What time is the UCAS October deadline for 2027 entry?

The deadline is 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026 for 2027 entry. This is not a midnight deadline, so international applicants must convert it carefully into their local time. UCAS must have received the completed application, including the reference, by that point. If you apply through a school, sending the form to your counsellor before 18:00 does not count unless the school subsequently forwards it to UCAS on time. Follow the school's internal deadline, which will normally be earlier.

Does the October UCAS deadline apply to every medicine course?

UCAS describes 15 October as the deadline for most medicine courses, so students should check the deadline displayed for every individual choice. Standard undergraduate medicine courses generally use the October deadline, but unusual pathways can have different processes or additional forms. A late application may be transmitted, yet it will not be guaranteed equal consideration and medical schools commonly enforce the published deadline strictly. Graduate-entry applicants must also check whether their course requires GAMSAT, UCAT, extra references, or a supplementary application. The individual medical school's official admissions page is the final authority.

Can I add my fifth non-medicine choice after 15 October?

Yes, an applicant who has not used all five choices may normally add an eligible later-deadline choice after submitting the original application. Medicine applicants can use no more than four medicine choices, so the fifth must be a different subject. The added choice must still be entered by its own equal consideration deadline if you want guaranteed equal consideration. Remember that the university will see the same UCAS personal statement responses used for the medicine choices. Contact the fifth-choice course before applying if you are unsure whether it accepts a medicine-focused statement or permits extra written material.

Is submitting the UCAS form enough for Cambridge?

No, most Cambridge applicants must also complete My Cambridge Application after submitting UCAS. For most 2027-entry applicants, that additional form is due at 18:00 UK time on 22 October 2026. It may request a transcript, topics studied, funding details, test information, and other applicant-specific documents. Cambridge normally sends access instructions by email after receiving the UCAS application, so applicants should check spam folders as well as their main inbox. Missing the additional form can make an otherwise timely UCAS application incomplete.

Can I register for the UCAT after submitting UCAS?

No, the 2026 UCAT registration and booking deadline comes before the UCAS October deadline. Registration and booking close at 15:00 UK time on 16 September 2026, and the final test day is 24 September 2026. Creating an account alone is not enough because the candidate must complete registration and book an appointment. UCAT sends results directly to the relevant UK universities in early November after choices have been matched. Medicine applicants should therefore treat UCAT preparation and booking as summer and September tasks.

Do IB predicted grades have to be final before the October deadline?

Universities need predictions for pending IB qualifications when they assess most current DP2 applicants. These predictions are normally supplied through the school or registered application centre rather than entered by the student as achieved results. Your school may finalise them weeks before 15 October so that the reference and application can be checked. Confirm the internal prediction policy because schools differ in how they use tests, mocks, coursework, and recent classroom evidence. Once the application has been sent, you should not assume that predictions can simply be edited or replaced.

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How the UCAS October Deadline Works for Oxbridge

IB Diploma University Applications IB Study Guides

• 30 Sept 2026•10

How the UCAS October Deadline Works for Oxbridge

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How the UCAS October Deadline Works for Oxbridge | RevisionDojo

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How the UCAS October Deadline Works for Oxbridge

IB Diploma University Applications IB Study Guides

• 30 Sept 2026•10

Understanding how the UCAS October deadline works for Oxbridge and medicine matters because it is not simply the date when a student presses submit. For 2027 entry, UCAS must receive eligible applications by 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026 to guarantee equal consideration.

The deadline covers all Oxford and Cambridge undergraduate courses and most medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and veterinary science courses. Admissions tests, school approval, references, Cambridge's additional form, and Oxford written work may have separate dates, so IB students need a complete application calendar.

What the 15 October UCAS deadline means

The October date is an equal consideration deadline. An application received by UCAS before that point must be considered through the same admissions process as other on-time applications.

UCAS may transmit a late application, but equal consideration is no longer guaranteed. Oxford, Cambridge, and medical schools follow strict selection timetables, so submitting late is not a safe strategy.

A complete application normally includes:

Personal details and education history
Course choices entered at that stage
Pending IB qualifications and achieved results
Answers to the three UCAS personal statement questions
An academic reference and predicted grades
Payment and final submission to UCAS

Sending the form to your school is not the same as submitting it to UCAS. The school must check the application, attach the reference and predicted grades, and forward everything before 18:00 UK time. The official UCAS deadline guidance therefore advises students to follow their school's earlier internal deadline.

Key dates for 2027 entry

Date or period	Required action
Early September 2026	Completed UCAS applications can begin to be submitted.
School's internal deadline	Send the form to the school for checking, predictions, and the reference.
16 September 2026, 15:00 UK time	UCAT registration and booking close.
24 September 2026	Final UCAT test day.
15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time	Oxbridge and most medicine-related UCAS applications are due.
22 October 2026, 18:00 UK time	My Cambridge Application is due for most applicants.
10 November 2026	Oxford written work is due where required.
November-December	Shortlisting, invitations, and many interviews take place.

