BDS Dental Surgery
Entry requirements
GCSE: 7 GCSE passes (grade C/grade 4 or higher) which must include the following subjects: English Language Mathematics Two science subjects – either GCSE Double Award Science or two from single award chemistry, biology or physics. We are unable to consider functional skills in lieu of GCSEs. A level: The typical offer is A*AA – AAB at GCE A level which must include the following: Grade A in Biology Grade A in a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology Your third GCE A level can be from any subject area and does not need to be science based. When shortlisting for interview we do not give preference to those who complete three Science A levels. General Studies is not accepted For AAB offers please refer to the Widening Access section. We are only able to consider A levels completed within five years of the start of the application cycle. For example, qualifications completed since 2016 would still be valid when applying in September 2021. If your A levels outdate this, please refer to the GAMSAT section below. Widening access: For applicants from widening access backgrounds, we will accept AAB at GCE A Level, which must include the following: Grade A in Biology Grade A in a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology Your third A level can be from any subject area and does not need to be science based. When shortlisting for interview we do not give preference to those who complete three science A Levels. General Studies is not accepted UCAT and GCSE requirements remain the same for all applicants For students sitting the IB, the widening access offer would equate to 35 points overall with Higher Level 6 in Biology and Higher Level 6 in another science. The resit policy for Widening Participation students is ABC. Applicants with AAB must meet a minimum of three from the following widening access indicators: POLAR4 Living in a low participation neighbourhood as determined by your postcode (POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2). Indices of Mass Deprivation Living in an area categorised as being in Indices of Mass Deprivation (IMD) 1–4 or 40% most deprived as determined by your English postcode , Northern Ireland postcode , Scottish postcode , and Welsh postcode . School type Receiving schooling that is not paid for, for example by attending or having attended a state school, or attending or having attended an independent school that is fully funded by a scholarship whilst completing your relevant Level 3 qualifications. Receipt of scholarships must be evidenced by a school letter submitted to the student portal (link to portal automatically sent when a UCAS application is received). School performance Attended a low performing school/college whilst completing your level 3 qualifications e.g. 16-18 performance in the ‘below’ or ‘well below average’ classification. If you attend a secondary school or college in England, please visit the Compare School and College Performance gov.uk website. If you attend a secondary school or college in Wales, please visit My Local School website. If you attend a secondary school or college in Northern Ireland, please visit the Schools Plus, Department of Education website. If you attend a secondary school or college in Scotland, please visit the School information dashboard, Education Scotland website . UCAT bursary In receipt of the UCAT bursary entitlement can be evidenced by providing a copy of your award email or a copy of your invoice showing a deduction of the test fee. 16-19 bursary 16-19 bursary entitlement to be evidenced by an official award letter or a school letter. Documents should be submitted at the point of application to the student portal (a link to the portal will be automatically sent when a UCAS application is received). Free school meals Being in receipt of free school meals whilst completing your level 3 qualifications – evidenced by school letter submitted by applicant at the point of application to the student portal (link to portal automatically sent when a UCAS application is received). In care/care leaver Being in care or a care leaver – evidenced by school letter submitted to the student portal (link to portal automatically sent when a UCAS application is received). Refugee/Asylum seeker Evidenced by official documentation/Home Office letter submitted by applicant at the point of application to the student portal (link to portal automatically sent when a UCAS application is received). Peninsula Pathways Significant engagement in our Peninsula Pathways programme. Significant engagement includes completion of the five-day summer Work Experience Programme, being a member of the e-Mentoring scheme and attended a minimum of three of the various Peninsula Pathways workshops by the end of Year 12. The University of Plymouth is committed to Widening Access and ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are able to apply with us. The additional information gained through contextual data enables our Admissions Advisory Panel to recognise a student’s achievements and identify their potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. A level alternative qualifications: The following qualifications can be considered in place of A levels, alongside the standard GCSE and UCAT requirement. We are only able to consider qualifications completed within five years of the start of the application cycle. For example, qualifications completed since 2016 would still be valid when applying in September 2021. If your qualifications outdate this, please refer to the GAMSAT section below. International Baccalaureate 36–38 points overall to include the following: Higher Level 6 in Biology Higher Level 6 in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology Scottish Advanced Highers AAA to include the following: Grade A in Biology Grade A in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. We are unable to consider Scottish Highers for entry onto this course. Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge can be considered in place of a third A Level alongside Biology and a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. Irish Leaving Certificate H1, H1, H2, H2, H2, H2 to include Biology and one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. Cambridge Pre-U Diploma D3, D3, D3 including Biology and one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. For widening access applicants, we will consider M2 in place of grade B at A level. Other UK qualifications We do not consider any UK Level 3 qualifications for this course that are not listed above. If you do not have any of the above qualifications, please refer to the GAMSAT section below. Qualifications completed outside of the UK We welcome applicants with qualifications from outside of the UK and assess comparability to UK qualifications using UK ENIC. In order to check the academic suitability of your qualification, please contact the Admissions Team on admissions@plymouth.ac.uk . UCAT: As part of our commitment to a fair and transparent admissions process, Peninsula Dental School uses the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in order to make informed choices from amongst the many highly qualified applicants who apply for a place on the BDS programme. UCAT test results will be used alongside A Levels and GCSEs to select for interview. The Admissions Advisory Panel reserve the right to consider all aspects of the UCAT when shortlisting for interview. The UCAT is valid for 12 months and must be sat in the year of application. The UCAT threshold score applied to determine candidate selection for interview can alter each year and is influenced by overall candidate performance in the UCAT and the number and quality of applications received. Listed below is the average UCAT threshold from the last 3 academic years 2023–2025, prospective applicants may wish to use this to help determine their chances of selection. Unfortunately, we will not be able to confirm the cut off for the coming academic year until all applications have been received and assessed. UCAT average threshold 2023–2025 Home : 2650 International : 2613 Please note the UCAT is changing for 2026 entry. In 2025, Abstract Reasoning will be withdrawn from the test. The test will comprise 3 cognitive subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning) alongside the Situational Judgement Test. Please refer to the UCAT website for further details. To help you make your university choices, you may want to understand how your test result relates to overall candidate performance. You may also be interested to know how your score compares with those used by universities in previous years. For further information on this, please refer to the UCAT website . If you have sat the UCATSEN please be aware that you will need to provide standard evidence of your entitlement to this additional time by submitting the following: If you are still in education, an official letter from your school, college, University that states that on the basis of a diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner, educational psychologist or specialist teacher the candidate is currently entitled to additional time in public examinations (or have had additional time in public examinations within the last 2 years); Or If you are no longer in education, a post-16 year’s diagnosis or report from a qualified medical practitioner or educational psychologist that explicitly recommends additional time in public examinations. UCAT Website Official UCAT candidate preparation resources Official UCAT advice and information videos on YouTube Re-sit applicants: Re-sit applicants are considered for this course, with the following requirements: If you are applying with predicted grades, a minimum of ABB must be achieved on first sitting of A level Where ABB is not achieved on first sitting, applicants must re-sit the required qualifications and apply once suitable grades have been achieved A level or accepted equivalent qualifications must be completed in no more than 3 years of study, unless otherwise advised A suitable qualification profile must be achieved on first re-sit attempt We do not have an AS level resit policy, however, full A levels must be completed within the above timeframe. IB resit policy: A minimum of 34 points overall with Higher Level 5 in Biology and Higher Level 5 in another science must be achieved on first sitting. Irish Leaving Certificate resit policy: must achieve H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 in first sitting The resit policy for Widening Participation students is ABC/BBB. For re-sit criteria of other qualifications, please contact the Admissions Team at admissions@plymouth.ac.uk . Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT): Peninsula Dental School uses the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as an alternative entry route to A levels. We are unable to consider previous degree study for this programme, other than through the routes outlined in the ‘Internal Transfer Options’ section below. Candidates holding degrees or without suitable A Levels should therefore sit the GAMSAT to meet the entry criteria. Please note that although the GAMSAT is called a graduate admissions test, you do not need to be a graduate to sit the GAMSAT or apply with this qualification. GAMSAT assesses your academic aptitude for the study of dentistry. Results from the test are the only academic qualification that will affect the shortlisting process and previous qualifications will not be considered. The results are valid for 2 years but must be sat by September in the year of application at the latest. GAMSAT will take 4.16 hours with a written communication section taken separately, which should be approximately 1.5 hours. It assesses your reasoning in Humanities, Social Science, Biological Science, Physical Science and Written Communication. As this test only assesses academic aptitude, if you're successful you'll still need to show us at interview that you have the appropriate personal qualities to train and practise as a doctor. If you'd like to know more or to register for the test, please visit the GAMSAT website. Below are examples of the score thresholds applied in previous admissions cycles. We are unable to set the GAMSAT threshold in advance of the application deadline, instead all GAMSAT applicants are ranked based on scores achieved. 