Do Oxford see module grades?

rule of thumb is that they only know what you tell them. If you're school certificate your AS results straight away, you're expected to put them on your UCAS form- afaik, putting your module grades is still optional. If they don't certificate your grades you just put pending next to your as levels- lots of people will be applying like that so universities won't be bothered by it.

Reply 83

Inter-Company

gangsta316

Is it true that Oxford don't care at all about module marks? Teachers in my school have said that, because our school doesn't certificate our AS results (grades are pending), if the reference doesn't contain information about AS achievements (e.g. "this student achieves 4 A grades at AS including 280 in Maths"), Oxford will know that the candidates AS achievements are unimpressive and not noteworthy. And such a candidate would not stand a very good chance.

when i applied I am sure my module grades had something to do with me being differentiated from other applicants (eventually leading to an offer in E&M) - were incidentally all of my fellow college intake in the subject did so also

say if you have 2 applicants, both have an A at say AS maths, one decides to put down there module grades of AAA and the other does not (as he/she got ABB)

with the former he has effectively 'nothing to hide' as a fuller picture is painted of the candidate's abilities, where as with the latter that picture cannot be drawn by the admin tutors as they may have just scraped an A (as in my example above) or have a really high A - in which case they would obviously put it down on there UCAS form

basically what i'm trying to say is that it comes across as though you have something to hide as surely if your A was a solid A you would have no doubts about putting your module grades down, don't think b/c Oxford don't ask for it and Cambirdge does, that the former will be 'easier' to get into than the latter

Reply 84

Inter-Company

well at GCSE I got 11A*'s and for a-level 4A's at 95% average* (hence why I mentioned putting module grades above)

* I got 100% for general studies lol but I thought it best to leave that out :p:

by no means does that imply that if you don't have all A*'s at GCSE you cannot get in (I hate this myth!) but you need steller a-level grades, having 3 or 4 A grades at a-level is not enough any more, at least have them at 90% or above or similar as many Oxford candidates will and they will seize the opportunity to put down these results on there UCAS form, which furthermore Oxford tutors will take into account (as they have nothing to hide as I said above and forms a better picture of them to the tutors themselves)

this Oxford is easier to get into than Cambridge if you don't have 90%+ at a-level is ridiculous, just b/c Oxford don't ask for them doesn't mean the calibre of candidates who apply to Oxford won't have them - a significant number will, taking my E&M class (as a small example), all of them did

Reply 85

please use the private message function for questions unrelated to the thread.

I don't think anyone really is able to tell you about how much they read into the presence/abcense of module grades. (cept maybe the tutors themselves - there are one or two on here but I'm net going to out them). I don't believe they'd hold it against you for not mentioning them. If they were going to make a decision based on them they'd be able to ask (as some people are occasionally). Don't forget, they'll be plenty of applicants from Scottland + further afield who will be doing completely different and hence not directly comparable exams.

Reply 86

jenny-bean

Inter-Company

by no means does that imply that if you don't have all A*'s at GCSE you cannot get in (I hate this myth!) but you need steller a-level grades, having 3 or 4 A grades at a-level is not enough any more, at least have them at 90% or above or similar as many Oxford candidates will and they will seize the opportunity to put down these results on there UCAS form, which furthermore Oxford tutors will take into account (as they have nothing to hide as I said above and forms a better picture of them to the tutors themselves)

this Oxford is easier to get into than Cambridge if you don't have 90%+ at a-level is ridiculous, just b/c Oxford don't ask for them doesn't mean the calibre of candidates who apply to Oxford won't have them - a significant number will, taking my E&M class (as a small example), all of them did

Don't want to sound all doom and gloom but is it even worth applying if you have less than 90% overall? I got three A's, but they all (annoyingly) averaged out to around 89% haha...although some module results were above 90%. (I'm applying for English and French by the way.)

I got a B in one of my English Lit modules...should I resit it?

