Cardiff A100 2020 Entry

So I've calculated and I have 25/27 points for gcses and my UCAT is 2680. Do you think I should bother at all with Cardiff, I reallyyyy like it but do I stand a chance?

Hi
I’ve seen on other threads that Cardiff don’t consider 8s as A* and you get 3 points for a 9/A* 2 points for 8/7/A and 1 point for a 6/B. Is this right or is it 3 points for 9/8 /A* 2 points for A/7 and 1 for 6/B?

Hi,

I am unsure if Cardiff will be contexualising my GCSE scores to my previous school (comprehensive) or to my current school which I started in September last year(grammar school) because if they contexualise it to my current school then my grades are pretty average but in my previous school I achieved the highest grades in my year. My predictions are A*AA and I got a B in my EPQ. Could you let me know if it is still worth applying because is my score is contexulised then it should move up.

GCSE Grades: 998888776 so my score is 23/27 which doesn't seem high. I got a low UCAT score - 2380 (595 average) and Band 1 but I know that is only used in border line.

I know Cardiff medical school do not use UKAt . What minimum academic qualifications will they look for before inviting for interview.
My son has 7 A* , 2 A, 1 B in GCSE and predicted A* A* A for chemistry, maths and biology respectively for A level. Thanks

does the predicted A level grades get added to this score or is it just GCSE? IF 27 was cut off last year then it mean students with only A* In all 9 subjects can only get interview?

It is just achieved A levels that get added to GCSE score, not predicted. The cut off historically has been 26/27 (8 A*s and an A) but last year the cut off was 25/27, however they were viewing only a 9 as an A* and an 8 & 7 were an A, so that 25 may well have been made up of 7 x 9s and 2 x 8s. This year, they are scoring both 8s and 9s as an A*, so IF the profile was as above, the equivalent score would be 27 this year. However, last year's scor may also have been made up with 2 x 7s or 1 x 8 + 1 x 7. There are, however, a great many more 8s and 9s around than there were A*s (around 26% 8 + 9 versus about 15% A*s for AQA in bio and chem). This may mean they have to use UCAT as a tie breaker between applicants scoring 27 this year
Or the cut off may drop a bit, nobody knows!

there is a lot of misinformation in this post, just to clarify a few things:

- cut offs change each year. yes we all love to compare to previous years to see our chances but trying to work out what this year's cut off will be as you have done above will cause more confusion than is needed. we have no idea what the cutoff will be.
- the UCAT is only used POST interview, in situations where applicants have the same interview score but not enough places left. it is not used pre-interview. the personal statement is used alongside GCSE/achieved Alevel score to determine interview invites.

if it gets to the point that the cut off becomes 27/27 then Cardiff really need to reconsider their scoring system, as it makes it more of a minimum requirement than a changeable score. nobody has any idea what the cutoff will be this year, but to get an interview at Cardiff you need very high GCSE grades (or achieved alevels with good GCSE grades).

The only bit of my post that can be considered misinformation is that it may well be the PS that is used, not UCAT to decide between applicants if scoring reaches 27/27, which based on cut offs last year and the changes in the percentages achieving 8s and 9s v A*s, is absolutely a possibility.
And even that depends on your reading of the website, as under the UCAT tab Cardiff very clearly say

"We do not have a minimum threshold score for the UCAT, however the UCAT score may be used as part of the assessment procedure."

So if you have definite information that is won't be, it would be helpful for prospective applicants for you to post it on here or for Cardiff to amend their website.
They with be ignoring formal GMC advice that the PS is not a good method to select applicants if they use it to score and select applicants and it ends up becoming the primary determing factor in choosing between applicants with the same academic score.

It would perhaps be easier for an applicant to assess their chances if Cardiff gave clear, unambigous details of their selection procedure and published past cut offs, as many other med schools do, rather than insisting requests about this are dealt with only via FOIs. You, of all people, know the advantages of being able to work out if you are applying to your strengths.

I also dislike the ambiguity, but that is a decision the admissions team have made. if you go to an open day you will be given up to date information about the admissions procedure, and how it works. also emailing admissions with specific queries is a good plan.

you are just speculating that the GCSE boundary may increase, there is also lots of speculation that Cardiff are now considering grade 8 and 9 as the same but this is not published anywhere, so we can't be sure. speculation is really not helpful in this process, as it will put people off applying when they may actually be fine.

how do you know last year's cut off? can I ask where you get this information from?

in terms of UCAT, Cardiff have always used it post interview, you are right in saying that ambiguous wording means they could use it if absolutely necessary before interview, but they don't like the UCAT so would prefer not to.

Cardiff don't score the PS. they create a cut off for GCSE scoring and then anyone who meets that will have their personal statement screened for non academic criteria. people do get rejected who are above the cut off but their PS lacks what Cardiff is looking for in a doctor.

I get everyone's frustrations, but Cardiff isn't the only med school that keeps this information private. I am only a student, i can't change things.

all I ask is please stop speculating about the GCSE score, it's a stab in the dark at best and may confuse people. let them do their own research and make up their own mind.