2019 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 50 Section 2: 54 Section 3: 52 Overall: 56 2020 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 49 Section 2: 56 Section 3: 49 Overall: 54 2021 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 54 Section 2: 57 Section 3: 49 Overall: 56 2022 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 50 Section 2: 54 Section 3: 50 Overall: 52 2023 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 50 Section 2: 50 Section 3: 51 Overall: 55 2024 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 51 Section 2: 54 Section 3: 49 Overall: 52 2025 Entry Section and Overall Scores Section 1: 46 Section 2: 45 Section 3: 56 Overall: 53 Please note that if you have already completed a degree, you will be unable to access a second student loan through Student Finance England. As such, within the conditions of your offer you will be required to provide evidence that you have funds available to cover tuition costs for the full duration of the programme. Internal transfer options: The University of Plymouth offers its students the opportunity to apply for this course through three additional routes. Stage One Transfer from Biomedical Science or Medical Sciences In order to apply through this route, you will need to be enrolled on stage one of BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences. Applications should be made via UCAS by 15 October annually. Successful candidates commence study of BDS from stage one. The following criteria is applied for stage one transfer applicants: Applicants must achieve AAB at A Level to include A in Biology and A in a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology International Baccalaureate: 35 points overall with Higher Level 6 in Biology and Higher Level 6 in another science (equivalent to AAB at A Level) A minimum of 70% average across all Year 1 degree modules An interview process is required This is a competitive route into our Dentistry degree and is not guaranteed to any candidate. We are able to interview 20 candidates between Medicine and Dentistry and offer places to a total of 10 individuals across the programmes. Stage one of degrees studied elsewhere will not be considered. Graduate Entry – School of Biomedical Science We are able to consider graduates from any of the University of Plymouth School of Biomedical Science for entry onto stage one of the BDS programme. This route is valid for two years after graduation and all applications must be made via UCAS. The following criteria is applied for graduate entry: Applicants must have achieved or be predicted to achieve a first (70%) or higher in a University of Plymouth School of Biomedical Science programme Applicants from this route must successfully complete an interview process prior to being offered a place. Degrees completed outside of the University of Plymouth will not be considered, instead applicants are encourage to sit the GAMSAT. Please note that if you have already completed a degree, you may not be eligible for a second student loan – please contact Student Finance England for advice. As such, within the conditions of your offer you will be required to provide evidence that you have funds available to cover tuition costs for the full duration of the programme. Selection and admissions process: Applications should be made through UCAS by the published deadline. This is typically the 15th October. You can apply to no more than four of the same clinical course choice, so although you cannot apply for five medical courses, four medical courses and one dental course would be permitted. Further information on this is available through the UCAS website . You may also wish to consider an alternative course such as Biomedical Science or Medical Sciences as your fifth choice. All decisions on applications are made by the Admissions Advisory Panel, which consists of academics, clinicians and senior members of the administrative team. The University of Plymouth Medicine and Dentistry Admissions Team process applications as follows: 1. Shortlisting for interview – Applicants are considered for interview based on relevant academic qualifications alone, with the consideration of contextual markers applied to grades where applicable. We do not currently consider personal statements or work experience when selecting for interview. The Admissions Advisory Panel consider many factors when choosing who will be invited to attend an interview, including the number of places available on the course and the number of applications received, and performance in the UCAT test (see below), alongside the academic profiles of all of our applicants 2. Interview – Successful applicants are invited to attend an interview process. We use Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) as the format for our interviews – view full details . Contextual markers may be applied at interview for those students who have completed the Peninsula Pathway programme, or are from postcode based in a South-West rural and coastal and rural region (EX, PL, TR, TQ, or TA). Following interview outcomes, candidates are ranked based on the score achieved and the top performing applicants are offered a place on the course 3. Offer – Offers are made via UCAS. Within all offers, candidates are required to complete a series of health and police checks, full details of which are communicated to firm offer holders by the Admissions Team. Practising as a dentist requires the highest standards and we take seriously our commitment to only enrol and teach students with the integrity required of the profession. Full details can be found on our Student Conduct and Fitness to Practise page. View f ull details of our selection and admissions process . Deferred entry: Unfortunately we cannot permit deferred entry. However, if you have a query please contact the admissions team who will be able to explain the application process in more detail at admissions@plymouth.ac.uk .
About this course
BDS in Dentistry, a five-year integrated programme with clinical placements. Core topics include clinical skills. Community engagement visits begin in the first year, and a quality improvement project involving clinical audit is completed in year four. The final year features specialist visit reports, OSCE-style assessments, and exit case presentations.
Modules
- Integrated Dental Science 1 (BDS)
- Clinical Dental Practice 1 (BDS)
- Inter-Professional Engagement 1 (BDS)
- Interprofessional Learning 1
- Professional Development and Lifelong Learning 1 (BDS)
- Integrated Dental Science 2
- Clinical Dental Practice 2
- Inter-Professional Engagement 2
- Interprofessional Learning 2
- Professional Development and Lifelong Learning 2
- Applied Dental Knowledge 1
- Clinical Dental Practice 3
- Inter-Professional Engagement 3
- Interprofessional Learning 3
- Professional Development and Lifelong Learning 3
- Applied Dental Knowledge 2
- Clinical Dental Practice 4
- Inter-Professional Engagement 4: Quality Improvement
- Professional Development and Lifelong Learning 4
- Applied Dental Knowledge 3
- Clinical Dental Practice 5
- Professional Development and Lifelong Learning 5