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HOW WE BUILT THIS
We compile these profiles from each university's own published admissions pages and review them monthly. Entry requirements do change mid-cycle, and universities sometimes publish updates without announcing them.
Use this page to get oriented quickly, build your shortlist, and work out which questions to ask — then confirm the specifics that your application depends on (grades, admissions test, fees, eligibility) directly with the university before you apply. If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Entry year covered: 2027
Interested in Keele Extended Medicine? This programme provides an alternative pathway with an additional preparatory year. Here you'll find the entry requirements, eligibility criteria, and application process for 2027 entry.
Keele University Medicine with Foundation Year (A104) is a 6-year programme designed for students who may not have the traditional science A-Level background or who come from widening participation backgrounds. The foundation year provides essential scientific knowledge and skills before students join the standard MBChB programme.
Keele is known for its campus-based environment and community feel. The medical school has strong links with Royal Stoke University Hospital and other NHS trusts across Staffordshire and the Midlands.
The A104 programme is suitable for:
Note: This is not exclusively a widening participation programme. Any student meeting the entry requirements can apply, but WP applicants may receive additional consideration.
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A-Level Grades | BBC |
| Required Subjects | Preferably Chemistry; Biology acceptable if no Chemistry |
| Accepted A-Levels | Wide range of subjects accepted alongside science |
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| UCAT Required | Yes |
| Cut-off Score | Yes. Applicants with a total UCAT score lower than 1,700 will not be considered |
| How It's Used | Combined with academic record for shortlisting |
| SJT Band | Band 4 is a hard exclusion — an SJT result in Band 4 means you will not be considered |
"Keele's A104 is one of the more accessible foundation programmes because it's not strictly limited to widening participation candidates. If you don't have Chemistry A-Level but do have Biology, this is a realistic option. The campus environment is great for students who want a close-knit community feel rather than a big city."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Note: The UCAT format changed in July 2025 with the removal of Abstract Reasoning, reducing the maximum score from 3,600 to 2,700. Cut-off scores and statistics from previous years may not directly apply to the current format.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Two separate interviews — not an MMI |
| Duration | 15 minutes each, usually scheduled around 2 hours apart |
| Delivery | Online via Microsoft Teams |
| Interview Period | January to March |
The foundation year covers core sciences including biology, chemistry, and human anatomy and physiology. You'll also develop academic skills such as scientific writing, data analysis, and critical thinking. Early exposure to healthcare settings helps you understand clinical practice.
After the foundation year, you join the standard MBChB programme. Keele's curriculum emphasises early clinical exposure and patient contact, with placements across Staffordshire and the wider Midlands region.
Not Eligible
A104 is not open to international applicants. Being "ordinarily resident in the UK" is a mandatory Essential Criterion for the programme, and Keele states the course is not open to graduates or to applicants with international fee status. International applicants should look at Keele's A100 programme instead.
Not Usually Accepted
Keele states that resits are not usually accepted for A104: students who are resitting qualifications should apply for A100 instead.
| Route | UCAS code | Length | Standard A-level offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine MBChB | A100 | 5 years | A*AA, or AAA plus an EPQ at grade A |
| Health Foundation Year for Medicine | A104 | 6 years | BBC from three A-levels including Chemistry or Biology |
Keele has no dental school and runs no graduate-entry medicine programme. Graduate applicants who do not meet the A-level or science GCSE requirements for A100 take the GAMSAT route into A100 instead.
A contextual offer is an adjustment a university makes for applicants whose circumstances have made their education harder than the grades alone suggest. Universities use them because they recognise that two students with the same predicted grades have not always had the same run at them. They are a formal, published part of the admissions process — not a favour, and not something you have to argue for.
What the adjustment actually is varies by school, and it matters more than most applicants realise. Depending on where you apply, qualifying can mean: a lower grade offer; being ranked against other widening participation applicants rather than the whole field; a guaranteed or prioritised interview; a lower admissions test threshold or extra shortlisting points; relaxed GCSE or subject requirements; or access to a separate gateway or foundation year route.
