Glasgow's five-year BDS is one of Scotland's leading dental degrees, with early clinical contact and a strong reputation. Its selection is unusually clean: once you meet the academic bar, the UCAT is the only thing scored to decide interviews — your statement is checked only for the minimum requirements.
Glasgow scores only the UCAT when shortlisting for interview: all academically-eligible applicants are ranked by their UCAT cognitive total, and the top scorers in each applicant group (Scottish/Home, rest-of-UK and international) are invited. The personal statement is checked for minimum requirements but isn't scored, and the SJT band isn't considered at all. Cut-off thresholds are published after each cycle, so they're a look-back rather than a target.
Because Glasgow ranks purely on UCAT for interview, a strong cognitive score is decisive here — more so than at schools that blend in grades or the SJT. If your UCAT is a strength, it's an excellent target; if it's average, the pure-ranking model makes it tougher. Check your percentile.
Check your percentile →AAA including Chemistry and Biology (Scottish applicants: AA at Advanced Higher including Biology or Chemistry).
Grade 6 (B) or above in both English Language and Maths.
Glasgow values genuine insight into dentistry and patient care, shown in your statement and at interview.
Panel MMI. Online panel interviews of seven stations, each six minutes with a minute of reading time.
Glasgow operates contextual admissions for applicants living in Scotland, considering individual circumstances.
Paraphrased themes from student discussion: impressions, not facts. Visit and judge for yourself.
Glasgow ranks academically-eligible applicants purely on their UCAT cognitive total to decide interviews, with the top scorers in each group invited. There's no fixed cut-off published in advance — it's set by the pool each year — and the SJT isn't considered.
No — Glasgow BDS does not consider the SJT band at any stage.
It scores only the UCAT, ranking eligible applicants by cognitive total and inviting the top scorers in each applicant group. The personal statement is checked only for minimum requirements.
See where your UCAT lands in percentiles, then build the score Glasgow is looking for, or talk it through with a 98th-percentile tutor, free.