The Student Room Group

UCL - silly entry req

Was looking at the UCL entry requirements...

"We require a minimum of three A-levels and one additional fourth subject to at least AS-level. All AS and A2components for these four subjects should be completed within two years (Years 12 and 13 at a UK school), withthe A2 examinations for the three main A-levels all being taken in Year 13. "

Now...say I have done Maths, Bio, Chem and Phy all at AS BUT i started Maths in year 11 (c1 and c2) because my school basically forced me to do it like this ... does that I mean that in order to study at UCL I cannot drop one of my other AS levels apart from Maths, say, Physics because then I won't have 3 full A2s which I have done over two years...
Reply 1
Original post by Vazzyb
Was looking at the UCL entry requirements...

"We require a minimum of three A-levels and one additional fourth subject to at least AS-level. All AS and A2components for these four subjects should be completed within two years (Years 12 and 13 at a UK school), withthe A2 examinations for the three main A-levels all being taken in Year 13. "

Now...say I have done Maths, Bio, Chem and Phy all at AS BUT i started Maths in year 11 (c1 and c2) because my school basically forced me to do it like this ... does that I mean that in order to study at UCL I cannot drop one of my other AS levels apart from Maths, say, Physics because then I won't have 3 full A2s which I have done over two years...


If what you have taken does not fit with the entry requirements they publish then no, you wouldn't be able to apply.
Reply 2
Yep, that's what I understood at their open day. . . it's not the only Uni like this surely?? Not exactly the same, but I know Oxford want the A-levels all done in one year.

Also I know someone who got into UCL last year - they asked for the applicant to take at least 9 modules in the summer of year 13 (instead of some in jan, some in june) to see if they cope with the pressure :dontknow:
Reply 3
Applying for medicine I see. You would have to pick up another A level.
Original post by Vazzyb
Was looking at the UCL entry requirements...

"We require a minimum of three A-levels and one additional fourth subject to at least AS-level. All AS and A2components for these four subjects should be completed within two years (Years 12 and 13 at a UK school), withthe A2 examinations for the three main A-levels all being taken in Year 13. "

Now...say I have done Maths, Bio, Chem and Phy all at AS BUT i started Maths in year 11 (c1 and c2) because my school basically forced me to do it like this ... does that I mean that in order to study at UCL I cannot drop one of my other AS levels apart from Maths, say, Physics because then I won't have 3 full A2s which I have done over two years...


Not sure why you're asking this exactly, thought you were a medic already?
Reply 5
for my cousin
Reply 6
Original post by Beska
If what you have taken does not fit with the entry requirements they publish then no, you wouldn't be able to apply.


its not that

its the interpretation of the bold bit

I wondered if this was aimed at people who for some reason ****ed up their a levels in year 12/13 and did an extra year rather than people who were erroneously encouraged to do maths early - because so many schools do this.

These students are actually the more able ones rather than the ones who need three years to complete the subject. Thats why i think the requirements are silly.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by Vazzyb
its not that

its the interpretation of the bold bit

I wondered if this was aimed at people who for some reason ****ed up their a levels in year 12/13 and did an extra year rather than people who were erroneously encouraged to do maths early - because so many schools do this.

These students are actually the more able ones rather than the ones who need three years to complete the subject. Thats why i think the requirements are silly.


Not many schools actually encourage students to do AS maths early, but I think the best thing your cousin can do is to contact UCL directly and ask for some clarification given how specific these circumstances are.
Reply 8
What i understand is that UCL like to believe their exams are particularly numerous and stressful so want A level students to have an experience of managing many exams at once. I agree it's ridiculous, many medical schools have just as bad exam timetables.
I thought you were already a medic? :confused:

And UCL ask for that purely as a precautionary measure to indicate people can cope with the apparent 'sustained workload' of 3A2s simultaneously. I know we're not unique amongst medschools to examine students using solely summer summatives (no modular papers across the year, and only the 5 papers you sit at the end of the year count), but our exam resit rule is really strange too: if you fail one paper and pass the rest, you still have to resit and repass all 5 again. And that can be quite stressful, especially given that our exam papers aren't themed per module - but each paper tests us on all aspects of the course (2x SBA, 1 MEQ (SAQ), 1 Data Paper, 1 Anatomy Spotter) - so revision is a pain in the arse.

