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Rejected from medicine? Here's your 2028 roadmap and A-level resit guide.
Finding out that you haven’t been offered a place can leave the practical questions waiting behind the shock. You may have missed grades you worked towards for two years, or received a decision that doesn’t tell you what to change.
If you’re considering applying again in autumn 2027 for 2028 entry, two parts of the next application are different from last time: your UCAT score will need to be new, and your A-level resit may affect which medical schools can consider you.
UK medical schools give different answers to one question: will you accept an A-level resit? Nobody publishes one complete list, so we read the admissions information for eleven schools and put their published positions together below.
Two things that are different from last time
Your UCAT score expires
UCAT results apply to one admissions cycle. If you’re applying for 2028 entry, you’ll sit the UCAT again in 2027. Sitting it again is normal and carries no penalty.
The UCAT’s own wording is:
“UCAT 2026 results are only valid for the 2027 UCAS Admissions cycle (for entry into medical or dental school in 2027 or deferred entry to 2028).”
UCAT 2027 dates are not published. The four sections are Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement. Once the 2027 timetable is released, use those dates to plan your preparation and booking.
A-level grades don’t expire, but resit rules vary
An A-level resit means taking an examination again after your first result, usually in the next exam series, to improve or complete the qualification. The new result sits alongside the record of your first sitting. Medical schools decide individually whether they accept that route and whether they attach conditions to it.
Some schools accept resits freely. Others set a first-sitting floor, ask for a higher overall grade, limit the number of sittings or require mitigation. A school can also publish a policy for one cycle and revise it for the next, so the cycle in the table matters.
Which UK medical schools accept A-level resits?
These are the eleven published positions we found. The cycle column is the cycle named in each school’s information, not a promise about 2028 entry. Confirm the current position with every school before you use one of your four medicine choices.
| University | Resits? | What they ask | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial College London | Not acceptedNo | “We will not accept resit qualifications.” | 2026 | Imperial course page |
| Leicester | ConditionalOnly in narrow cases | Only if you held a conditional firm offer with Leicester and mitigation was agreed by their panel in advance. Then ABB at first sit and A*AA overall. | 2027 | Leicester entry requirements, 2027 |
| Liverpool | ConditionalYes, with conditions | ABB at first sitting, A-levels finished within three years, at least one A* across your three. Form A is mandatory. | 2027 | Liverpool A100 supplement, 2027 (PDF) |
| Newcastle | ConditionalYes, at a higher grade | One grade above the standard offer. AAA becomes A*AA. Maximum two sittings. | 2027 | Newcastle admissions policy, 2027 (PDF) |
| Sheffield | AcceptedYes | One resit per subject, all A-level resits in one sitting, only the subjects you missed. No grade uplift. | 2026-27 | Sheffield A100 admissions policy (PDF) |
| Leeds | AcceptedYes | One resit per A-level and per GCSE, no justification needed. A third attempt needs evidenced mitigating circumstances. | 2026 entry onwards | Leeds course page |
| Bristol | AcceptedYes | Stated plainly, and they do not require your three A-levels in one sitting. No grade uplift. | 2026 | Bristol admissions statement (PDF) |
| Edge Hill | AcceptedYes | Resits accepted with or without mitigation. No time limit on how recent your A-levels are. | Oct 2023 (oldest policy here, confirm before relying on it) | Edge Hill admissions supplement (PDF) |
| Exeter | AcceptedYes | Achieved grades count in your favour at interview selection rather than against you. | 2026 | Exeter BMBS FAQs |
| Nottingham | Not publishedNot published for A-level | They do not score A-levels at all and do not ask for predicted grades. One GCSE resit considered. | 2026 | Nottingham A100 selection FAQ |
| Southampton | Not publishedRestrictions exist, undisclosed | Their entry requirements confirm “certain restrictions on resits” for Medicine without saying what they are. | current | Southampton entry requirements |
How to read the table
Never assume one school’s stance tells you anything about another’s. “Yes” at one university doesn’t tell you whether it will accept one resit per subject, multiple sittings or a qualification completed over a particular period.
Read the condition, not the headline. “Yes, we accept resits” can still hide a first-sitting floor. Liverpool, for example, asks for ABB at first sitting as well as an A* across your three A-levels. Newcastle raises the overall requirement from AAA to A*AA. Those details affect whether a school fits your actual grades and resit plan.
