Entry Requirements 2021 - Kent and Medway Medical School Jump to content

Kent and Medway Medical School

Entry Requirements 2021

  • KMMS has separate policies for pre-A level, post A level, pre-graduate and post-graduate applicants.
  • KMMS strictly applies minimum criteria (and English language requirements, if appropriate) to selection.
  • KMMS requires all applicants to sit the Universal Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), and uses (generous) UCAT thresholds.
  • KMMS does not use predicted grades at all.
  • KMMS contextualises all English pre-A level, post-A level and pre-graduate applicants’ academic results against their school’s average performance. Relative attainment is used for shortlisting rather than absolute attainment.
  • Postgraduate applicants are not contextualised, but scored. This also applies to other applicants with no reliable school performance data. Applicants in these groups may be required to sit additional online assessments.
  • There is an extenuating circumstances process which applicants can use to raise issues affecting academic performance.
  • KMMS will invite around 300 applicants to the first round of Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), but may also interview later in the year.
  • KMMS will make offer decisions in batches, from January-March.
  • All applicants must be 18 years old or above when they undertake their first clinical placement in week seven of the first term of Year One.
  • Once you have applied to KMMS via UCAS, you will receive log-in details for your KentVision application portal; these details will be sent to the email address listed on your UCAS application. Please ensure you check your spam/junk folders for this if it is not in your inbox. If you have not received log-in details within 48 hours of submitting your application, please contact the admissions team immediately. Sign up to the portal is mandatory as we will communicate with you here, as well as by email. Please also continue to check your spam/junk folders daily throughout the application process to ensure you don’t miss a communication from us; further information requests often require a swift response from you and failure to engage could result in your application being unsuccessful.

Applicants will be divided into four groups by stage of education, which have different procedures applicable.

Group A Group B Group C Group D
Current A level/IB student with GCSEs achieved from a school in England with data Completed A level/IB from a school in England with data OR Pre-graduate student in final year of Bachelor’s degree Applicants with completed Bachelor’s degree (home fee payer), relevant subject Others, including applicants with; A level/IB from a school with no data (i.e. Scottish, Welsh, Irish or EU/International), international qualifications, Access to HE Diplomas, or overseas fee payers

All groups then go through several stages before selection.

Group A Group B Group C Group D
Stage 1 Minimum GCSE requirements Minimum GCSE & A level requirements Minimum degree requirements Minimum entry requirements as appropriate
Stage 2a UCAT threshold UCAT threshold (may differ from group A) UCAT threshold
Stage 2b Contextualisation to school average Scoring (may require extra online assessment)
Stage 3 Multistation mini interviews
Stage 4 Decision

 

 

Click on the Group that is relevant to you below.

Stage 1. KMMS operate minimum admission requirements , which are interpreted strictly. We don’t accept any variances from these, except through the extenuating circumstances process (see below).

KMMS does not accept predicted grades at all. Only achieved grades are considered; this will be GCSE for group A. KMMS accepts GCSE resits that enable applicants to meet our minimum requirements. However, the resits must be completed prior to application.

GCSE (Group A)
5 subjects at Grade 9-6 (or A*-B under the old grading system)
Must include English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or Double Science and one other subject)

Group A applicants must be taking A levels or IB or equivalent as per group B requirements

Stage 2a. All applicants will need to have sat the UCAT examination in the year of application.

KMMS operated a selection threshold of total UCAT score 2420 or above (corresponding to the 40th centile of 2019 UCAT candidates) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2019. We believe this was amongst the most generous UCAT thresholds in the UK.

KMMS does not necessarily commit to the same, or similar threshold for selection for 2021 entry.

Please note that because there is a stage 2b after the UCAT selection, high UCAT scorers will not necessarily be selected over lower scorers who still pass the threshold.