These dates overlap with predicted-grade decisions, Internal Assessments, the Extended Essay, TOK work, and DP2 teaching. An IB university application checklist can help separate administrative tasks from academic preparation.

Your school's deadline comes first

Schools commonly set internal deadlines in September or early October. Although this is not the official UCAS deadline, missing it can prevent an on-time submission because the school controls the reference, predicted grades, and final forwarding process.

Ask your counsellor or IB coordinator:

When must the completed form reach the school?
When are predicted grades finalised?
Who checks and submits the application?

Predicted grades for pending qualifications are normally supplied through the school. RevisionDojo's guide to IB predicted-grade submission dates explains why these university predictions are separate from later IB administrative submissions.

Oxford requirements beyond UCAS

Oxford applications must reach UCAS by 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time, but individual courses may also require an admissions test, written work, or both. For 2027 entry, required written work must reach the relevant college by 10 November 2026. Oxford's official admissions timeline warns that test registration or booking may close before UCAS applications are due.

Oxford Medicine applicants take the UCAT. Oxford currently publishes an IB requirement of 39 points including core points, with 766 at Higher Level, including Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics, or Mathematics at HL. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee shortlisting, so applicants should verify current rules on the official Oxford Medicine course page and distinguish minimum eligibility from competitiveness using the Oxford IB score guide.

Cambridge requirements beyond UCAS

Most Cambridge applicants submit UCAS by 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time and complete My Cambridge Application by 22 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time. Cambridge normally emails instructions after receiving the UCAS application, so applicants should monitor their inbox and spam folder.

The additional form may request a transcript, topics studied, funding details, test information, and an optional Cambridge-specific statement. Cambridge's additional application guidance notes that obtaining a transcript can take several weeks.

Cambridge Medicine publishes a minimum offer level of 41-42 points with 776 at HL for 2027 entry. Chemistry HL is required, while additional science or mathematics requirements vary by college. Check the official Cambridge application dates, the chosen college, and the Cambridge IB score guide.

Medicine choices and UCAT timing

UCAS allows five choices overall, but no more than four choices may be in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or veterinary science. A medicine applicant can use the fifth choice for another subject, leave it unused, or add an eligible later-deadline choice after submitting.

The fifth choice does not necessarily need to be entered by 15 October if it has the later January deadline. However, it receives the same personal statement responses, so applicants should check whether the course accepts medicine-focused material.

For the 2026 UCAT cycle, booking closes on 16 September and testing ends on 24 September. Medical schools use results differently, including thresholds, rankings, or combined academic and contextual scoring. Verify the official UCAT dates and compare course policies through the Medical Schools Council application guide.

Can you apply to Oxford and Cambridge?

Most undergraduate applicants may choose one course at either Oxford or Cambridge, not one at each. Narrow exceptions involving certain graduate medicine applications do not apply to the typical school-leaver IB applicant.

Choose by comparing course content, teaching structure, college requirements, admissions assessments, and likely IB offers. Reputation alone is not a useful basis for deciding between substantially different courses.

A practical application plan

September

Finalise choices against predicted grades and HL requirements.
Complete the three personal statement responses within the overall 4,000-character limit.
Take the UCAT and register for any other required assessments.
Allow sufficient time for the school reference and checks.

Early October and beyond

Submit before the school's internal cutoff.
Check IB subjects, levels, qualifications, and course codes.
Identify separate forms, tests, written work, and portfolios.
After 15 October, complete Cambridge forms or Oxford written work promptly.
Begin interview preparation while maintaining IB coursework performance.

Useful preparation involves explaining unfamiliar material aloud, defending assumptions, and responding constructively to prompts. RevisionDojo's guide to how universities assess UCAS applications clarifies the roles of grades, tests, references, written work, and interviews.

Common deadline mistakes

Treating 15 October as midnight instead of 18:00 UK time
Sending the form to school on the final day
Attempting to register for UCAT in October
Assuming UCAS covers every supplementary requirement
Ignoring course-specific IB subjects or HL conditions
Allowing academic performance to decline after submission

Conclusion

For 2027 entry, UCAS must receive eligible Oxbridge and most medicine applications by 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time. Successful planning begins with the school's earlier cutoff and continues through admissions tests, additional forms, written work, and interviews.

Treat the application as connected tasks while protecting DP2 performance. RevisionDojo's Questionbank, Study Notes, Mock Exams, Flashcards, and Jojo AI can support revision when application work overlaps with assessments and IB coursework.