Would you consider 67% high 2:1 degree as a first class degree ?

Not sure what youre trying to ask, but 57.5% is a 2:2 and 67% is a 2:1 not sure if you have seen different.

A person with a high 2:1 degree (67%) but without A levels, and another person with 2:1 ( 57.5%) but with A levels are considered differently. If the the person with low 2:1 has an A levels ( 300 to 340 ucas points ) he or she will easily pass through the application filters that firms use. Is this really fair ?.

What is your views.

Many thanks

A person with a high 2:1 degree (67%) but without A levels, and another person with 2:1 ( 57.5%) but with A levels are considered differently. If the the person with low 2:1 has an A levels ( 300 to 340 ucas points ) he or she will easily pass through the application filters that firms use. Is this really fair ?.

What is your views.

Many thanks

My view is that a sensible person without A-levels should write something in the box for extenuating circumstances, thus circumventing the filter so a human reads the application.

Well how did Person 1 get it university? Whatever qualification they did to get into uni they put down. E.g. BTECs, Cambridge Pre-U, IB, etc.

Thank you for your reply. What if you do not have evidences to proof your extenuating circumstances, what should that person do, particularly those who come from countries with a civil wars and have had no educational background. So when they come to Britain, have started their education as an adult through non-traditional routes and went to a universities and got a solid 2:1 degree. How such a person proof that he or she did not have the opportunities to study A LEVELS OR GCSEs because of the conditions in their own countries.

Will their hard work to get excellent degree be a worthless than those with A LEVELS and very poor 2:1 degree?.

For that kind of thing I imagine the bar for proof would be set quite low. I know people that have cited abusive relationships as extenuating circumstances, which is quite a difficult thing to prove. Besides, firms don't want to garner a reputation for turning away people from difficult backgrounds. Much the opposite.

So you mean that we should not be afraid for applying companies such as big 4 and others regardless our low ucas points. Are certain that our applications will not be filtered out if we apply it.

I have reading the studentroom for the last one Month. All the discussion rooms have addressed major issues that students are facing except the problems that foreign born mature students are currently facing ( LOW UCAS POINTS ). THUS THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE GUIDE-LESS FOR AN ADVISE.

I see what you're getting at but its just a filter for applications?

Not many grad schemes ask for a first for example. Its unlucky for the "high" 2:1 to have low A level results, i know many but there are grad schemes who accept lower a levels which are still well paid. So yes it limits your options but options are still available.

You cannot blame companies for filters they deal with 1000s of applications!

As a person who has AAT level 3 ( 160 ucas points ), do you think that I and these with similar positions should do GCSEs and A LEVELS as a mature student for 2 to three years again in order to boost our Ucas points.

Having no A LEVLES or GCSEs does not mean that we luck numeracy and literacy. If this was true, I would not have achieved a high 2:1 (67% near first class) and 8/12 of my degree's individual module marks would not have been above 75 mark for each module. For example 3/6 of my second year's marks were above 75 marks and 5/6 of my third year module marks were also above 75 marks and the remaining one module in my third year was 55 marks ( which has held me for getting first). As you can see, it was near first ( my assignments were all 55 to 57 , in my third year). Achieving this performance was not easy. I have been doing 42 hours of private revision every week since my first year to the final day ( excluding 12 hours required for our timetable) , including summer holidays, just to improve my opportunities ( Having done very low jobs such as Cleaning in the streets, warehousing and labouring for many years).

Throughout my undergraduate studies I have been helping students with three to four As in their A levels who have been straggling the course, as a part of a group. Having A levels does not mean, you are more intelligent then the mature student with no A levels. Thus, having A levels (300 to 340 ucas points ) and very poor 2:1 (58%) will be considered more suitable then the above mature student with solid 2:1 (67%) seems unfair. I can understand the fact that firms use filtering for limiting the thousands of students who apply their positions every year.

Many thanks

Sadly most graduate jobs even general entry level jobs do require a basic ucas minimum of at least 240 ucas points. I would recommend you do a levels. It wouldnt take too long to revise for either. I sat an A level in my gap year (Law) and ended up with a high A.

Im sure with that 67% you are more capable as university is more lengthy and in depth compared to a levels.

Hi Bill _Gates thank you for your advise. One final question.

Do you think If I get One year work experience which relates to my degree, when I apply jobs in the future, firms will still demand the Ucas points or that they will overlook my ucas points and consider my experience. May people say that experience counts more than A LEVELS OR GCSEs, is this true? that it will become irrelevant after gaining work experience in one or more years in my field?.

It depends who you apply for. For example if you are applying for a big firm such as PWC they have a filter on ucas points and will just reject you.

If you are applying direct with a CV then its up to them really if they treat your experience higher.

Most grad jobs do have a ucas filter/degree classification filter.

I would personally continue applying for jobs and do some a levels, its not that much of a big task and wont take long to revise for.

For example get jobs in the public sector ( Local councils etc).

Is it possible to do Maths and Further Mathematics A levels for just one year. Alternatively there are other small courses which have ucas points, if I take some of these course which lasts two to three months to close the ucas gap up to 300 points, will they still filter my applications when I apply graduate jobs with at least 300 ucas points. When will A levels become irrelevant during you career?.

many thanks

1. You will need to check with your local college
2. best to go with A levels other courses not as well respected and easier to revise by yourself
3. Once you have a job and you become a professional in whatever career and you build up experience they do become less relevant. Although some firms still do take them into question.

Your main goal should be getting a foot in the door you want. See what they want/require and build it up.