Undergraduate · Oxford Biomedical Sciences
Oxford's Biomedical Sciences degree studies how cells, organs and systems work in the human body, and Oxford is explicit that it does not provide medical training. Its entry rules are specific: two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, a three-module ESAT that always includes Mathematics 1, and an online interview. This guide is written for families planning 2028 entry. Everything cycle-specific in it was last verified for 2027 entry, so treat it as the best guide to preparation and not as the 2028 requirement.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
Taken from Oxford's official Biomedical Sciences course page and read on 25 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Oxford's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
The entry qualification is A*AA at A level, excluding Critical Thinking and Thinking Skills. Candidates need two A levels from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. For the IB, Oxford asks for 39 points including core points with 766 at Higher Level, and two Higher Level subjects from the same four.
Oxford says there are no formal GCSE requirements. If a subject among Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics was not taken to a higher level, candidates need a basic education in it, at least a grade C/4 at GCSE or equivalent.
All applicants must take the ESAT. They take three modules: Mathematics 1 and any two of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics 2 and Physics. Oxford considers ESAT results when shortlisting for interview.
Oxford says you do not need to submit any written work as part of an application for this course.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to at least one online interview, expected to take place in December.
The degree awarded is MBiomedSci or BA, and the course lasts 3 or 4 years (UCAS code BC98). Students can graduate after three years with a BA. Oxford says the course does not provide medical training.
Official sources
Read on 25 October 2026 on Oxford's Biomedical Sciences course page, which describes 2027 entry. The 2023-25 admissions statistics quoted in the guide are history, not a requirement. ESAT sittings, booking windows and the UCAS deadline are cycle-specific and are not stated. The Department's own website and College variation were not read.
The course
Oxford describes the course as an education in modern molecular, cellular and systems biology, and neuroscience, taught by scientists across clinical and non-clinical departments. It says plainly that the course does not provide medical training, so a student whose real goal is to become a doctor should read the Medicine course pages instead. Practical laboratory work is an integral part of the programme and must be completed to a satisfactory standard to progress. Students can choose to graduate with a BA after three years, or complete a research-intensive fourth year for a Master's degree, and the degree is awarded in either Neuroscience or Cell and Systems Biology depending on the modules and options chosen.
Reading the offer
The subject rule is stricter than the grades suggest.
Two A levels from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, or two Higher Level IB subjects from the same four. Critical Thinking and Thinking Skills do not count towards the A*AA.
39 points including core points, with 766 at Higher Level. Oxford's wording asks for the grades at Higher Level, so check the profile of the IB subjects before choosing them.
If one of the four subjects was not taken to a higher level, Oxford expects a basic education in it, at least a grade C/4 at GCSE or equivalent. Dual Award Combined Sciences is acceptable for the sciences.
If a practical component forms part of a science A level used to meet your offer, Oxford expects you to pass it.
The ESAT
Oxford says all applicants must take the ESAT. The three modules are Mathematics 1 plus any two of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics 2 and Physics. That choice is a real decision: it should reflect the two subjects you are strongest in, and Oxford considers ESAT results when shortlisting for interview. The ESAT's sittings and booking windows change each cycle, so they are not stated here: check Oxford's course page and the test provider's key dates.
The application
Oxford says you do not need to submit any written work. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to at least one online interview, expected to take place in December, and tutors look for lively, receptive minds with the ability to evaluate evidence critically. They also look for the ability to consider issues from different perspectives and a capacity for logical and creative thinking.
Context
Oxford's page gives a three-year average, for 2023-25, of 24% of applicants interviewed, 8% successful and an intake of 45. Those are historical figures about past cohorts. They are not a requirement and they do not predict any individual result.
Planning for 2028 entry
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Oxford has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Oxford has not yet published it.
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Oxford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Check Oxford's course page and the test provider's key dates for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
Decide which two sciences or mathematics you will study to the end of school, work out which ESAT modules suit them, and start the quantitative practice that Mathematics 1 will test.
Support
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each programme. No outcome is promised.
Questions
A*AA at A level excluding Critical Thinking and Thinking Skills, with two A levels from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, or 39 IB points including core points with 766 at Higher Level. This is Oxford's wording for 2027 entry.
Yes. All applicants must take the ESAT, with three modules: Mathematics 1 and any two of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
No. Oxford says the course does not provide medical training.
No. Oxford says you do not need to submit any written work for this course.
Yes. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to at least one online interview, expected to take place in December.
No. They are Oxford's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Oxford publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their sciences and mathematics, how they have approached the ESAT, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.