If you meet Group 1 and Group 2, Keele will consider you for A104 — a six-year route into the MBChB entered at BBC rather than A*AA, with relaxed GCSE requirements and acceptance of qualifications A100 will not look at. You must evidence the criteria at the point of application; Keele emails you to request it.
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| A route four grades below the direct-entry offer | A104 is entered at BBC from three A-levels including Chemistry or Biology, against A*AA (or AAA plus an EPQ at grade A) for the five-year A100. |
| Relaxed GCSE requirements | Five GCSEs at grade 6/B including double/triple-award science or three separate sciences. If Maths and English Language are not among those five at grade 6, a minimum of 5/C is required in them. |
| Qualifications A100 will not accept | A104 accepts T-Levels (Distinction in Health, Healthcare Science or Science, with at least B in the core component and at least Merit in the occupational specialism) and a range of BTEC/AAQ combinations — DDM in a BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science, Health & Social Care or Sport & Exercise Science, for example. A100 accepts neither T-Levels nor BTEC Extended Diplomas. |
| A one-grade reduction and a shortlisting point on A100 | If you also apply to the five-year A100 and meet Keele's contextual indicators — POLAR4 or IMD quintile 1–2 at a state school, care leaver, refugee or asylum seeker, free school meals, young carer, first in family, or armed forces connection — you get a reduction of one full grade plus an additional point on the UCAT grade used at shortlisting. |
| A three-grade reduction and an automatic interview on A100 via Steps2Medicine | Completing Keele's Steps2Medicine programme, or another UKWPMED-recognised programme, gives an automatic interview (provided you meet the GCSE requirements and the minimum UCAT threshold) and a reduction of three full grades: A*AA becomes ABB, or IB 766/37 points becomes 664/32. This is the highest-value widening access route Keele publishes. |
| An extra shortlisting point for UCAT bursary holders and Keele Region applicants | A UCAT Bursary, or studying at a centre in the defined Keele Region (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Derby, Derbyshire, Dudley, Sandwell, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Wrexham), gives Medicine applicants an additional point on the UCAT grade at the shortlisting stage. |
See every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme to compare what each one actually gives you.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|
| Home (UK) students | £10,050 per year |
| International students | Not eligible to apply — A104 is closed to applicants with international fee status |
Keele's 2027-entry Medicine pages state that the tuition fee for UK Home students starting in 2027/28 is set by the UK Government and will be £10,050. A104 is open to UK/Home applicants only, so there is no international rate to quote for this course. (For the five-year A100, Keele states that international fees for 2027/28 entry have not yet been confirmed; the 2026/27 rate was £46,700.)
In subsequent years of the course, UK Home fees may change in line with government policy. The foundation year is a full year of study and is charged as such — budget for six years of tuition, not five.
Applying to medical school requires more than meeting the minimum entry requirements. Here are practical steps to strengthen your application:
For an overview of all UK medical schools and how they compare, see the UK Medical Schools hub page.
Chemistry is preferred but not essential. If you have Biology A-Level but not Chemistry, you can still apply to A104. The foundation year will teach you the chemistry you need.
No. While WP students are encouraged to apply and may receive additional consideration, the A104 programme is open to any student who meets the entry requirements and would benefit from the foundation year.
Keele has a beautiful, self-contained campus in the Staffordshire countryside. Most students live on or near campus, creating a close-knit community. It's different from urban medical schools but many students prefer the focused environment.
Most applicants treat the medical school application as a series of separate hurdles: the UCAT, personal statement, work experience, university selection, and interviews. They try to solve each one independently. This creates a fragmented approach where the pieces never add up.
Future Doc works differently. Through the Predictable Offer Protocol, a dedicated coach who knows your complete profile coordinates every element of your application as one interconnected system. Every decision is made with the full picture in mind.
The result: 93% of our students receive at least one offer. If they don't, they come back next year for free.
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Last updated: February 2026
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