Graduate Entry Medicine

Why do different universities ask for different admissions tests for GEM such as UCAT, BMAT and GAMSAT etc. I'm looking at entry requirements on www.medschool.ac.uk for GEM.

GAMSAT is a science based test for graduates who may not have done basic sciences for some time to allow med schools to be sure the applicants have the required science knowledge. Why med schools use UCAT or BMAT is a personal choice mired in the mists of time and probably decided by a committee many of whose members will now have retired

Ahh okay so I wouldn't have to do the GAMSAT if I had a degree in Biomedical Sciences or something of the sort. Would I have to do both the UCAT and BMAT then to cater to each medical school and their requirements for GEM?

Lots of people just do UCAT, some do 2, a few brave or foolish people do all 3. Admission requirements vary, at some you have to do the GAMSAT whatever your degree is as they use it to rank applicants. It is fairly random and you just have to check all websites, or ask @Antibiotics who has "The Blog" (I am so jealous, I do not know how to blog, or spreadsheet or flowchart or any of the other clever stuff she does, i just have a mind with no map!!)

I get told off every time I post the link, so here is a summary:

Academic Selection Universities

Barts London – UCAT
UCAT is weighted 50:50 with academics in selecting applicants. Usually, applicants will have a first in their degree. Degrees can be any discipline. Barts downgrade all non-UK degrees so that it is equivalent to a 2:1. Bioscience Degree – No A Level requirements Science Degree- A or As level B in Chemistry or Biology (whichever are missing) Arts Degree- B in Chemistry or Biology and one other science.
Birmingham – UCAT
Birmingham now operates on a points based system for 2020 entry onwards. Degree must be in a life science, achieved firsts are accredited 8 points, 2:1 4 points and a predicted first is 2 points. A level points are awarded from BBC upwards. English and maths GCSE at grade A are required. UCAT points are awarded but you must be above the third decile. Points are awarded for years in full time employment.
Cambridge
2:1 in any discipline. A in Chemistry A Level, to be competitive usually at least AAA is needed. English and Maths GCSE completed to a C grade. No aptitude test needed.
Oxford – BMAT
2:1 in any applied or experimental science. Two science A Levels, one must be in Chemistry if that was not taken at degree level. If it was not a bioscience degree, candidates must have biology GCSE. The BMAT bares a weighting, candidates much check individual colleges, high academic standard is expected.

Holistic Selection

Kings – UCAT
2:1 in a Bioscience. UCAT is looked at as well as references and SJT. It is not clear how much each element is weighted.
Sheffield – UCAT
Must fit widening participation criteria, BBB at A Level to include Biology or Chemistry, with retakes only to take up one sitting. 2:1 in a life science degree. If there are more candidates fitting the above criteria than there are interview slots, candidates will be ranked by UCAT.

Aptitude Test Based

Newcastle – UCAT
2:1 in any subject. Generally a UCAT of over 730 is considered competitive, though some years have had a higher cut off than this.
Warwick – UCAT
Must also meet work experience requirements. Two work experiences totalling to 70 hours, with one not accounting for more than fifty hours. One must be delivering hands on care. 2:1 in any degree, or a 2:2 including a masters or PhD.
Southampton – UCAT
4 GCSE’s at least C grade to include Maths and English. 2:1 in any degree. C in A2 Chemistry or failing this AS Chemistry and Biology at C grade. Generally a candidate with over 720 UCAT is considered competitive.
Swansea – GAMSAT
2:1 in any subject. 2:2 and Masters or PhD. Minimum score of 50 in Secrtion 3 of the GAMSAT. GCSE English at at least grade C.
St Georges – GAMSAT
2:1 in any subject. Minimum 50 in each section. Liverpool – GAMSAT
2:1 in Biomed/Health Science. BBBb A Level requirements to include Chemistry and Biology. At least a C in GCSE Maths and English. Usually a cut off of over 55.
ScotGEM – GAMSAT/SJT
2:1 in any discipline. Chemistry A level grade B or 20 credits of pure chemistry at degree level. No section of GAMSAT lower than 47. Section 3 is not double weighted. Band 3 or higher in the SJT.
Nottingham – GAMSAT
Minimum of 2:2 in any discipline. Higher cut off for GAMSAT will be employed if applying with a 2:2. Minimum of 55 is required in Section 2, with 55 in either Section 1 or Section 3 and 50 in the remaining section. GAMSAT score calculated with Section 3 double weighted, and alternatively with equal weighting. The higher score is taken.


iMHO - enjoy first year (it doesn't count at most unis and frankly I think uni is as much about life experience as anything else), concentrate on getting a 2:1 and work experience. If you can get a first then fab, but unless you also have good a levels it doesn't really open that many more doors. Don't need to be worrying about this till at least the end of second year! Enjoy yourself. I also strongly encourage trying jobs in other sectors than medicine, just to see if you like it (I think it makes one a more well rounded individual, and therefore a stronger, more considered medicine application in the long run).

@GANFYD that blog needs some serious work done to it, it's a mess and I'm very not technical. Making it look even a little bit user friendly is a time investment I certainly underestimated. Hopefully in a few weeks time it'll look much better!