Three schools that can change your decisions
Imperial College London
Imperial’s published position is direct: “We will not accept resit qualifications.” If you need to resit an A-level, that policy means an application with resit qualifications cannot count for this route. Check the policy for your own cycle before making your choices, but don’t treat the word “resits” as a small detail in this case.
Liverpool
Liverpool accepts A-level resits with conditions. The university asks for ABB at first sitting, A-levels finished within three years, at least one A* across your three, and a mandatory Form A.
It also has a separate rule about a previous application:
“Applicants who have applied to the University of Liverpool and been rejected in a previous UCAS cycle may make only one further consecutive application to the same programme.”
If you applied to Liverpool in the unsuccessful cycle, check how that rule applies to your next application and confirm the current wording with the university. Form A goes live in September and is mandatory for anyone resitting.
Exeter
Exeter’s policy is relevant if your gap year might become two years. Direct school leavers, sitting within two full academic years of finishing A-levels, sit the UCAT. Beyond that Exeter requires the GAMSAT instead.
That is a change of admissions test, with a different content and timetable. If you’re considering a second gap year, ask Exeter how it will classify you for the cycle in which you plan to apply before you build your preparation around the UCAT.
Two deadlines that pass quietly
Leicester wants mitigation evidence by 1 October. If you need an answer before UCAS closes, the earlier deadline is 1 September. Its resit route is narrow: you must have held a conditional firm offer with Leicester, and mitigation must have been agreed by their panel in advance.
Liverpool’s Form A goes live in September and is mandatory for anyone resitting. Put that form on your plan alongside the university’s other application requirements.
Mitigation means circumstances that affected your academic performance and that the university agrees to consider. Do not assume that evidence sent after the stated date will be considered. Ask Leicester what it needs and when it needs it.
Confirm with the school
Admissions policies change. The table gives you a starting point from the latest cycle named in each university’s information, but a 2028 applicant needs the position for the 2028 cycle. Most policies are revised or republished in spring.
Before you commit a choice, contact the medical school’s admissions team or check its current admissions document. Ask these three questions:
- Do you accept A-level resits for the 2028 cycle?
- If you do, are there conditions such as a first-sitting floor, an overall grade uplift or a limit on sittings?
- Are there restrictions that aren’t explained on the published page?
Southampton’s entry requirements confirm “certain restrictions on resits” without saying what they are. Written confirmation from the school is more useful than a forum answer, a previous cycle’s policy or advice passed on by another applicant.
What the year holds
This is a 2028 application plan, with the resit table as one of the tools you’ll use along the way. You don’t need to solve everything after a rejection. Put the decisions in the right order.
Now, September to December 2026: start the resit year
If you’re resitting, structured teaching starts now. You can’t compress this part later, because there is one exam series a year and it takes place in the summer. Make a working document with your first-sitting grades, the subjects you’re retaking, each school’s resit conditions and any evidence deadlines.
If you’re entering as a private candidate, find an exam centre this autumn. AQA says that once you’ve found a school or college to take you for exams, you need to enter or register with it. Centres fill up, and not all accept private candidates. Use the table to make a shortlist, then confirm the current position with each school. If mitigating circumstances affected your original grades, Leicester wants evidence by 1 October, or by 1 September if you need an answer before UCAS closes. Check Leicester’s admissions information for what it needs.
January to February 2027: secure your exam entry
Enter the summer exams through your centre and check the deadline with the relevant exam board. Deadlines are set by each board and published in its exam series guide. They typically fall in late February, but the exact 2027 date isn’t published here. Confirm it with the board and your centre. Missing it can move the plan back a year, because the next exam series is twelve months away.
March to May 2027: move from teaching into revision and open the UCAT plan
A-level teaching moves into revision. Tie it to the subjects and grades that matter for the schools you’re considering, rather than every possible policy.
UCAT registration and booking normally open in spring. In the 2026 cycle, registration opened on 20 May and booking on 23 June. The 2027 dates aren’t published, so treat those as an example and check ucat.ac.uk for the official dates. Start preparing for Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement alongside your A-level work.
May to June 2027: sit the resits and keep UCAT preparation moving
Sit the A-level resits in the summer exam series. Keep a small, regular amount of UCAT preparation going, because the test window opens weeks after the exams end. You don’t need to know your four schools yet. Finish the exams and build a reliable UCAT routine.
July to September 2027: take the UCAT and prepare the application
Sit the UCAT in the official 2027 window. The dates aren’t published, so check ucat.ac.uk before booking. In 2026, the window ran from 13 July to 24 September and booking closed on 16 September, with no exceptions. Book early if you can, because later appointments are in higher demand.
