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No A*'s at GCSE but Medicine!

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Original post by Anonymous
Thanks everyone (never thought I'd get so many replies :smile:) but we'll see what happens, Cambridge or not, Medicine is Medicine, so even if I do get in I'll be very grateful :h:


You sound more sensible than most on this thread! Being flexible will greatly increase your chances of success so this attitude is great. You will have your UKCAT and BMAT grades before you apply so that will make the uni choice easier as well. Good luck.
Original post by Anonymous
Can I do Medicine with no A*'s in GCSE, I'm currently in my 2nd year of sixth form and I got- (AS level)

AAAA In Maths, Biology, chemistry and EPQ which was related to the NHS.

Do I have a shot :smile:


I say try apply where you see yurself if you get rejected you have 4 other choices if you want to go to oxbridge and imperial go for it.The worst thing is playing it safe and spending 54,000+ on a degree and going to a university you hate while you could have gone to the university you want.Even if i had no chance of going somewehre I will always try.Apply to Cambridge as they place less emphasis on GCSE's.Try you will never know.
Well considering the wonderful graphic that Doonesbury has provided us, I think OP should put Cam as one of the options. However in the future for other applicants with poorer GCSE scores, it will be harder as I presume since there are no AS grades anymore, GCSEs and the BMAT will be looked at
Original post by TheNlee
Well considering the wonderful graphic that Doonesbury has provided us, I think OP should put Cam as one of the options. However in the future for other applicants with poorer GCSE scores, it will be harder as I presume since there are no AS grades anymore, GCSEs and the BMAT will be looked at


Thanks.

And Cambridge have said that GCSEs will not be more important than they are now.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Doonesbury
Thanks.

And Cambridge have said that GCSEs will not be more important than they are now.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Interesting
Original post by TheNlee
Interesting


Yes, I had assumed so too.

The only conclusion to draw is that it will be all on the BMAT pre-interview.
Original post by nexttime
Yes, I had assumed so too.

The only conclusion to draw is that it will be all on the BMAT pre-interview.


And not forgetting they interview approx 75-80% of applicants.
Original post by TheNlee
Well considering the wonderful graphic that Doonesbury has provided us, I think OP should put Cam as one of the options. However in the future for other applicants with poorer GCSE scores, it will be harder as I presume since there are no AS grades anymore, GCSEs and the BMAT will be looked at

So if all subjects were linear (no AS) there would be much less of a chance?
Original post by Doonesbury
Thanks.

And Cambridge have said that GCSEs will not be more important than they are now.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Is this only for the post a-level applicants or in the future too, as my two subjects (biology and chemistry) were linear so they don't count as AS, would that put me at a disadvantage?
Original post by GCSE 9
Is this only for the post a-level applicants or in the future too, as my two subjects (biology and chemistry) were linear so they don't count as AS, would that put me at a disadvantage?


No-one is disadvantaged by having linear A-levels. Most A-levels are now linear anyway.

Back before the A-levels were reformed approx 40% of Cambridge applicants didn't have UMS because they took IB or Scottish Highers or whatever. Cambridge is *very* used to assessing applications without UMS.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Doonesbury
No-one is disadvantaged by having linear A-levels. Most A-levels are now linear anyway.

Back before the A-levels were reformed approx 40% of Cambridge applicants didn't have UMS because they took IB or Scottish Highers or whatever. Cambridge is *very* used to assessing applications without UMS.

But @TheNlee said that in the future applicants with poorer GCSE'S would be disadvantaged because there's no AS? So two of mine are linear (chem and bio)?
Original post by GCSE 9
But @TheNlee said that in the future applicants with poorer GCSE'S would be disadvantaged because there's no AS? So two of mine are linear (chem and bio)?


I'd still recommend applicants with "poor" GCSE to take AS-levels exams (including linear AS-levels) *if* their school offers them. It helps demonstrate an upward trajectory. The availability or not of UMS is entirely secondary.

However *you* have AS-levels anyway, and MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, you will have actual completed A-levels under your belt...

Remember: A-level > AS-level > GCSE
Original post by Doonesbury
I'd still recommend applicants with "poor" GCSE to take AS-levels exams (including linear AS-levels) *if* their school offers them. It helps demonstrate an upward trajectory. The availability or not of UMS is entirely secondary.

However *you* have AS-levels anyway, and MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, you will have actual completed A-levels under your belt...

Remember: A-level > AS-level > GCSE

In our sixth form the AS exams were called "mock" exams, is that still alright?
Original post by GCSE 9
In our sixth form the AS exams were called "mock" exams, is that still alright?


So you didn't sit the external exams. This means you don't have AS qualifications for those subjects. But no it doesn't matter and it's very common practice now. Your school's exam policy will never disadvantage a Cambridge application.

And you will have actual A-level grades anyway: remember, A-levels > AS-levels > GCSE.
Original post by Doonesbury
So you didn't sit the external exams. This means you don't have AS qualifications for those subjects. But no it doesn't matter and it's very common practice now. Your school's exam policy will never disadvantage a Cambridge application.

And you will have actual A-level grades anyway: remember, A-levels > AS-levels > GCSE.

But what if someone applied this year, for e.g. to another uni besides cambridge, would it still be possible to get into other uni's because I wouldn't have taken a gap year yet so I would be applying with predicted grades and no external AS exams? Hope you know what I mean.
Original post by GCSE 9
But what if someone applied this year, for e.g. to another uni besides cambridge, would it still be possible to get into other uni's because I wouldn't have taken a gap year yet so I would be applying with predicted grades and no external AS exams? Hope you know what I mean.


That's a different scenario entirely. But yes a future applicant with poor GCSEs and only predicted grades (and no AS-levels) will be at somewhat of a disadvantage. They will be relying on a strong BMAT/UKCAT, etc.

But most medicine applicants get 4 rejections (approx 60%) and many then re-apply with A-level grades achieved. Gap year applications are not unusual for medicine.
Try leeds 3A at AS gets you full score for academic points (instead of scoring your gcses they score your AS if they are better than gcses)
Have to sit BMAT aswell.
Original post by Doonesbury
That's a different scenario entirely. But yes a future applicant with poor GCSEs and only predicted grades (and no AS-levels) will be at somewhat of a disadvantage. They will be relying on a strong BMAT/UKCAT, etc.

But most medicine applicants get 4 rejections (approx 60%) and many then re-apply with A-level grades achieved. Gap year applications are not unusual for medicine.

May I ask when you say no AS-levels does it still count if you sit the AS (external
) exams but all the subjects are linear, then technically do you still have AS qualifications because I'm abit confused because our 'AS' exams were mocks and I don't know if they were external or not. So we sat 2 papers (for e.g. biology)- the ones set by the exam board AQA, so that means that they are external?
Original post by bobwibbles
Try leeds 3A at AS gets you full score for academic points (instead of scoring your gcses they score your AS if they are better than gcses)
Have to sit BMAT aswell.

I'm so confused because AS is now linear so I don't know if they count as AS qualifications or not?
Original post by GCSE 9
May I ask when you say no AS-levels does it still count if you sit the AS (external) exams but all the subjects are linear, then technically do you still have AS qualifications because I'm abit confused because our 'AS' exams were mocks and I don't know if they were external or not. So we sat 2 papers (for e.g. biology)- the ones set by the exam board AQA, so that means that they are external?


A mock isn't a formal exam. It wasn't externally marked by AQA, your school just used AQA past, or specimen, papers and your teachers marked it. It's standard practice and you don't end up with an AS-level qualification.

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