Unfortunately, people cannot do research easily, as Cardiff do not publish the information and those with out the experience and knowledge to know how to obtain it are therefore left at a disadvantage - surely the people who need advice and support the most? Defending poor practice by pointing out that others also have poor practice is surely not the way forward?

As you say, Open Days and emails are a good way to try and obtain information. This and FOIs, and it is through these routes that I have gained the information above regatding cut offs and scoring of GCSES. This had come from Cardiff university themselves and is not speculation. Unless Cardiff are deliberately giving out false information.

My post was applying statistics, mathematics and logic to what may happen in this year's selection process. It was not speculation and this is not a stab in the dark. Future performance is best predicted by past performance, as you will know. I clearly state the possible make up of last year's score and how that may impact upon this year's score. Or that the cut off may change completely. People need information and experienced support and advice - again, you know the value of this. People are analysing available data on all the threads and then applicants must make their own decisions about whether they chose to take a certain level of risk but they deserve to be informed about what that level may be. This is something I always advise, as you know. If it puts people off applying, then that is because they had safer or more preferable options elsewhere, so you cannot blame people for this and more confirmed information from Cardiff may ameliorate this.

I have no knowledge of what the cut off will be, but, the same as I do on all threads, was using my year's of experience and an analytical approach to explore possibilities. You yourself have spoken of the value of analysing your chances of an interview at any given med school and not merely going on personal preference pre-application.

You called my discussion about the possible use of the UCAT "misinformation" but have admitted here it is perfectly possible that it may be used. And your comments about the PS do you a disservice. If you "screen" something and reject somebody on the basis of its content, then this is indeed scoring the PS and your comments are akin to the type of double-speak med schools too often use about "not having a UCAT cut off" when this is their sole method of selecting. You know how med school selections work and that PS assessors will be given clear guidelines and protocol to follow when reading PS as results must be reproducible, reliable, consistent and defendable. If you can pass or fail something, I would call this "scoring" even if there is no numerical number attached at the end of it. Otherwise it is down to one person to decide if they prefer volunteering at a Care Home to shadowing and research, or that a Head Girl is more worthy than a prefect. That is med school selection of even before my time and should play no role in modern selection processes. As you have repeatedly said, too many people get somebody else to write their PS, so it is not even a representation of their own efforts. The situation may arise this year where an applicant with a perfect GCSE score is rejected based on the content of their PS so Cardiff had better have a process in place that allows them to show how this decision was reached that follows the criteria above as they may be called upon to defend it if people appeal.

I understand you fear for a dip in applicants at a med school that clearly, and rightly, means a lot to you, but if this happens, it will be of Cardiff's own making and cannot be blamed on people discussing selection processes and using statistics and logic to extrapolate from information already known. Add to the discussion as you know more about medicine at Cardiff than anyone else on this thread, but do not attack other posts or defend shoddy Admissions information as pressure from reading this type of thread (and yes, I believe Admissions Teams read them), may well be what makes the difference. Input from people who try to give advice in application processes on TSR certainly seems to have changed the practices of more than one med school when it comes to giving open and transparent information and has led to immediate website updates, even in this cycle.

I hear what you are saying, I really do. I don't appreciate the tone, but I get why you (and many others) feel this way.

I just hate to post speculation, because when I was an applicant it was this very speculation of cut offs and what is and isn't scored that resulted in me making the wrong decisions when applying. my best advice to every applicant is to approach medical schools directly if you are in any way unsure, of require further clarification. if I had done this I know that I would have found the whole process less frustrating.

you are free to post what you like, I just wanted to make sure people understand that it is purely speculation at this point, as you would be surprised how many people would take your word (as a very experienced and frequent TSR medicine forum poster) as the truth. so I just wanted to urge applicants to take all information that doesn't come directly from the medical school with a heavy pinch of salt.

didn't mean to come across defensive or argumentative, apologies if it feels that way.

Except med schools all too often do not clarify for fear of losing a possible applicant.....
I only post information I have obtained from reliable sources (usually med schools) or I state otherwise.
Showing the possible scores that can make up a cut off is not speculation, it is showing people that 25 could be 7 x 9s and 2 x 7s or 7 x 9s and 2 x 8s and then showing what that would mean this year.
And then it needs to be pointed out that there are more 8s and 9s than there were A*s, which also would lead to more people having the grades to push up scores
AQA results for Biology and Chemistry as an example


2017

13.1% got A* in Biology
17.0% got A* in Chemistry



2018

25.2% got 8/9 in Biology

27.2% got 8/9 in Chemistry


Again, using facts as far as possible reduces the speculative nature of the hypotheses and lets everybody have the information to decide for themselves.

You are an amazing asset for TSR and your posts have undoubtedly helped a lot of people choose wisely (just don't be surprised if I defend my viewpoint, I often don't just make it up as I go along, despite evidence to the contrary! )

what was 2019 cut off for cardiff?

I do not meet the minimum GCSE scores for the last two years (I have a meagre 22!). Cardiff have suggested that Welsh students could be disadvantaged by the reforms at GCSE AND that fewer Welsh students apply. Given this I am thinking it could be worth a go? Does anyone know if they do a Lancashire and try to ensure they have a quota of Welsh students? My UCAT score is top 20% so have put the safer bets down but I would actually like to contribute to my local community.