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Learn About Our Programme See How We Can Support Your Application →6-year widening participation programme at one of the UK's top medical schools
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 If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.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 Nottingham 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 2026 entry.
The University of Nottingham's Medicine with Foundation Year (A108) is a 6-year programme designed for students from underrepresented backgrounds. The foundation year provides additional academic preparation before joining the standard BMBS curriculum.
Nottingham is consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the UK, known for its research excellence, excellent teaching facilities at Queen's Medical Centre, and supportive learning environment. A108 students benefit from the same high-quality education as students on the 5-year programme.
To apply for A108 you must meet the University of Nottingham's contextual admissions criteria — either the standard or the enhanced set — and the course's own additional conditions. Both are set out in full in the Contextual & Widening Participation Offers section below. In outline:
Note: You cannot apply for both A108 and the five-year Medicine BMBS (A100) in the same cycle. Nottingham checks your UCAS application against verified records automatically — but if you are claiming care experience, the evidence must be verified by the widening participation team by 8 December.
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A-Level Grades | BBC |
| Required Subjects | Must include a grade B in both Biology (or Human Biology) and Chemistry — both subjects are mandatory |
| Contextual Offers | No further reduction. Nottingham states the contextual offer is already built into the BBC requirement: “the standard entry requirements on our course page will apply for A108… so there are no further grade reductions for this course.” |
| Resits | Not accepted. A-levels must be studied over two years with three passed at the required grades in one sitting. |
| IB | 26 points overall including HL5 in Biology and HL5 in Chemistry, or 5,5,4 in three HL certificates with HL5 in Biology and Chemistry |
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| UCAT Required | Yes |
| Cut-off Score | Not published. Nottingham states there is no set cut-off score for the UCAT. We have not found any published statement that A108 uses a lower UCAT threshold than A100 — do not assume one. |
| How It's Used | All applicants must sit the UCAT in the same year as their application. Nottingham does not score predicted A-levels, AS-levels or the IB as part of selection, which leaves the UCAT and GCSE profile doing most of the work at shortlisting. |
| SJT Band | Applicants who achieve a UCAT SJT grade of Band 4 will not be considered for this course |
"Nottingham is one of the most respected medical schools in the country, and their Foundation programme offers a genuine pathway for students who've faced barriers. The BBC requirement with contextual consideration makes medicine accessible while still maintaining high standards. Queen's Medical Centre is an excellent teaching hospital."
— 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 | MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) |
| Number of Stations | Not published by Nottingham |
| Duration | Not published by Nottingham |
| Interview Period | Not published for 2027 entry |
| Offers without interview | Never — no offers for Medicine are made without the applicant first being interviewed, and Nottingham states it is not able to interview all applicants |
The foundation year covers essential sciences including biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology. You'll also develop academic skills and begin early clinical exposure through visits and placements. The year is designed to bring you to the level needed to succeed in Year 1.
After the foundation year, you join the standard BMBS programme. Nottingham's curriculum integrates scientific knowledge with clinical skills from early in the course. Main clinical placements are at Queen's Medical Centre and across Nottinghamshire NHS trusts.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Places on A108 | Not published by Nottingham |
| Annual applications | Not published by Nottingham |
| UCAT cut-off | Not published — Nottingham states there is no set cut-off score |
| Interview invitations | Not published. Nottingham states it is not able to interview all applicants. |
Home Fee Status Only
A108 is only available to UK students who meet the widening participation criteria.
Not accepted
Nottingham states plainly that it does not accept A-Level resits for this course. If you have retaken A-Levels, A108 is not a viable choice and you should direct your applications elsewhere.
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.
A108 is unusual: the contextual criteria are not a discount you apply on top of the course, they are the eligibility gate for the course itself. You must meet Nottingham's university-wide contextual admissions criteria — either the standard or the enhanced set — to apply at all.
Standard contextual criteria. You must have Home-UK fee status, and your current or most recent school or college must be in the UK and must not be an independent (fee-paying) school or college. One of the following must also apply:
If you have refugee status or have spent more than three months in care, you remain eligible for the standard contextual criteria even if your school was an independent fee-paying school in the UK.
Enhanced contextual criteria (Home-UK fee status and a non-independent UK school or college, plus one of):
On top of the contextual criteria, A108 adds its own conditions. You must be living in the UK with UK home status, indefinite leave to remain or refugee status (with a Home Office letter) at the time you apply; you must not meet the standard or contextual entry requirement grades for the five-year A100; and you must not have previously studied at a university. You cannot apply to both A108 and A100 in the same cycle.
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| A much lower A-level requirement | BBC, including a B in both Biology (or Human Biology) and Chemistry, against AAA including Biology and Chemistry for the five-year A100. That is the real concession, and it is built into the course rather than applied as a discount. |
| A lower GCSE requirement | A minimum of five GCSEs at Level 6 (B) including Maths, English Language, Chemistry and Biology (or double science at 6,6). A100 asks for substantially more. |
| A lower IB requirement | 26 points overall including HL5 in Biology and HL5 in Chemistry, or 5,5,4 in three Higher Level certificates with HL5 in Biology and Chemistry. |
| One GCSE resit allowed | Nottingham will consider one GCSE subject resit in Maths, English Language, Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry or double science. The resit grade must be at least Level 6 (B), and must already be achieved when you submit your application — pending GCSEs cannot be considered. |
| Access to Medicine Diploma accepted | Considered on an individual basis: at least 15 credits at Distinction including Biology or Human Biology and Chemistry, 24 credits at Merit and 6 at Pass (45 graded level 3 credits), on an Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) meeting the QAA subject descriptor — plus the A108 GCSE requirements. |
| Automatic progression | Successful completion of the Foundation Year takes you into Year 1 of the five-year Medicine BMBS. Same degree, same curriculum, same qualification. |
For a side-by-side comparison, see every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|
| Home (UK) — foundation year and years 1–5 | £10,050 |
| International | Not applicable — A108 is open to home applicants only |
£10,050 is published on Nottingham's own 2027-entry course page for A108, labelled “2027/28 (UK undergraduate students)”. Nottingham adds: “It may increase for the academic year 28/29 and we will update our information once we have received confirmation of the fee.” Nottingham publishes a single annual figure rather than a separate foundation-year rate.
From the fifth year of a medical degree you may be eligible for an NHS Bursary, which changes how tuition is funded. Because A108 is six years long, that point arrives a year later than it would on the five-year course — factor the extra year into your funding plan.
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.
After the foundation year, A108 students join the same programme as A100 students and graduate with the same BMBS degree. The quality of teaching and clinical training is identical.
Nottingham has a beautiful parkland campus with excellent facilities. The city is vibrant and affordable, consistently ranked as one of the best student cities in the UK. QMC is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country.
No, you can only apply to one Nottingham Medicine programme per cycle. If you meet A108 eligibility criteria and the BBC requirements better suit your predicted grades, A108 may be the better choice.
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.
Find Out How It Works
Last updated: February 2026
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