 

Stage 2b. KMMS introduced the concept of contextualising all applicants in groups A and B during 2019-20. The underlying concept is to consider academic attainment relative to the average for the applicant’s school, at both GCSE and A level. (This can be done for IB as well, but is more difficult for other qualifications, which are considered as group D.)

The “contextualising everyone” policy compares the applicant’s attainment relative to the school’s average. We therefore replace absolute grade attainments with relative attainment based on schooling. There is strong research evidence that this is a more fair metric, in terms of later performance at medical school; and we have shown that this policy makes a considerable impact on widening participation.

State schools in England report their GCSE attainment accurately and are audited for this; but many independent schools do not, for obscure reasons. Therefore applicants from independent schools are contextualised against the GCSE/A level achievements publicised by their school, if possible for the relevant year, but if not, for any year for which information is available. State schools in Wales and Northern Ireland report their results variably and in a different format to English schools, and KMMS may make direct enquiries to those schools, or consider those applicants in group D.

Stage 1. KMMS operate minimum admission requirements , which are interpreted strictly. We don’t accept any variances from these, except through the extenuating circumstances process (see below). Group B will be students who have achieved A levels but are on a gap year, and students at university who are in their final year and have not achieved a degree. KMMS does not accept applications from students enrolled on a Bachelor’s level degree course at any other university who are not in the final year of their degree. KMMS does not accept transfer students from other medical universities.

KMMS does not take predicted grades into consideration during the application process, including degree predictions. Only achieved grades are considered, therefore, A level/IB applicants will be considered on their GCSEs and A levels/IB and pre-graduate applicants will be considered on their A levels.

GCSE A Level IB Diploma
5 subjects at Grade 9-6 (or A*-B under the old grading system) minimum AAB minimum 34 minimum
Must include English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or Double Science and one other subject) Must include Chemistry and/or Biology. If both chemistry and biology are not offered there must be one other from Physics, Maths, Psychology or Computer Science. Critical Thinking and/or General Studies are not accepted. Must include Chemistry and/or Biology at Higher Level. If both are not offered at Higher Level, there should be a second science offered which must be one from Physics, Maths, or Psychology. A minimum score of 6 in both Higher level science subjects should be achieved.

KMMS accepts GCSE resits that enable applicants to meet our minimum requirements. However, the resits must be completed prior to application. In common with other UK medical schools, KMMS does not accept A level resits, with the exception of consideration through the extenuating circumstances process if there were issues affecting the first A level sits.

 

Stage 2a. All applicants will need to have sat the UCAT examination in the year of application.

KMMS operated a selection threshold of total UCAT score 2420 or above (corresponding to the 40th centile of 2019 UCAT candidates) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2019. We believe this was amongst the most generous UCAT thresholds in the UK.

KMMS does not necessarily commit to the same, or similar threshold for selection for 2021 entry.

KMMS reserves the right to use different UCAT thresholds for different groups of applicants, as research has shown that the UCAT exam favours older (>25y old) candidates.

Please note that because there is a stage 2b after the UCAT selection, high UCAT scorers will not necessarily be selected over lower scorers who still pass the threshold

 

Stage 2b. KMMS introduced the concept of contextualising all applicants in groups A and B during 2019-20. The underlying concept is to consider academic attainment relative to the average for the applicant’s school, at A level, which is the senior achieved qualification for group B applicants. (This can be done for IB as well, but needs reliable information on average IB attainment. It is more difficult for other qualifications, which are considered as group D.)

The “contextualising everybody” policy compares the applicant’s attainment relative to the school’s average. We therefore replace absolute grade attainments with relative attainment based on schooling. There is strong research evidence that this is a more fair metric, in terms of later performance at medical school; and we have shown that this policy makes a considerable impact on widening participation.

