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Newcastle Medical School 2017 Entry

Didn't see a thread for this and I thought we could start discussing things. eg, GCSE grades, entry requirements, interviews, Ukcat, etc.

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Reply 1
What is your UKCAT cutoff for 2016 entry?
We do not disclose our cut off score for the current cycle until all our offers and rejections have been made after 31 March 2016. Please see below for the previous UKCAT cut off scores used for A100 and A101 entry.
A100 A101
2011 - 2670 2011 - 2810
2012 - 2660 2012 - 2810
2013 - 2780 2013 - 2900
2014 - 2980 2014 - 3070
2015 - 2300 2015 - 2910

How do you select applicants for admission?
There are three stages to our admissions process:

1. Academic Screen - we check that our applicants are predicted/have achieved the minimum criteria for entry. Additional academics (e.g. a Master’s degree, A* grade A levels, AS levels, GCSEs etc) have no influence on your application.

2. UKCAT - we rank all our applicants based on their UKCAT score and determine a cutoff based on the scores of our applicants and how many applications we receive.

3. Interview - all applicants above the UKCAT threshold are invited for interview. At this point we assess your application purely based your interview score.

What English Language qualifications do you require?
The most widely offered qualification that we accept is the IELTS. We require 7.0 overall and no less than 7.0 in any domain. Equivalent qualifications can be found at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/international/assets/documents/ELqualifications-all-April2015.pdf.

Do you accept re-sits?
We do not accept re-sits, we do not screen on AS results and we conduct our academic screen on A2 predicted or achieved results (or equivalent). We expect applicants to have achieved their A level results within the 2 years. Those who wish re-sits to be considered must provide information on the extenuating circumstances they wish to be considered by requesting an Extreme Extenuating Circumstances form. Supporting evidence must be provided from your school or Health Care Professional.

I am a graduate what other qualifications do I require other than a 2:1 degree?
We have no additional academic requirements for graduates applying to either the A100 or the A101 programme. Your degree can be in any discipline and you must be classed as a Home student for fees purposes. We require that you have evidence of sustained academic endeavour within 3 years of the month of entry (e.g. GAMSAT, A level, Postgraduate Certificate etc).
Reply 2
Anyone???
Reply 3
BUMP!
Reply 4
I'll be applying for GEM 2017 if my UKcat score is good enough. :-)


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Reply 5
It seems that for graduate entry everything really rides on getting a strong UKCAT score and a 2.1 or above undergrad degree classification.
I'm hoping to apply for Newcastle (GEM 2017) dependent on how I do with the UKCAT (I'm gonna be going to the Kaplan UKCAT course to really help me boost my score) and how I've done at second year at uni (praying for a first but tbh I might have to accept I'll be getting a 2.i in second year)
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm also hoping to apply for GEM 2017. The UKCAT is my biggest concern though as I didn't do well in it at all last time. Preparation is going better this time but I am struggling with quantitative reasoning :/
790 ukcat but with 590 VR, i hope newcastle a101 doesnt have subsection cutoffs like warwick does :s-smilie:
Original post by Hugh Laurie
790 ukcat but with 590 VR, i hope newcastle a101 doesnt have subsection cutoffs like warwick does :s-smilie:


Wow that is an amazing score, how did you manage to do so well?
Original post by hopefuldoctor
Wow that is an amazing score, how did you manage to do so well?


managed to get 890 in AR and QR which luckily carried my poor VR score. i spent a few weeks using the 1000Q book and a 3 week Medify subscription, both of which were very helpful (if you can only get one I'd recommend Medify, getting used to the format and seeing your practice timings were invaluable i found).

for VR, just remember to practice your timings and stick to them (I clearly didnt follow mine :P), dont be stubborn being stuck on one question/passage and you should be fine. QR and AR were both easier in the real exam compared to mocks, so doing those practice questions should overprepare you.
Original post by Hugh Laurie
managed to get 890 in AR and QR which luckily carried my poor VR score. i spent a few weeks using the 1000Q book and a 3 week Medify subscription, both of which were very helpful (if you can only get one I'd recommend Medify, getting used to the format and seeing your practice timings were invaluable i found).

for VR, just remember to practice your timings and stick to them (I clearly didnt follow mine :P), dont be stubborn being stuck on one question/passage and you should be fine. QR and AR were both easier in the real exam compared to mocks, so doing those practice questions should overprepare you.


