Cardiff University Dentistry interview selection process 2026

Does anyone understand the cardiff selection for interview process for 2026 entry. I have looked on so many sites, including their own pages and cannot get a definitive answer.
As I understand it their is a points system for GCSE's taking your top 7 but including all mandatory ones to give a total score of 28. Then you get a score for UCAT - top score 4 and SJB 1= 4. And then an extra point for contextual/being welsh and already having A level results in the bag. So a total of 40 points.
Is this correct? I don't want to waste applying to Cardiff if I know I dont have enough points!
My stats
GCSE - 24 on cardiffs points system
UCAT - 4 points as got 2220 (basing on last years 2900 marks)
SJ - band 1 = 4 points
and then none of the rest so a total 0f 32/40 points.
So is there any point me putting Cardiff down as a choice?
I have already had to rule out Bristol as I dont think my UCAT score of 2220 was enough. It would be so much easier if there was one system for interview selection. This is a minefield.
Any insights into Cardiffs selection for interview process this year please, and if I have understood it correctly, what score would you need to get to have an interview. I read on last years thread that it was 35 but I dont know where they got that from. On Cardiff Uni website they say they look at GCSE's but they dont say anything about scoring them?!?

Hi
Thanks for your reply.
Can you tell me how you got this information as Just had an email reply from the dentistry department at Cardiff saying scoring for GCSE's is out of 28 (I would get 26) and that your UCAT and SJT band does also factor into the scoring system (which they do not state online) but didnt go into specific numbers on how it is scored. Which is better for me as I actually feel I got a good score here which would then strengthen my application hopefully as my GCSE's not all 8/9's got a couple of 7's counted too hence losing 2 points. They only take your best 7 GCSE results into account for the scoring system but that will include 'mandatory' subjects and by that they confirmed typically the science grades. English language as long as you got a 6 does not have to be included (again a plus for me as I did only get a 6 for that one). So hoping Cardiff now a better bet for me than Bristol.
So I had put it down but now worried that it will be a wasted choice if what you say is true?
There seems to be so much contradictory information out there but this email was from the dentistry department at Cardiff yesterday. . .

Hi
Thanks for your reply.
Can you tell me how you got this information as Just had an email reply from the dentistry department at Cardiff saying scoring for GCSE's is out of 28 (I would get 26) and that your UCAT and SJT band does also factor into the scoring system (which they do not state online) but didnt go into specific numbers on how it is scored. Which is better for me as I actually feel I got a good score here which would then strengthen my application hopefully as my GCSE's not all 8/9's got a couple of 7's counted too hence losing 2 points. They only take your best 7 GCSE results into account for the scoring system but that will include 'mandatory' subjects and by that they confirmed typically the science grades. English language as long as you got a 6 does not have to be included (again a plus for me as I did only get a 6 for that one). So hoping Cardiff now a better bet for me than Bristol.
So I had put it down but now worried that it will be a wasted choice if what you say is true?
There seems to be so much contradictory information out there but this email was from the dentistry department at Cardiff yesterday. . .

Yeah talk about confusing information!
I also had emailed the general admission who had no clue but eventually got a reply from the dentistry dept. They explained the 28 points system and actually told me that English Language is counted as one of your mandatory 7 subjects to be scored as it's one of the mandatory GCSEs! So yeah go figure now given the reply you got - completely the opposite!!
My email reply from them was a month ago, so may be they have changed their minds by now. Who knows ?!?
For me that was a deciding factor as I got a 7 in English, so I would have dropped 1 point.
Reading through last year's forums and FOI, I understood that you really needed 28 points to be competitive as you won't make it past the first cut-off if you have less. At least for last year, there were lots of people with 28 points, so then they used UCAT cut-off to decide on who to interview amongst those 28pts people only. Others didn't even get a look-in.
Now if they have told you that you'll be competitive with 26 points, it means either they are expecting less 28pts candidates this year, or that you will get extra points for being Welsh, contextual or have achieved A-levels. Does any of these apply to you?

No none of those apply to me!
I had seen a document published but Cardiff Uni that had said that English language not to be included in to points cound - specifically said excluding English language. Maybe because if you got a 6 you have met their entry requirement for English language so iot doesnt need to be counted again and they can they pick a better scoring GCSE for points. But even so I still only have 26 points! Eeeek.

Ive already senr it off now but wish I hadnt included it - completely based on the email reply I had which seems to have been the opposite of yours! Should have thought the same as you and not worth the risk!!! Think you did the right thing. . .

Ive already senr it off now but wish I hadnt included it - completely based on the email reply I had which seems to have been the opposite of yours! Should have thought the same as you and not worth the risk!!! Think you did the right thing. . .

If you type into google cardiff selection to interview process 2026 it comes up with the document about English language not being included but agree about it being too much of an unknown/confusing! Everyone I have asked at Cardiff on the phone and by email has said something different. Am going to ask school if I can change it.

🤞then!
Where else you applied? With your score and b1, you have the pick of them all except Bristol probably.

I'm going for KCL, QMUL, Bristol and originally Cardiff as these would be the 4 closest to me. But with my 7 in English and their explanation to me back in the summer, I swapped it for Newcastle LOL! I could swap back now, but not sure. I think I've grown to like Newcastle since that time, and may be worth having a far-away from home option as well!!

Would love to be able to apply to Bristol - what score did you get in your UCAT, if you dont mind my asking?
Yeah I think Newcastle looks good just a long way from home for me too. Great city though. I couldnt apply to the London ones as only predicted 3 A's and no A*. Theres so much to factor in when considering where to apply to. If could put Bristol then would definitely change Cardiff to Newcastle. Good luck!

Wow thats an amzing score - well done!! If I had that score I would definitely be putting Bristol down. As you say all a bit of a gamble and could go either way. Think my score too low to risk it though. Thanks so much for your messaging. Nice to know not alone in the uncertainty.