Applicants to Oxford University this year will face tougher entry requirements than ever before.
After an initial delay in the implementation of A*s at A-level, the number of courses requiring the top grade has risen by a third.
Originally required for various engineering, science and maths degrees, the total amount of subjects requiring an A* has increased from 15 to 20 and now includes Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Experimental Psychology and the combined course of Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.
This year’s application process has also resulted in an increase in subject-based aptitude tests from 34 subjects to 39.
A spokesperson for the University said the test ‘“help to provide a level playing field”, as “at least 30% of our applicants have school leaving qualifications other than A-levels (and up to 50% in some courses), so aptitude tests allow us to have a means to compare all applicants for a degree regardless of their qualifications.’
‘Applications to Oxford have increased steadily, from around 13,000 in 2007 to over 17,000 in 2011, while we have only 3,200 places. 46,000 students a year now achieve AAA or more at A-level, we need to use more than predicted grades when selecting the best candidates for each subject.”
He continued, “The applicants Oxford gets are almost without exception highly qualified – nearly all of them are predicted three As at A-level or the equivalent and come with glowing references and excellent academic records. It is not always possible to differentiate the very best candidates from the very good ones on the basis of the information on the UCAS application form alone.”
Harry Jackson, a second year from Hertford, commented, “I think the tests are a good idea, to check that all applicants are up to a similar standard. At times grades can be misleading as they depend on a student’s circumstances such as the amount of support offered by schools. However I don’t think it’s necessary to increase the grade requirements. Once you have done the pre-interview test and had the interview, the college has clearly deemed you good enough and want you so there is no need for the grade offer to place undue pressure. The A-levels at that point just become a means to an end.”
The University claims that the initial rejection of the requirement of an A* was not intended to be permanent. A spokesperson added, “Oxford said when the A* grade was introduced that we would wait and see whether the A* grade correlated with our own selection process and was a good indicator of aptitude.”
St Anne’s student Ryan Widdows pointed out the difficulties for some schools. “At my school the A* was not achieved by many. A lot of people are held back from their potential due to inadequate educational facilities and these harder entry requirements are only going to deny them opportunities.”
However, one JCR Access Representative disagreed, commenting, “This is a result of students achieving better A-levels and colleges ramping up predicted grades year on year. The University has to find some way to distinguish between candidates and whittle them down. All the University is trying to do is make sure that they choose the most able students.”