I also took Maths A2 Level and achieved a B, however in one of the modules I got a U. Maths isn't directly related to my course so I didn't think it would matter too much, plus I'm resitting it anyway (to get an A hopefully!) However, I'm thinking differently now...would Oxford be a bit worried if they saw a U on the form? :frown:

Reply 87

peanutbutternjelly

jenny-bean

Don't want to sound all doom and gloom but is it even worth applying if you have less than 90% overall? I got three A's, but they all (annoyingly) averaged out to around 89% haha...although some module results were above 90%. (I'm applying for English and French by the way.)

I got a B in one of my English Lit modules...should I resit it?

I also took Maths A2 Level and achieved a B, however in one of the modules I got a U. Maths isn't directly related to my course so I didn't think it would matter too much, plus I'm resitting it anyway (to get an A hopefully!) However, I'm thinking differently now...would Oxford be a bit worried if they saw a U on the form? :frown:

Just don't put your module grades down.

Reply 88

peanutbutternjelly

I'm thinking of not putting in my module grades as my biology ones were atrocious. Oxford don't ask to see module grades, right? I mean, if UCAS says it's optional than that applies for Oxford applicants too, right?

Reply 89

srana

I'm a bit concerned now - on Friday, some of my friends went to the open day. One was at Pembroke, where they told her Oxford now demand to see module marks, to make choices easier. Another was at Worcester, where they said Oxford do not ask to see separate module results.

Does it vary by college or was the Pembroke person just high? Mind you, I'm applying to Worcester. ^^

Reply 90

There is no across the board policy to ask for module results- some colleges have been known to ask for module grades, but UCAS don't demand that you put them down and there's no longer a separate oxford application form.

Jenny-bean- if you're confident you can get an A overall then you don't have to resit the english module, but it might make your life a bit easier. Up to you, really. I'd definitely resit the U- it's unrelated, but if that's the only bad module, it'd be so easy to get your overall grade up to an A that'd it'd be lazy not to, really.

Reply 91

pf1

4

srana

they said Oxford do not ask to see separate module results.

This is correct. It does not vary by college - the UCAS application form is the same regardless of which college you apply to, so individual colleges can't make their own requests on what you declare.

If you want to declare your module results (usually via the teacher's reference), that's fine, but you don't have to - and contrary to speculation earlier in the thread it will not disadvantage your application if you haven't disclosed this information.

The general trend is that Oxford are finding greater correlation between degree performance and pre-interview testing, whereas Cambridge prefer to use UMS/unit grades instead.

Reply 92

(response to deleted post)

Reply 93

adilmorrison

12

hunibuni

I have heard that either from this year or next year, Oxford or maybe all unis will be able to see our module grades? Can anyone tell me if this is correct or not and if so whether, given my current disaster in chemistry, I should still be thinking of applying? (see sig.) Thanks for any help.

You have amazing results...

Reply 94

frost3dbutts

7

My teacher said to me today that he was contacted by oxford and asked what position I came in the year for his subject - is he mixed up or does that happen?

Reply 95

User188463

17

frost3dbutts

My teacher said to me today that he was contacted by oxford and asked what position I came in the year for his subject - is he mixed up or does that happen?

what subject? That sounds weird... but good! I came top in 3/5 of mine

Reply 96

frost3dbutts

7

T-o dore

what subject? That sounds weird... but good! I came top in 3/5 of mine

He's my English Lit teacher but I'm applying for Geography. There are people in my old class who are applying to Cambridge so I hoped he had got mixed up.

Reply 97

That sounds a bit weird. I'm pretty sure he must be mistaken- I can't think of any reason why a geographer would care how well you do in English, yet alone enough to phone up your teacher to ask about it. Your position among your peers is surely a bit irrelevant anway- in the land of the blind and all that.

Reply 98

frost3dbutts

7

thomasjtl

That sounds a bit weird. I'm pretty sure he must be mistaken- I can't think of any reason why a geographer would care how well you do in English, yet alone enough to phone up your teacher to ask about it. Your position among your peers is surely a bit irrelevant anway- in the land of the blind and all that.

Well I thought maybe they asked for all your subjects, if he wasn't mistaken, that is. I kinda hope they did though 'cause I bet I'd be #1 in my year for geo :wink:

Reply 99

soffeee