State schools in England report their A level attainment accurately and are audited for this; in general, independent schools also do this, but are not subject to checks. Therefore applicants from independent schools will also be checked against the A level achievements publicised by their school, if possible for the relevant year, but if not, for any year for which information is available. If this is consistent with the publicly available data, then the public data will be used. If not, KMMS will estimate the average A level achievement from the school’s advertised results. State schools in Wales and Northern Ireland report their results variably and in a different format to English schools, and KMMS may make direct enquiries to those schools, or consider those applicants in group D.

KMMS operate minimum admission requirements , which are interpreted strictly. We don’t accept any variances from these, except through the extenuating circumstances process (see below).

Degree (group C)
2:1 or above
Biology, Biomedical sciences, Psychology or Biosciences related subject

or Profession Allied to Medicine. Please see list of degrees accepted/not accepted below

We will consider applicants who have a UK Honours (or equivalent) upper second class honours degree in relevant subjects, who are processed in group C. We do not accept degrees in osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy or other alternative/complementary medical practices. Accepted and non accepted degree subjects in the 2020 admissions cycle are detailed, but an exhaustive list is not possible, and degree specifications can change quite quickly. Therefore this list is indicative only, and does not guarantee that KMMS will accept or not accept particular degree courses. KMMS will NOT check or approve degree transcripts before application, but only for actual applicants.

Graduates of non-UK universities may also have to pass English language requirements. Please see information in group D for details

Acceptable Degree subjects Accepted previously, depending on transcript Not accepted previously, depending on transcript
Biology Biochemistry Chemistry
Biomedical sciences Zoology Medicinal Chemistry
Physiological Sciences Neuroscience Chemistry with Biomedicine
Psychology Pharmacology Biomedical Engineering
Clinical Studies Forensic Science Chemical Engineering
Medical Science Global Health Mechanical Engineering
Nursing Speech Therapy
Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy
Pharmacy Orthoptics
Operating Department Practice Therapeutic Radiology
Clinical Psychology
Dentistry
Radiography
Paramedic Science
Optometry

 

Stage 2a. All applicants will need to have sat the UCAT examination in the year of application.

KMMS operated a selection threshold of total UCAT score 2420 or above (corresponding to the 40th centile of 2019 UCAT candidates) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2019. We believe this was amongst the most generous UCAT thresholds in the UK.

KMMS does not necessarily commit to the same, or similar threshold for selection for 2021 entry.

KMMS reserves the right to use different UCAT thresholds for different groups of applicants, as research has shown that the UCAT exam favours older (>25y old) candidates.

Please note that because there is a stage 2b after the UCAT selection, high UCAT scorers will not necessarily be selected over lower scorers who still pass the threshold.

 

Stage 2b. Applicants in group C are scored according to criteria relating to UCAT score, including SJT score, degree classification, as well as evidence that favours NHS service in the Kent region. KMMS reserves the right to use a different UCAT threshold for graduates than for other groups of applicants. KMMS reserves the right to specify an additional assessment for this group, which will be an online assessment, at no cost to the applicant.

Stage 1. If you hold GCSEs, and/or A level but we do not have school data to enable contextualisation (Scotland, Wales and some Northern Irish schools) you will be in this group. If you are studying for IB/EBacc with no GCSE data you will also be in this group. We will treat you as far as possible in a similar way to groups A,B and C; using the same stage 1 minimum requirements.

KMMS will consider applicants with international secondary schools qualifications according to their UK equivalencies (to AAB at A level, if possible) as per the University of Kent policies.

BTEC and International Baccalaureate Career Pathway– We do not accept BTEC or IBCP qualifications in lieu of A levels or the IB Diploma.

Access to HE Diploma – Applicants who have completed an Access to Medicine course will be considered for entry. As Access to Medicine diplomas are currently unstandardized, each candidate will be considered on a case by case basis. We do not approve particular providers or courses before application. We will not consider applicants from Access to Medicine courses who have sat A level or degree level examinations within the previous 3 years, in order to equalise opportunities with the graduate pathway applicants. We will consider candidates with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 with 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit. Applicants should achieve 15 credits in Chemistry or Biology with at least 12 graded level 3 credits at Distinction.

