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Cambridge Admissions Assessments Q&A

Hello all,

I am Dr Andrew Spencer, Admissions Tutor at Christ's College and deputy chair of the Admissions Forum at Cambridge University. I am here to answer any questions about the new Admissions Assessments that Cambridge is introducing this year. basic inforation can be found on the University's website and much more information about individual subject tests will go on the website shortly. In the meantime, I look forward to answering your questions about them.

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Reply 1
Avatar for Doones
Doones
21
I'll have a go :smile:

* will there be any sample papers?

* is it confirmed that EU & Internationals don't have to pay to sit the assessments?

* will Cambridge still aim to interview 80%-ish of applicants, as in previous years?

* not related to the Assessments, but are you expecting to get marks for AS modules taken in reformed subjects (given that UMS will no longer be provided for those subjects)?

Spoiler

Original post by University of Cambridge
Hello all,

I am Dr Andrew Spencer, Admissions Tutor at Christ's College and deputy chair of the Admissions Forum at Cambridge University. I am here to answer any questions about the new Admissions Assessments that Cambridge is introducing this year. basic inforation can be found on the University's website and much more information about individual subject tests will go on the website shortly. In the meantime, I look forward to answering your questions about them.


Will you make past tests available after the admissions cycle they are used in is finished?
Thank you for starting this thread.

I believe that the Music Tripos admission assessments are not changing, perhaps you could confirm. If so, is there any standardisation across all the colleges on what, exactly, is tested?

I've read through several college websites on this, some give a lot of info on testing and others give very little. I can see some common threads across them all but also stuff that is unique to a particular college so I'm not sure whether or not they are all using the same tests.

Your views on admission assessments for the Music Tripos would be very welcome.
Original post by jneill
I'll have a go :smile:

* will there be any sample papers?

* is it confirmed that EU & Internationals don't have to pay to sit the assessments?

* will Cambridge still aim to interview 80%-ish of applicants, as in previous years?

* not related to the Assessments, but are you expecting to get marks for AS modules taken in reformed subjects (given that UMS will no longer be provided for those subjects)?

Spoiler



Thanks for your questions.

* Yes, there will be sample papers made available soon, so students should keep a eye out over the next month or so on the subject pages of the subjects in which they are interested and the papers should appear there. I have been on the committee drafting the History one and one, based on an existing college test, should be up very soon and another sample will be put up some time before the summer. Similar things are happening in all departments as we are preparing our assessments.

* We won't charge students to take our assessments (excepting the BMAT where there is an existing charge) but some test centres overseas may charge their own administrative fee.

* We don't expect the overall proportion of applicants who are interviewed to change significantly (i.e. outside the usual fluctuation from year to year).

* We've yet to make a decision on what we will ask for in the SAQ in reformed AS Levels.
Original post by sweeneyrod
Will you make past tests available after the admissions cycle they are used in is finished?


We haven't made a decision on this. There are pros and cons for doing either and it's something we shall have to think carefully about.
Original post by sir albert
Thank you for starting this thread.

I believe that the Music Tripos admission assessments are not changing, perhaps you could confirm. If so, is there any standardisation across all the colleges on what, exactly, is tested?

I've read through several college websites on this, some give a lot of info on testing and others give very little. I can see some common threads across them all but also stuff that is unique to a particular college so I'm not sure whether or not they are all using the same tests.

Your views on admission assessments for the Music Tripos would be very welcome.


Music, along with Maths, are not using an inter-collegiate assessment in the way that other subjects are doing. Individual colleges will use their own arrangements. For some this will involve a test at interview but you need to check individual college websites to be sure about what each college will be doing.
Hello, thank you for starting this thread, it's very helpful for prospective applicants!
I will be applying for engineering in October and will therefore have to sit the admissions assessment in November. However, I did see that each college sometimes has its own different admissions process (like the test on AS Level maths and physics at Gonville and Caius College) - will these still be maintained? Or will the whole application process become standardised among all colleges?
Thank you!
(edited 8 years ago)
How will you do the testing for natural sciences seeing as people applying will have a wide range of subject backgrounds?
Thanks
Great thread! Just wondering what the procedure would be for people wishing to do Psychological and Behavioural Sciences? Will there now be TSAs or is it just subject specific written tests/essays?

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Reply 10
Avatar for N-R-G
N-R-G
17
What provisions if any are made for people with mental health issues?
Original post by bluepages
Hello, thank you for starting this thread, it's very helpful for prospective applicants!
I will be applying for engineering in October and will therefore have to sit the admissions assessment in November. However, I did see that each college sometimes has its own different admissions process (like the test on AS Level maths and physics at Gonville and Caius College) - will these still be maintained? Or will the whole application process become standardised among all colleges?
Thank you!


Thanks for your question. For the most part colleges are going to replace their own tests (if they had them) with the University Assessment in each subject. Colleges are still allowed to set their own tests at interview, however, in subjects where there is a pre-interview assessment. Which colleges are doing this in which subjects will be clear on both the university and college websites well before the deadline for application. In general, though, this is a big move towards standardisation of procedures across colleges.
Original post by Quantum42
How will you do the testing for natural sciences seeing as people applying will have a wide range of subject backgrounds?
Thanks


The details of the Natural Science test is currently being worked out and more details (including a sample test) will be released in due course. There will be sufficient choice in it to ensure that students will be able to focus on areas of science that they are interested in.
Original post by LenniesRabbit
Great thread! Just wondering what the procedure would be for people wishing to do Psychological and Behavioural Sciences? Will there now be TSAs or is it just subject specific written tests/essays?

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There is now a PBS specific pre-interview assessment that will be sat in your school (if you are from the UK) on 2 November. More information about what form the test will take will be released in due course.
Original post by N-R-G
What provisions if any are made for people with mental health issues?


For taking the at-interview assessments, students who declare any form of disability or health condition are asked about what arrangements they would like us to put in place to ensure that they are able to perform to their best. For the pre-interview assessments, schools will have their own arrangements and, if taken in a test centre, then students should inform the centre about necessary arrangements.
Hello, what are the tests going to be like for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences- what skills would be useful to practice/ what in general would be useful preparation? For example,will there be a mathematical element? Thank you :smile:
Original post by Emilypickett
Hello, what are the tests going to be like for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences- what skills would be useful to practice/ what in general would be useful preparation? For example,will there be a mathematical element? Thank you :smile:


You will need to keep an eye on the PBS entry requirements page as more information will be put up there soon, including a specimen paper. As I'm not a PBS expert, I can't give you details at the moment. Maths is always a useful skill for Psychology but I can't say whether it will form a discreet element of the assessment. The assessment itself is likely to last two hours.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 17
Avatar for Jam3898
Jam3898
2
I assume you still need to do them post A2. In this case does autopooling of three A* still apply?
Also is UMS still important for post A2 candidates?
Will the ums of AS levels that are taken this summer (2016) be taken into account at all?
Original post by Jam3898
I assume you still need to do them post A2. In this case does autopooling of three A* still apply?
Also is UMS still important for post A2 candidates?


Yes, all candidates in relevant subjects will need to take them (except mature applicants applying to mature colleges). Yes, UMS remains important for Post A level candidates.

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