I've done the UKCAT twice before so I'm alright on timings and format tbh haha. It's just the actual preparing because i think on other occasions I was just a bit lazy tbh haha. I'm thinking of doing the Kaplan course and might sign up to the Medify subscription as a lot of people have been saying it's worthwhile.
Original post by hopefuldoctor
I've done the UKCAT twice before so I'm alright on timings and format tbh haha. It's just the actual preparing because i think on other occasions I was just a bit lazy tbh haha. I'm thinking of doing the Kaplan course and might sign up to the Medify subscription as a lot of people have been saying it's worthwhile.


what kind of scores did you get previously and which did you find were your stronger/weaker sections? i cant speak for the kaplan course, but definitely give medify a go. i know the feeling of lacking motivation some days as it gets reaaaally repetitive, but just push through a few hours/day for 3 weeks and you should be fine in the exam :smile: best of luck!
Original post by Hugh Laurie
what kind of scores did you get previously and which did you find were your stronger/weaker sections? i cant speak for the kaplan course, but definitely give medify a go. i know the feeling of lacking motivation some days as it gets reaaaally repetitive, but just push through a few hours/day for 3 weeks and you should be fine in the exam :smile: best of luck!


I'm not sure on what scores I got but I remember the best score I got overall was like 640 so not amazing but it wasn't bad haha. This was back before they changed the sections around and stuff too though.
I've heard good things about the Kaplan course, only thing is is that it's expensive. :/ What I'm intending to do is start UKCAT prep on like 1st August, book my kaplan course the last week of August and then do my UKCAT the first week of September hopefully. That way I'll have already done a lot of prep before the Kaplan course and the course should just be able to push me over the edge and really help me get those better scores. Thanks, hopefully I'll do somewhat as well as you haha :wink:
I'll be applying this year for 2017 GEM entry! :smile:

I'm looking at Imperial, Kings, Southampton and 'to be decided'..

My next few months looks like my dissertation, UKCAT and BMAT prep. Fun Fun Fun.
Reply 15
Hey, since everyone will have one less section to worry about will the cut off go up this year? And roughly what do u think this will be? Im aiming for at least 700, will 700 be likely to get me an interview at Newcastle? Applying through PARTNERS and ive heard they sometimes lower the cut off for people applying via this route. Any truth in this?
I think I'm going to apply this year :smile:

GCSE: A^ 6A* 3A (including both Englishes) and 2B (including a core science GCSE I did in year 9 that's obsolete now)
AS: who knows? :iiam:
A2: I think I'm predicted A*A*A, but that's up to changing
UKCAT: 2360, 787 average. Band 1

If i get the AS grades, i should hopefully get an interview if i do end up applying here, which is most probable :biggrin:

Last year's thread had a poll asking for UKCAT average, didn't it? Do we want to replicate that here?

EDIT: I achieved AAAA at AS (Maths, FMaths, Biology and Chemistry), and I'm predicted A*A*A*A*A* (Maths, Biology, Chemistry, General Studies and EPQ) which is not going to happen, but oh well, it's helpful to be predicted that :lol:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by Gogregg
I think I'm going to apply this year :smile:

GCSE: A^ 6A* 3A (including both Englishes) and 2B (including a core science GCSE i did in year 9 that's obsolete now)
AS: who knows? :iiam:
A2: I think I'm predicted A*A*A, but that's up to changing
UKCAT: 2360, 787 average. Band 1

If i get the AS grades, i should hopefully get an interview if i do end up applying here, which is most probable :biggrin:

Last year's thread had a poll asking for UKCAT average, didn't it? Do we want to replicate that here?


You have amazing stats especially your UKCAT. Newcastle don't look at as results instead they just look at a2 grades. They call people for the interview according to UKCAT. My UKCat is on the 16th sep. Have you got any tips? Were the questions in line with ISC 1000 and Medify.
Original post by Boss987
You have amazing stats especially your UKCAT. Newcastle don't look at as results instead they just look at a2 grades. They call people for the interview according to UKCAT. My UKCat is on the 16th sep. Have you got any tips? Were the questions in line with ISC 1000 and Medify.