Access to HE Diploma applicants are not required to meet GCSE requirements, except for GCSE English at grade C/4.

Approved English language qualifications for international students:

The qualifications and grades we accept are listed below. Your qualification must have been taken no more than two years before your course start date and must be completed before you apply, and have been taken at a UKVI-approved centre. If you have taken an in-country qualification or A level, IGCSE or IB English, this may not be required. This is assessed on an individual basis for applicants requiring a Tier 4 visa. For the IB we accept Higher Level English A Language or Language and Literature at grade 4, and Standard Level English A Language or Language and Literature at grade 5.

Accepted English Language Qualification KMMS Required Scores
IELTS Academic 7.0 overall and a minimum of 7.0 in each component (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening)
Cambridge English: Advanced and Proficiency (CAE/CPE) 191 overall with a minimum of 184 in Writing, Reading, Speaking and Listening
TOEFL iBT 104 overall including at least 26 in all components
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) 70 overall with 70 in each component

Overseas candidates from countries listed in the UKVI list of majority English-speaking countries are exempt from this requirement for Tier 4 purposes. However, you must still meet our English language requirements for academic purposes.

In-country qualifications:

You may use one of the following English language qualifications in your visa application as proof of meeting the Level B2 requirement. This does not guarantee you will be exempt from taking an accepted English language qualification, as listed in the table above, and Kent and Medway Medical School will determine this on a case-by-case basis.

Country Qualification and minimum grade requirement
Austria Grade 1 (Sehr Gut) in Reifezeugnis/ Maturazeugnis English
Bermuda Bermuda Secondary School Certificate (BSSC) in English grade B
Botswana Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) in English grade B
Brunei Brunei-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (B-C GCE) O Level in English grade B
Cameroon GCE O Level English at grade B
Caribbean Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in English at Grade 1/Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) in English grade B
Denmark SKX Written English at grade 10
Finland Ylioppilastuutkinto/ Studentexamensbetyg English at M 5
France French Baccalaureate Written English at 14.0 or higher OR OIB English at 11.0 or higher
Ghana WAEC/WASSCE in English at B3
Hong Kong Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education in English Language at 5* with 5* in each component
India Standard XII in English at 70% (if English medium school)/Standard XII in English at 80% (if non English medium school)
Kenya Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in English grade B
Luxembourg DFES English at 43 OR English Lit at 45
Malaysia Cambridge English Language Syllabus 1119 (SPM) grade B
Malta MATSEC English at grades 1-2
Mauritius Cambridge Overseas Secondary Certificate (COSC) in English grade B/4
Netherlands VWO English 8.0
Nigeria Senior School Certificate (NECO) or WAEC/WASSCE in English at B3
Norway Vitnemal for Videregaende Opplaering (ENG1002) at 5
Singapore Singapore O Level in English grade B/6 OR Singapore Integrated Programme English grade B
South Africa National Senior Certificate in English at 5
Tanzania Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (CSEE) in English grade B
Uganda Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) in English at 3
West Africa WASSCE in English at B3
Zambia Zambia School Certificate in English at 6
Zimbabwe Cambridge School Certificate/Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE)/Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education (ZGCE) Ordinary Level in English grade B
Worldwide University of Cambridge IGCSE First Language English at grade B
Worldwide University of Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language at grade A
Worldwide GCSE/O Level English Language at grade B

Stage 2a. All applicants will need to have sat the UCAT examination in the year of application.

KMMS operated a selection threshold of total UCAT score 2420 or above (corresponding to the 40th centile of 2019 UCAT candidates) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2019. We believe this was amongst the most generous UCAT thresholds in the UK.

KMMS does not necessarily commit to the same, or similar threshold for selection for 2021 entry.

