You've got a degree, or you'll have one by the end of 2027, and two medical schools to plan for. From 2028 entry, Auckland graduate entry Medicine and Otago's Graduate category rank people on close to opposite things. Otago ranks you on your weighted GPA once you clear a UCAT threshold. Auckland treats your GPA as a gate at 6.0, then ranks you on an interview and Casper, half each.
That difference should shape how you spend your final year. Here's how each route works, where they overlap, and what neither university has published yet.
How does Auckland graduate entry Medicine work from 2028?
These rules are from Auckland's MBChB entry requirements for 2028 entry, read on 11 October 2026.
- Eligibility. A degree, postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma from a New Zealand university, completed normally in the minimum academic time and no more than five years before you apply, with a GPA of at least 6.0 (B+).
- Test. Casper, Auckland's situational judgement test, sat in the year you apply. The UCAT is no longer part of it.
- Interview. Auckland offers an MMI to applicants with a GPA of 6.0 or higher. Its May 2026 announcement says MMIs moved to a recorded format from 2026, with timed answers to pre-recorded questions.
- Ranking. MMI score 50 percent, with a minimum threshold, and Casper 50 percent. Your GPA doesn't count beyond the 6.0 gate.
- Deadlines. Applications for 2028 entry close on 1 July 2027. If you're finishing your degree that year, your final results are due by 30 November.
- Limits. One Graduate Entry application for each qualifying programme you complete. Depending on your degree, you may have to pass some or all of Auckland's first-year courses within a year before starting Part II.
For 2027 entry, the last year under the old rules, Auckland ranked graduates on cumulative GPA (60 percent), UCAT (15 percent) and MMI (25 percent). The 2028 change moves the weight off grades and onto the interview and Casper. Auckland's Dean said in its May 2026 announcement that there is "little value in ranking applicants on very small GPA differences".
How does Otago's Graduate category work?
Otago's rules, from its Medicine guidelines for admission, run the other way. You need your first university degree, completed within three years of applying, with a weighted GPA of at least 5 across it. You need a UCAT ANZ result from the year you apply, above Otago's thresholds; for 2027 entry those were the 20th percentile in Verbal Reasoning and the 10th in Situational Judgement. After that, Otago ranks you on your weighted GPA, with 300 level papers given three times the weight of 100 level ones. There's no interview in Otago's Graduate category for Medicine.
Our worked weighted GPA example shows how the calculation picks your papers, and the Otago graduate entry numbers show how competitive the general pathway has been.
Auckland and Otago side by side
| Otago Graduate category | Auckland graduate entry (2028) | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree window | First degree, within three years | Within five years, normally in the minimum time |
| Grades needed | Weighted GPA of 5 to be eligible, then ranked on it | GPA of 6.0 as a gate only |
| Test | UCAT ANZ, as a threshold | Casper, 50% of ranking |
| Interview | None | MMI, 50% of ranking |
| Applications | 1 July to 13 August in the 2026 round | Close 1 July 2027 |
| Repeat applications | Allowed within the three-year window | Once per qualifying programme |
| Domestic places | About 322 for 2027, across all categories | 317 a year, across all categories |
| After entry | Join second year, five years to graduate | Start Part II of a six-year programme, plus any first-year courses required |
Which route suits you?
If your grades are your strength, Otago ranks you on them. A weighted GPA in the high 8s or above puts you in the range of Otago's recent general pathway offers, though Otago says its old scores can't be compared with the new method. At Auckland, a 7.5 and a 9.0 are worth the same once you pass 6.0.
If you're strong at explaining your thinking under time pressure, Auckland's 2028 rules suit you better. If you've worked, or spent time in health settings, you'll have real examples to draw on in an MMI. Casper and the MMI are skills you can practise, and they make up all of Auckland's ranking.
Most graduates should apply to both if they're eligible. The tests don't overlap: the UCAT counts only for Otago and Casper only for Auckland, and both have to be sat in the year you apply.
Can you apply to both in the same year?
Yes, and the order matters. Auckland's applications for 2028 entry close on 1 July 2027. Otago's 2026 window opened on 1 July and closed on 13 August, so expect Otago's 2027 window to open around the time Auckland's closes. The UCAT ANZ 2026 test window ran from 1 July to 5 August, according to the UCAT ANZ booking page, with bookings closing on 15 May. Put Auckland's deadline, your UCAT booking and your Casper date in your calendar before your final year starts.
What we couldn't confirm
- How many of Auckland's 317 domestic places go to graduates. Auckland doesn't publish a split on its MBChB page.
- The minimum MMI threshold Auckland will apply for 2028 entry.
- Casper dates and fees for the 2027 application year.
- How Auckland judges "normally in the minimum academic time" for a degree that took longer, and how it treats a postgraduate diploma added after an older degree. Ask Auckland about your own case.
- Otago's rules for 2028 entry. Otago's current guidelines describe 2027 entry, and it sets thresholds each year.
Do this instead: a final-year plan for both
- Check eligibility for each school. Your degree completion date, Otago's weighted GPA of 5 and three-year window, Auckland's 6.0 and five-year window.
- Protect your 300 level grades for Otago. They carry the most weight in its ranking.
- Start MMI and Casper practice early for Auckland. Our guides to Casper typed responses and MMI ethics stations are a good start.
- Book the UCAT ANZ in your application year, before the booking deadline.
- Apply to Auckland before 1 July, then to Otago in its window.
All three schools, including Waikato's new graduate MD, are compared in our complete guide to graduate entry Medicine in NZ.
Otago asks how well you did in the papers that count most. Auckland asks how you think and communicate once your grades clear 6.0. Plan for both questions and you give yourself two chances in the same year.
FAQ
Does Auckland graduate entry Medicine need the UCAT?
Not from 2028 entry. Auckland uses Casper, sat in the year you apply, plus an MMI. For 2027 entry, the UCAT was still part of it.
What GPA do I need for Auckland graduate entry?
A GPA of at least 6.0 (B+) from your qualifying degree, postgraduate degree or diploma. From 2028 entry, applicants at 6.0 or above are offered an interview, and GPA doesn't count in the final ranking.
Is Otago or Auckland easier for graduates?
It depends on your strengths. Otago ranks graduates on weighted GPA alone after the UCAT threshold. Auckland ranks them on the MMI and Casper. Auckland doesn't publish graduate admission numbers, so a direct comparison of acceptance rates isn't possible.
Not sure which school's rules fit your degree best? Take the free 60-second graduate entry check and get a roadmap for your stage.
Cutline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Otago or the University of Auckland. Rules are from each university's published entry pages and Auckland's May 2026 announcement, checked 11 October 2026. Admission rules change every year, so check the official pages for the year you're applying.