grade 6+ Music instruments +UMS marks

Some1 told me that if you are a grade 6 or higher on a musical instrument, you can get extra UMS marks that are counted towards your total UMS marks for getting into university. This means that this increases your chances of getting into the university of your choice. Is this true?? Cos if it is, its not exactly fair on those people who don't havn't got up to grade 6 standard yet, like me who is on grade 5 or for those who don't play a musical instrument and have to work harder on their exams to get a certain amount of UMS marks to get into their choice of university right?? If this is true, how much extra marks do you get??

Reply 1

sexysax

14

You don't get extra UMS marks, you get extra UCAS points. A lot of universities don't hand out points offers anyway. I think it is fair, it's something extra curricular that people do alongside A-levels and requires hard work, it's not easy just to pass a grade especially grades 6-8. The amount of work someone has to do for A-level isn't related in my opinion to if you have a music exam under your belt. They have no effect on the A-level results whatsoever. A uni might ask for a total of 280 points, including at least 2 A-levels, so from that, you could use your AS grade for a subject if you dropped it but got a decent grade, or you could use a music exam if they accepted it.

Practical:

Grade 8 distinction - 75 points
Grade 8 merit - 70 points
Grade 8 pass - 55 points

Grade 7 distinction - 60 points
Grade 7 merit - 55 points
Grade 7 pass - 40 points

Grade 6 distinction - 45 points
Grade 6 merit - 40 points
Grade 6 pass - 25 points

Theory:

Grade 8 distinction - 30 points
Grade 8 merit - 25 points
Grade 8 pass - 20 points

Grade 7 distinction - 20 points
Grade 7 merit - 15 points
Grade 7 pass - 10 points

Grade 6 distinction - 15 points
Grade 6 merit - 10 points
Grade 6 pass - 5 points

Reply 2

blone_bomb

You dont get extra UMS points but extra UCAS points. The amounts you get can be seen at http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/index.html. You get Ucas points for grade 6+ in practical and theory exams although less for thory. It does increase your chances of getting into university but the top universities do not include them in their offers. I think it is fair to get extra Ucas points because i have put so much effort into playing my trumpet and its great to get some recognition of this. And when i was doing my grade 8, the time i was spending on it was huge and actually detracted from the time and effort i could spend on my coursework and stuff. If you have lower grades you can still add them to your ucas application and are looked favourably on but you do not get Ucas points.

Reply 3

dan_b

from my point of view, it allows you to display your achievements on your UCAS form clearly, instead of solely just in your PS.
it is definitely good to have, but wouldn't have thought it is going to make much difference if you havn't got the predicted grades. make sure you don't forget to put it in though.

dan

Reply 4

nadezhda

First of all thanks to the person who started this thread, I was only thinking about this recently.

Secondly, this may seem like a silly question (if it is, I am sorry, but going to ask it anyway) I recently passed Grade 8 piano and violin with merit. Do I Get twice the UCAS points available for passing the grade because its 2 instruments. Or can you only use points gained from one instrument only.

Thanks ppl :biggrin:

Reply 5

nikki

9

nadezhda

I recently passed Grade 8 piano and violin with merit. Do I Get twice the UCAS points available for passing the grade because its 2 instruments. Or can you only use points gained from one instrument only.

I'm guessing it's per instrument. A-levels, AS-levels, AEAs, key skills, etc. are all per subject, so why shouldn't music qualifications be per subject (i.e. instrument) too?

Reply 6

sexysax

14

nadezhda

First of all thanks to the person who started this thread, I was only thinking about this recently.

Secondly, this may seem like a silly question (if it is, I am sorry, but going to ask it anyway) I recently passed Grade 8 piano and violin with merit. Do I Get twice the UCAS points available for passing the grade because its 2 instruments. Or can you only use points gained from one instrument only.

Thanks ppl :biggrin:

No you can't count the both. You'll get 70 points for a grade 8 practical merit. If you counted every instrument and high grade exam someone had it could get silly. I had grade 8 sax merit, grade 6 clarinet and grade 6 piano when I started uni, so that could have given me 120 extra points which is a tad ridiculous! They only allow the highest theory and the highest practical to prevent people from taking the higher exams just for the sake of it on loads of instruments to get these points.

Congrats on your merits though :biggrin:

Reply 7

nadezhda

sexysax

No you can't count the both. You'll get 70 points for a grade 8 practical merit. If you counted every instrument and high grade exam someone had it could get silly. I had grade 8 sax merit, grade 6 clarinet and grade 6 piano when I started uni, so that could have given me 120 extra points which is a tad ridiculous! They only allow the highest theory and the highest practical to prevent people from taking the higher exams just for the sake of it on loads of instruments to get these points.

Congrats on your merits though :biggrin:

lol Thanks, you too I've always wanted to play saxophone, but i've always been a string instruments kind of person!! :biggrin:

, Anyway I thought that was the case, you're right when you say it could go OTT with the points.
regards
:biggrin:

Reply 8

Walker

1

Cant be bothered reading it all but I know its been pointed out they are UCAS points and some unis dont use UCAS points and the ones that do tend to say "XXX UCAS points from 3 A-Levels"

grade 6+ Music instruments +UMS marks

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