Draft your personal statement over the summer. A-level results arrive in mid-August, so your application then carries achieved grades rather than predicted ones. Exeter says achieved grades count in an applicant’s favour at interview selection. Use your results and UCAT score to narrow the schools that fit, but wait until you have both before choosing your four.
September to mid-October 2027: choose schools and submit
Now choose your four medicine schools. Re-confirm each school’s resit position for the 2028 cycle before committing. Policies are revised annually and most are republished in spring, so the table is a starting point, not confirmation of eligibility. Liverpool’s Form A goes live in September and is mandatory for anyone resitting.
The medicine UCAS deadline was 15 October for 2027 entry. The 2028 date isn’t published, so confirm it with UCAS. Work towards mid-October, then check the official deadline before submitting.
November 2027 to January 2028: interviews
In a normal cycle, UCAT results reach universities in early November. Interview invitations and interviews follow through the winter. Keep checking each school’s instructions and prepare from the evidence in your application. A rejection has changed the route, but it hasn’t decided the outcome.
Where DreamMedic fits
The useful support depends on where you are in the year. A-level tutoring is the option with a decision attached now. UCAT and personal statement support are later decisions, so you can discuss the timing before booking.
A-level tutoring: September to July
DreamMedic runs small-group Chemistry and Biology A-level tutoring from September to July. It costs £25 per hour for a single subject or £20 per hour for combined Chemistry and Biology, paid monthly at £200 and £320. Registration is £50 and non-refundable.
Groups start Monday 14 September 2026, with the next start on Monday 28 September 2026.
If this is the support you need now, you can read about it and talk through your subjects, grades and school list before deciding.
See the A-level course and enrol
UCAT one-to-one: most reapplicants start in spring 2027
UCAT one-to-one tutoring is available year-round and costs £700 for eight hours. It isn’t tied to a course date. Most reapplicants should start in spring 2027, once the A-level year and the 2027 UCAT timetable are clearer.
If your previous UCAT sitting is the part you want to understand first, a consultation can help you decide when one-to-one support fits.
Personal statement support: autumn 2027
DreamMedic offers a written personal statement review for £25, returned within 48 hours; a live one-to-one session for £75; and a two-hour Saturday workshop for £99, including a written review.
This is a 2027 decision for a 2028 application. You can make a note of the options now and talk through which format suits you closer to the time.
Talk through your route
You might know your grades and still not know which part of the application needs attention. A free consultation is a chance to look at the resit conditions, possible schools and the timing of the year together. It doesn’t decide your route for you.
Sources and last checked
The university policies on this page come from each university’s admissions information. The UCAT quotation and score-validity information come from ucat.ac.uk. The commercial prices and dates were checked against DreamMedic’s live offer information.
Admissions policies can change each cycle. Confirm anything you act on directly with the medical school.
Last checked: 8 September 2026.
A final word
Reapplying takes courage, and choosing the 2028 route rather than walking away shows exactly the kind of determination that makes a good doctor. Rejection is common, and it is almost never the end of the road. Many of the UK’s strongest medical students, doctors and dentists took more than one attempt to secure their place.
You are not starting over. You are starting again with more information, more maturity and a clearer sense of what you are working towards. Medical schools don’t only want perfect candidates. They want resilient ones, and you have every reason to believe your place is still waiting.
When you’re ready to get back to work, we’re here.
No. UCAT results apply to one admissions cycle. If you apply for 2028 entry you will sit the UCAT again in 2027. Sitting it again is normal and carries no penalty.
Imperial College London states that it will not accept resit qualifications. Leicester considers resit applicants only if they held a conditional firm offer with Leicester and mitigation was agreed by their panel in advance. Southampton confirms restrictions exist without saying what they are. Confirm with each school for your own cycle.
Some do. Newcastle asks for one grade above the standard offer, so AAA becomes A*AA. Liverpool expects ABB at first sitting and at least one A* across your three A-levels. Sheffield, Leeds, Bristol and Edge Hill publish no grade uplift.
It can. Exeter treats applicants starting within two full academic years of finishing their A-levels as direct school leavers, who sit the UCAT. Beyond that point Exeter asks for the GAMSAT instead.
If you are resitting A-levels, now, because teaching runs September to July and the exams are in the summer. UCAT preparation usually starts in spring 2027, and the personal statement is drafted over summer 2027.
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