
• Leeds: no historically observed minimum cut-off
• Aberdeen and Dundee: state no minimum and consider contextual factors
• Anglia Ruskin and Plymouth: have historically observed thresholds at or around the average, worth checking the most recent admissions data before applying

Contextual applicants who qualify for widening participation criteria may be considered under different criteria at some universities. Check each university's widening participation policies directly.

The most important action at this score level is to research each target university's historical admissions data and their stated UCAT approach before finalising your choices.

👉 Where to Apply With a Low UCAT Score: full strategic guide

👉 UCAT Cut-Off Scores for Every UK Medical School

What Is a Good UCAT Score for Medicine?

For medicine, the range of historically observed UCAT thresholds across UK medical schools is wide. Some of the most competitive schools including Bristol, Newcastle, and

Southampton have historically ranked the full applicant pool by UCAT and set the interview line wherever their capacity allows. In recent cycles this has meant applicants in the upper deciles.

Others, including Leeds, Aberdeen, and Leicester use UCAT as one component alongside academics and have not historically operated a numerical minimum that functions as a hard barrier.

As a working framework based on the 2026 deciles:

• A score of 2250 or more (top 10% in 2026) has historically been sufficient at most UK medical schools, including those with the most demanding observed requirements
• A score of 2140 or more (top 20% in 2026) has historically been competitive at the majority of UK medical schools
• A score between 1980 and 2140 has been competitive at a significant number of schools but requires strategic selection
• Below 1980, university selection needs to be carefully matched to schools using holistic or balanced criteria

A score that is good for medicine in general terms is one that is competitive at the four specific universities on your UCAS application. That calculation requires knowing each university's individual approach, not just your decile rank.

👉 UCAT Cut-Off Scores for Every UK Medical School

👉 How Universities Use Your UCAT Score

👉 UCAT Preparation 2026: The Complete Guide

What Is a Good UCAT Score for Dentistry?

The UCAT is required for most UK dental schools. The same principles apply as for medicine. Most dental schools that use UCAT do so in combination with academic performance rather than as a standalone ranking criterion.

As a working framework based on historical data:

• A score above 2200 has historically been competitive at nearly all UK dental schools
• A score between 2000 and 2200 has been competitive at most with careful university selection
• Below 2000, strategic selection based on each school's individual weighting system is essential

KCL dentistry has historically been among the most competitive dental programmes for UCAT, with historical data showing high observed scores among those shortlisted. Leeds, Cardiff, and Liverpool dental programmes have generally been accessible to a wider range of scores when combined with strong academic performance.

👉 UCAT Cut-Off Scores for UK Dental Schools

👉 UCAT Scores for Dentistry: Which Dental Schools Need What Score

What Is a Good SJT Score in 2026?

The SJT is scored separately and does not add to your cognitive total. Universities treat it differently. Some score it alongside cognitive performance, some use it as a tiebreaker, some require a minimum band, and some do not use it in shortlisting at all.

Here is what each band means in practice:

• Band 1 is the strongest outcome. It is an advantage at every university that considers SJT, and some universities give additional points or weighting for Band 1 at the offer or interview stage. 21% of candidates achieved Band 1 in 2025.
• Band 2 is the most common outcome, achieved by 39% of candidates in 2025. It is competitive at all universities. The majority of students who receive medical school offers score Band 2.
• Band 3 is accepted at many universities but reduces competitiveness where SJT is scored or weighted. It was achieved by 29% of candidates in 2025. Check each university's stated SJT approach. Some treat Band 3 identically to Band 2 for shortlisting purposes, others do not.
• Band 4 is a serious problem and was achieved by 10% of candidates in 2025. Historical data shows that Edinburgh, Keele, and Sunderland have not considered Band 4 applicants. Several others have used Band 4 as a reason to deprioritise or reject applications at various stages. A Band 4 alongside a high cognitive score does not protect your application at universities that have historically excluded Band 4 as a criterion.

👉 UCAT SJT: Complete 2026 Guide

👉 UCAT SJT Band 1 vs Band 2 vs Band 3 vs Band 4: What Each Band Means

👉 UCAT SJT Tips: How to Prepare and Get Band 1

What Is the Highest Possible UCAT Score in 2026?

The maximum cognitive score is 2700, achieved by scoring 900 in each of the three sections. In practice nobody reaches it: the highest total in 2025 was 2670, according to the UCAT Consortium's 2025 technical report, and only about 2% of 2026 candidates scored above 2470. Our own top students in 2025 scored 2640, 2610 and 2590. A perfect score is not a useful target; reaching the 9th decile (2250 in 2026) is a realistic and meaningful one for competitive applications.

What Is a Low UCAT Score in 2026?

A score below 1850 placed you in the bottom 40% of 2026 candidates. This does not automatically prevent entry to medicine or dentistry, but it requires careful and strategic university selection. See the score brackets above for the universities that have historically been accessible in this range.

👉 Where to Apply With a Low UCAT Score: full strategic guide

How to Improve Your UCAT Score

If you are reading this before sitting the exam and your practice scores are not where you need them to be, targeted preparation makes a meaningful difference. Students working with our tutors regularly improve 150 to 300 points between their first mock and their real exam. The improvement comes from diagnosing specific error patterns in each section, not from doing more questions without structure.

👉 How Hard Is the UCAT? An Honest Breakdown

👉 UCAT Study Plan: 4, 6 and 8 Week Timetables

👉 UCAT Preparation 2026: The Complete Guide

👉 1-1 UCAT Tutoring: bespoke preparation with expert tutors

👉 UCAT Verbal Reasoning: Strategy & Worked Examples

👉 UCAT Quantitative Reasoning: Complete Guide

👉 UCAT Decision Making: Complete Guide