That's a relief, but i still worry about my AS grades, since they're the foundation for my predictions...

ISC 1000 Qs was way more difficult than the actual thing, but i found the SJT to be accurate, and the VR wasn't a whole lot harder, I thought.
Medify is an amazing resource and was definitely in line with the difficulty of the exam. It was only slightly harder, i thought.

You've got plenty of time before your exam, so i wouldn't suggest starting until at the earliest around results day (18th).

VR is a pain, but you just need to practice loads. Practice skim reading and quickly extracting information and is really important that you find your own technique - one that works for you. Personally, i would try answer the question first (i always guessed CT) and then i would test it against the passage, looking for the relevant information as quickly as i could, without trying to take anything in. Sort of like trial and improvement.
DM i decided to do it since it kept me semi-focussed ,i should have just gone on to the next section once i finished as i found that i had way too much time for it.
QR is really about timing and quick mental maths. If there's a question that you're really struggling on, guess an answer, flag the question and move on, you don't want to get caught up with that. Make use of the whiteboard but doing rely on it too much. Just jot down numbers you won't remember during a calculation. Also, remember to use the keyboard for the calculator, before you start, make sure you can use the number pad and num lock is on. It will save you so much time!
AR is just practice. When you start, it is so intimidating (especially if you use the ISC book :lol: ) but once you get used to it, it is actually pretty easy. The questions in the exam usually only have relationship between the sets, so bear that in mind. Timing isn't much of an issue once you get used to it, which you will after loads of practice (read what the ISC 1000 Qs says on AR, it is very useful!) But you should always just skip over questions and flag them when you don't know after a while. I think I had 2 sets of questions (18% of the section) which i had pretty much no clue on, which i ended up guessing, and i still got 790, so if there are a few that you have no idea with, it's not the end of the world, just move on and come back to later.
SJT isn't bad, just practice and get used to what it wants. Do bear in mind that it's what you should do, not what you would do!

Hope this helped :h:
Reply 19
Original post by Gogregg
That's a relief, but i still worry about my AS grades, since they're the foundation for my predictions...

ISC 1000 Qs was way more difficult than the actual thing, but i found the SJT to be accurate, and the VR wasn't a whole lot harder, I thought.
Medify is an amazing resource and was definitely in line with the difficulty of the exam. It was only slightly harder, i thought.

You've got plenty of time before your exam, so i wouldn't suggest starting until at the earliest around results day (18th).

VR is a pain, but you just need to practice loads. Practice skim reading and quickly extracting information and is really important that you find your own technique - one that works for you. Personally, i would try answer the question first (i always guessed CT) and then i would test it against the passage, looking for the relevant information as quickly as i could, without trying to take anything in. Sort of like trial and improvement.
DM i decided to do it since it kept me semi-focussed ,i should have just gone on to the next section once i finished as i found that i had way too much time for it.
QR is really about timing and quick mental maths. If there's a question that you're really struggling on, guess an answer, flag the question and move on, you don't want to get caught up with that. Make use of the whiteboard but doing rely on it too much. Just jot down numbers you won't remember during a calculation. Also, remember to use the keyboard for the calculator, before you start, make sure you can use the number pad and num lock is on. It will save you so much time!
AR is just practice. When you start, it is so intimidating (especially if you use the ISC book :lol: ) but once you get used to it, it is actually pretty easy. The questions in the exam usually only have relationship between the sets, so bear that in mind. Timing isn't much of an issue once you get used to it, which you will after loads of practice (read what the ISC 1000 Qs says on AR, it is very useful!) But you should always just skip over questions and flag them when you don't know after a while. I think I had 2 sets of questions (18% of the section) which i had pretty much no clue on, which i ended up guessing, and i still got 790, so if there are a few that you have no idea with, it's not the end of the world, just move on and come back to later.
SJT isn't bad, just practice and get used to what it wants. Do bear in mind that it's what you should do, not what you would do!

Hope this helped :h:


Thank you so much.

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