What A-levels do you need to study Medicine?
The A-levels UK medical schools ask for, what's genuinely required vs preferred, and the admissions test.
Required subjects
- Chemistry — near-universal. Almost every UK medical school requires Chemistry A-level; a minority instead accept Biology plus a second science or Maths. The exact combination is school-specific.
Recommended & helpful
- Biology — required or strongly preferred by most schools (a large group require Chemistry AND Biology).
- A third academic A-level — usually your free choice; a second science or Maths keeps the most schools open.
Typical grades
Typically AAA, rising to A*AA / A*A*A at the most competitive schools.
Admissions test
UCAT — the single undergraduate-medicine admissions test for 2026 entry. (BMAT was discontinued; its last sitting was 2023, and all former BMAT schools moved to the UCAT.)
The thing students get wrong: There is no single national rule. Chemistry is the safe near-universal core; a second science is usually needed but the exact Chemistry/Biology/Physics/Maths combination differs by school. Always check the Medical Schools Council entry-requirements tool for each course.
Explore these subjects
The specification, assessment structure and real grade boundaries for the subjects that matter for this route:
Always check the specific course.Entry requirements and required admissions tests vary by university and change every admissions cycle. Use these pages to narrow your choices, then confirm on each university's own course page and the Medical Schools Council — entry requirements.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
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