Queen's is Northern Ireland's dental school, with a five-year BDS and a strong regional intake. As with its medical course, selection is GCSE-heavy: it builds a Stage 1 score out of 45 from your academics and UCAT, where the UCAT contributes decile-based points up to 9.
Queen's uses a two-stage process. Stage 1 is cognitive: it combines your academic and GCSE performance (worth around 36 of the points) with UCAT decile-based points (up to 9), to give a score out of 45 that ranks home applicants for interview. Because GCSEs dominate that total, a strong GCSE profile can offset a more average UCAT here. Stage 2 is the MMI. International applicants are considered holistically, without a UCAT.
Queen's is the dental school where GCSEs matter most, so it suits a strong academic profile — an average UCAT is far less of a problem than at schools that rank on it. If your GCSEs are outstanding, target it; if they're patchy, the capped 9 UCAT points can only do so much.
Check your percentile →AAA including Chemistry and one other science (confirm the exact subjects on Queen's page).
A very strong GCSE profile is key — GCSEs drive around 36 of the 45 Stage 1 points.
Work experience in a dental setting isn't required, but Queen's expects clear insight into and enthusiasm for the profession.
MMI. Multiple mini-interviews of short 4–6 minute stations testing resilience, communication and professionalism (in-person in Belfast for home applicants).
Paraphrased themes from student discussion: impressions, not facts. Visit and judge for yourself.
Queen's combines GCSE-based academic points (around 36) with UCAT decile points (up to 9) into a Stage 1 score out of 45. Because GCSEs dominate, a strong GCSE profile can offset an average UCAT — there's no UCAT cut-off on its own.
No — international applicants are considered holistically, without a UCAT. The decile-based UCAT points apply to home applicants in Stage 1.
An MMI of short 4–6 minute stations testing resilience, communication and professionalism, held in person in Belfast for home applicants and online for international applicants.
See where your UCAT lands in percentiles, then build the score Queen's Belfast is looking for, or talk it through with a 98th-percentile tutor, free.