But given the situation you outlined, it is not in the normal circumstances and it was out of your control. Your best bet would be to email UCL seeking their advice on your special case - however, chances are, they will want you to do 3A2s in one sitting in parallel, so you will have to keep an an additional A2 subject to satisfy that requirement and the only one you can drop at the moment, as correctly identified, is Maths at AS. Though there is nothing stopping you taking all 4 to A2, it's just that maths would be done in Y12, which they'd be perfectly fine with too.
Reply 10
Original post by purplefrog
I thought you were already a medic? :confused:

And UCL ask for that purely as a precautionary measure to indicate people can cope with the apparent 'sustained workload' of 3A2s simultaneously. I know we're not unique amongst medschools to examine students using solely summer summatives (no modular papers across the year, and only the 5 papers you sit at the end of the year count), but our exam resit rule is really strange too: if you fail one paper and pass the rest, you still have to resit and repass all 5 again. And that can be quite stressful, especially given that our exam papers aren't themed per module - but each paper tests us on all aspects of the course (2x SBA, 1 MEQ (SAQ), 1 Data Paper, 1 Anatomy Spotter) - so revision is a pain in the arse.

But given the situation you outlined, it is not in the normal circumstances and it was out of your control. Your best bet would be to email UCL seeking their advice on your special case - however, chances are, they will want you to do 3A2s in one sitting in parallel, so you will have to keep an an additional A2 subject to satisfy that requirement and the only one you can drop at the moment, as correctly identified, is Maths at AS. Though there is nothing stopping you taking all 4 to A2, it's just that maths would be done in Y12, which they'd be perfectly fine with too.


Yeh your resit rule is strange :p: but i just don't understand why UCL in particular make such a fuss and taking this measure when other med schools have just as difficult timetables. For example here at Bham we had 16 exams in the summer in the space of less than a fortnight!
Original post by Vazzyb
its not that

its the interpretation of the bold bit

I wondered if this was aimed at people who for some reason ****ed up their a levels in year 12/13 and did an extra year rather than people who were erroneously encouraged to do maths early - because so many schools do this.

These students are actually the more able ones rather than the ones who need three years to complete the subject. Thats why i think the requirements are silly.


I suppose your cousin could ask the admissions people at UCL whether their teacher could write about it in their reference :s-smilie:
Reply 12
Nah it's fine, trust.

Just call and let them know. It's to stop people doing A-levels across 3 years and thus resitting (which they allow) but more than they'd want.

Poorly worded and very unhelpful online / literature advice I know.
Original post by gozatron
Yeh your resit rule is strange :p: but i just don't understand why UCL in particular make such a fuss and taking this measure when other med schools have just as difficult timetables. For example here at Bham we had 16 exams in the summer in the space of less than a fortnight!


Nobody understands our resit rule or our exam set up (why we don't have a paper per module(s)) - so I wasn't defending UCL just explaining their viewpoint the best I could.

It might be due to the way B'ham selects its candidates that make it less of a concern? I think they look for high academic consistency from GCSE to AS to A2 so that might satisfy their criteria - whereas UCL shortlist 50% of people based on the BMAT and 50% on their PS so need to draw a minimum standard somewhere as it's not inherent to the shortlisting process? Just my guesses.

But yes, we're not unique in having a tricky exam timetable - and by no means have the most exams or the most hours of exams. But I would have to say the added pressure of failing just one thing means we have to resit EVERYTHING makes you feel so rotten and scared inside as you have to revise the whole year again in the space of 4 weeks for resits and you wouldn't know in what areas you tripped up on as our feedback only tells us the mark we scored in each paper and what the passmark is.


@Vazzyb: just read the rest of the thread. I strongly suggest your cousin email UCL medicaladmissions and clarify their stance asap.
Original post by purplefrog
but our exam resit rule is really strange too: if you fail one paper and pass the rest, you still have to resit and repass all 5 again. And that can be quite stressful, especially given that our exam papers aren't themed per module - but each paper tests us on all aspects of the course (2x SBA, 1 MEQ (SAQ), 1 Data Paper, 1 Anatomy Spotter) - so revision is a pain in the arse.

.


At least they let you re-sit. With us (with the exception of OSCES for which their is a phase 2), if you fail one module you have to resit the year.

But I gather that re-sitting the year has been brought into the 2012 curriculum right?

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