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Access to Science - What is your course like?

Hello all, just wondering how your access course is run. The one I am currently on includes:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Maths
Essay writing skills (no exam)

For each unit, we have to do an assignment and an exam for each unit we cover (except biology, purely exam based). I have calculated I will have done 17 exams by the end of the year (3 exams just for the cell unit). Is your course similar or is it mainly just coursework based?

Do you know who your exam board is?
Reply 1
Original post by Amanwithaplan123
Hello all, just wondering how your access course is run. The one I am currently on includes:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Maths
Essay writing skills (no exam)

For each unit, we have to do an assignment and an exam for each unit we cover (except biology, purely exam based). I have calculated I will have done 17 exams by the end of the year (3 exams just for the cell unit). Is your course similar or is it mainly just coursework based?

Do you know who your exam board is?


17 exams? That's ridiculous.

My Access course was flexible in that we could choose to study any three units from Biology, Chemistry, Engineering Science, Mathematics, and Physics. In addition to this, our 15 non-graded units came from I.T and Study Skills.

I chose Biology, Chemistry, and Maths for my pathway.

Biology: Three units were assignment based, two were purely exam based. (single exam for each)
Chemistry: All five units were assignment based.
Maths: 50% assignments, 50% exams. Some units had an assignment as well as an exam.

I didn't take Physics, but I know for a fact that all of the Physics units were assignment based.

I believe that my exam board was CAVA.
Yes, it totally is ridiculous. The class is annoyed as it is so hard to get the grades in order to even go university. Our exam board is OCN, apparently they made it tougher as everyone was getting distinctions beforehand, will be lucky if I even get one lol. Did an access course nearly 10 years ago and it was just purely assignment based (quit about 6 months into it due to health issues) and was no way as complex as this, it is even the same college. Cheers for your reply. How long ago did you do your access? I had to google CAVA as I have never heard of them, one college is actually close to me who uses CAVA as the exam board. Wish I chose that one now
Reply 3
Original post by Amanwithaplan123
Yes, it totally is ridiculous. The class is annoyed as it is so hard to get the grades in order to even go university. Our exam board is OCN, apparently they made it tougher as everyone was getting distinctions beforehand, will be lucky if I even get one lol. Did an access course nearly 10 years ago and it was just purely assignment based (quit about 6 months into it due to health issues) and was no way as complex as this, it is even the same college. Cheers for your reply. How long ago did you do your access? I had to google CAVA as I have never heard of them, one college is actually close to me who uses CAVA as the exam board. Wish I chose that one now


I was actually torn between this course and an Access course validated by OCN London - I'm glad that I didn't go with the latter now!

I finished the course earlier as this year as my college offered two different intakes - September and February. My main reason for choosing to start in February was so that I'd have more time during the summer to work on my UCAS Personal Statement, and it also gave my university choices an indication of how well I'd do on the course as I had several assignments marked before sending off my UCAS.

Are you due to finish this course next month or?
Original post by m_james
I was actually torn between this course and an Access course validated by OCN London - I'm glad that I didn't go with the latter now!

I finished the course earlier as this year as my college offered two different intakes - September and February. My main reason for choosing to start in February was so that I'd have more time during the summer to work on my UCAS Personal Statement, and it also gave my university choices an indication of how well I'd do on the course as I had several assignments marked before sending off my UCAS.

Are you due to finish this course next month or?


That sounds good so good! I didn't even know how the course would be before I sent off my UCAS. We got told it was an intense course before signing up, they tell everyone that but we really had no idea of how intense it would be. College management isn't the best either which we have complained about on several occasions, time to go over their heads and complain so the next bunch don't have to go through what we did. About to start revision for an exam on Monday real soon. I'm glad you picked the right one! Course is due to finish early July but no doubt it will be nearer the end as have many more units to cover before July.
Reply 5
Original post by Amanwithaplan123
That sounds good so good! I didn't even know how the course would be before I sent off my UCAS. We got told it was an intense course before signing up, they tell everyone that but we really had no idea of how intense it would be. College management isn't the best either which we have complained about on several occasions, time to go over their heads and complain so the next bunch don't have to go through what we did. About to start revision for an exam on Monday real soon. I'm glad you picked the right one! Course is due to finish early July but no doubt it will be nearer the end as have many more units to cover before July.


I've heard from some friends of mine having problems with lecturers and so on at other colleges, but I definitely got lucky as I've never had issues with any of mine as they were all very supportive.

What have you applied to study at university? Best of luck in the rest of your exams - not too long to go until you're done. :smile:
Original post by m_james
I've heard from some friends of mine having problems with lecturers and so on at other colleges, but I definitely got lucky as I've never had issues with any of mine as they were all very supportive.

What have you applied to study at university? Best of luck in the rest of your exams - not too long to go until you're done. :smile:


Yes a few people in the class have told the teachers how they have friends doing something similar and all getting great grades. You have definitely been a lucky one :smile: Thanking you! I want to study biomedical science. Guess the only benefit in all this mess is that we are definitely prepared for University haha. How about yourself? I wish you all the luck too! We can do it!
Reply 7
Original post by Amanwithaplan123
Yes a few people in the class have told the teachers how they have friends doing something similar and all getting great grades. You have definitely been a lucky one :smile: Thanking you! I want to study biomedical science. Guess the only benefit in all this mess is that we are definitely prepared for University haha. How about yourself? I wish you all the luck too! We can do it!


There was quite a few on my pathway who were applying to study Biomed too! Some are planning to use it to progress to Graduate Medicine.

I've applied to study Pharmacy, and have been lucky enough to get conditional offers from all of my choices. It's a matter of choosing where I want to go at this point as I've met the grade requirements for all of them so I'm delighted. :h:
Original post by m_james
There was quite a few on my pathway who were applying to study Biomed too! Some are planning to use it to progress to Graduate Medicine.

I've applied to study Pharmacy, and have been lucky enough to get conditional offers from all of my choices. It's a matter of choosing where I want to go at this point as I've met the grade requirements for all of them so I'm delighted. :h:


Yeah a lot of people use it for that, well done you!!! Think long and hard, in the end I declined all but one of my conditional offers due to research. Good luck
Does anyone else do Cava?
On my course we dont have percentages or points for essays OR FOR EXAMS!
I think this is really unuseful, as some if my teachers correct really subjectively. I had to appeal my first assignment which was a pass :frown: i made a comparison of other merit graded assignments, to what they had written and was accepted and not for me and asking why. I couldnt find cavas appeal policy though, so i just had to leave it to my tutor. Turns out its the same person looking at it again rather than a second opinion.
Does anyone else find this?
Feels like a horrible teacher purposly ruining amstudents careers possinly. He has a reputation for this too. So annoying :frown:

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