KMMS reserves the right to use a different UCAT threshold for graduates than for other groups of applicants

Please note that because there is a stage 2b after the UCAT selection, high UCAT scorers will not necessarily be selected over lower scorers who still pass the threshold.

Stage 2b. Selection will be subjective, as no other reliable information is available. Your reference and personal statement will therefore be important in this process. Please ensure that these include all information you want to be considered in your application.. KMMS reserves the right to specify an additional assessment for this group in order to gain more information for a selection decision. This will be an online assessment, at no cost to the applicant.

Stage 1

We will review your application to determine whether you meet our minimum academic entry criteria. Please see table above, as well as your relevant applicant group for more details.

Stage 2

Stage 2 requirements and procedures can vary, dependant on applicant group – please see details summarised in the Group sections.

Stage 3 (All groups)

Shortlisted applicants are invited via their Kent Vision account to book into an available appointment for multistation mini interviews in December and January.

KMMS multistation interviews are considerably different to the majority of UK medical schools, so interview preparation courses might be less useful; applicants in the 2019-20 group have commented that some of these preparation courses organised at school or commercially were positively disadvantageous for the KMMS process. We do not recommend any particular preparation, but advise applicants to be alert, organised, and in good form to show us the best version of yourself. We communicate extensively with our applicants to prepare them for the process, please see MMI section on our website.

There were 6 stations of 7 minutes each, with 2 minute intervals, followed by a 42 minute group station, in which applicants were individually assessed. In 2019-20, the six short stations were labelled as data handling, problem analysis, situational judgement, roleplay, task and values-based stations. KMMS does not commit to the same number or type of stations for 2021 entry, although we will likely retain the same time formats.

All applicants invited to MMIs will be required to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA). Disclosure of the content of MMI stations will likely disadvantage the discloser, as subsequent interviewees will gain an advantage in competition with the discloser.

Stage 4 (All groups)

KMMS will send offer decisions in batches, depending on response to the early batches. We therefore ask you to accept or reject offers from KMMS as soon as you have decided, in order to free up the system to offer to the next batch of applicants. The first offers should be posted in mid January, through Kent Vision and UCAS, with subsequent offers up to March.

We also send rejection decisions out in stages, corresponding to stage 1 and stage 2a rejections. We are open to holding further MMIs in Feb/March depending on the response to our first batches of offers, so we retain applicants not initially invited in stage 2b for this purpose.

Our standard conditional offer for pre A level students is AAB, and for final year undergraduates is 2:1. Our standard A level offer is the same as the “contextual” reduced offer from many other UK medical schools. We only consider reduced offers of ABB or BBB to applicants from partner schools of the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, or from the Kent and Medway Progression Federation, and for no other applicants. We do not use postcodes or family data to determine lower offers for applicants.

Extenuating circumstances (All groups)

If an applicant had extenuating circumstances which have affected their studies or application then it is possible to flag these issues through the Extenuating Circumstances process.

Extenuating Circumstances include:

  • Significant caring responsibilities, or recent bereavement or serious illness within immediate family
  • being estranged from family or key family members
  • Serious disruption to the provision of education at School or College
  • Other serious disruption where the school/college/doctor or social worker feels that this information should be considered.

All applicants will be sent a link to the Extenuating Circumstances form via their KentVision portal (details for which will follow the UCAS application). The form must also be completed by a teacher, doctor or social worker, as appropriate. All forms need to be submitted no later than seven days after the application deadline, so please start this process and obtain relevant documents from relevant people if you think you will need it, well in advance of October.

This information will be considered by the Admissions Committee during the selection process. If an applicant’s circumstances change after submission of this form then the Admissions Operations Manager should be informed. The KMMS Admissions Committee will have overall responsibility for assessing the Extenuating Circumstances evidence for individual applicants. No circumstances can be considered outside of this process.

* Disclaimer: This information is for indicative guidance only. KMMS is a new medical school and the BM BS programme is subject to successful progress through the General Medical Council’s quality assurance programme.