I stupidly have just kept it all in my head for years and now don't get the time to put it anywhere as well as deal with all the queries. But I can only use Word out of Office and no other IT-thingy at all, so it will stay as a mess in my head for now.
Obviously, you couldn't DM me a link to your lovely info, as we wouldn't want to get in any more trouble!
Every applicant should do this for the med schools they are interested in. Most GEM applicants do, very few school leavers (though i did get sent an AMAZING spreadsheet from one lovely lad in which he had quoted virtually all of my and meddad's posts on here for years!)

If I was really technical I would do some kind of clever thing whereby candidates would input all the data and then it would chuck up all the likely universities. It’s on my list of things to work out but I think it’s probably past my limit. I’m sure it would save you and I both a lot of time if I could work it out.

Where did the spreadsheet go?! That and the GEM spreadsheet need to be pinned somewhere. The amount of candidates that have identical profiles and ask the same questions and you must have to repeat yourself a lot

I get told off every time I post the link, so here is a summary:

Academic Selection Universities

Barts London – UCAT
UCAT is weighted 50:50 with academics in selecting applicants. Usually, applicants will have a first in their degree. Degrees can be any discipline. Barts downgrade all non-UK degrees so that it is equivalent to a 2:1. Bioscience Degree – No A Level requirements Science Degree- A or As level B in Chemistry or Biology (whichever are missing) Arts Degree- B in Chemistry or Biology and one other science.
Birmingham – UCAT
Birmingham now operates on a points based system for 2020 entry onwards. Degree must be in a life science, achieved firsts are accredited 8 points, 2:1 4 points and a predicted first is 2 points. A level points are awarded from BBC upwards. English and maths GCSE at grade A are required. UCAT points are awarded but you must be above the third decile. Points are awarded for years in full time employment.
Cambridge
2:1 in any discipline. A in Chemistry A Level, to be competitive usually at least AAA is needed. English and Maths GCSE completed to a C grade. No aptitude test needed.
Oxford – BMAT
2:1 in any applied or experimental science. Two science A Levels, one must be in Chemistry if that was not taken at degree level. If it was not a bioscience degree, candidates must have biology GCSE. The BMAT bares a weighting, candidates much check individual colleges, high academic standard is expected.

Holistic Selection

Kings – UCAT
2:1 in a Bioscience. UCAT is looked at as well as references and SJT. It is not clear how much each element is weighted.
Sheffield – UCAT
Must fit widening participation criteria, BBB at A Level to include Biology or Chemistry, with retakes only to take up one sitting. 2:1 in a life science degree. If there are more candidates fitting the above criteria than there are interview slots, candidates will be ranked by UCAT.

Aptitude Test Based

Newcastle – UCAT
2:1 in any subject. Generally a UCAT of over 730 is considered competitive, though some years have had a higher cut off than this.
Warwick – UCAT
Must also meet work experience requirements. Two work experiences totalling to 70 hours, with one not accounting for more than fifty hours. One must be delivering hands on care. 2:1 in any degree, or a 2:2 including a masters or PhD.
Southampton – UCAT
4 GCSE’s at least C grade to include Maths and English. 2:1 in any degree. C in A2 Chemistry or failing this AS Chemistry and Biology at C grade. Generally a candidate with over 720 UCAT is considered competitive.
Swansea – GAMSAT
2:1 in any subject. 2:2 and Masters or PhD. Minimum score of 50 in Secrtion 3 of the GAMSAT. GCSE English at at least grade C.
St Georges – GAMSAT
2:1 in any subject. Minimum 50 in each section. Liverpool – GAMSAT
2:1 in Biomed/Health Science. BBBb A Level requirements to include Chemistry and Biology. At least a C in GCSE Maths and English. Usually a cut off of over 55.
ScotGEM – GAMSAT/SJT
2:1 in any discipline. Chemistry A level grade B or 20 credits of pure chemistry at degree level. No section of GAMSAT lower than 47. Section 3 is not double weighted. Band 3 or higher in the SJT.
Nottingham – GAMSAT
Minimum of 2:2 in any discipline. Higher cut off for GAMSAT will be employed if applying with a 2:2. Minimum of 55 is required in Section 2, with 55 in either Section 1 or Section 3 and 50 in the remaining section. GAMSAT score calculated with Section 3 double weighted, and alternatively with equal weighting. The higher score is taken.


iMHO - enjoy first year (it doesn't count at most unis and frankly I think uni is as much about life experience as anything else), concentrate on getting a 2:1 and work experience. If you can get a first then fab, but unless you also have good a levels it doesn't really open that many more doors. Don't need to be worrying about this till at least the end of second year! Enjoy yourself. I also strongly encourage trying jobs in other sectors than medicine, just to see if you like it (I think it makes one a more well rounded individual, and therefore a stronger, more considered medicine application in the long run).

@GANFYD that blog needs some serious work done to it, it's a mess and I'm very not technical. Making it look even a little bit user friendly is a time investment I certainly underestimated. Hopefully in a few weeks time it'll look much better!

Thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I done an Access to HE course would that be looked down upon 🤔 I've completed work experience in a haematology and cytology lab in a hospital and it wasn't the best as it was just repetitive. It was good for experience and to get an idea for what I could do after my degree. I think I would prefer a career in which I could directly help people such as medicine, psychiatry and physiotherapy (mainly medicine), I love studying Biomedical science but don't think I could sit in a lab all day looking at blood results etc and I didn't really have the time to apply for medicine as the deadline was October if I can remember correctly, plus my GCSEs are just all C's so I don't think I would have got offers. I never applied to biomedical science without reason as I definitely could find myself enjoying medical research.