Oxford PPE without maths a levels

4

Hi, I am currently in year 12 and studying history, economics and politics. I did a level maths for the first 2 terms of year 12 but i was struggling with it so i decided it would be best to drop it. I achieved a grade 8 in GCSE maths, but I know Oxford recommends having a level maths in order to make application competitive. I was thinking of doing a few online maths courses to show that I am still competent at maths. Would i still be at a huge disadvantage if i apply to PPE at oxford without a level maths?

Reply 1

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Reply 2

9

Original post

by Peppapigmum

Hi, I am currently in year 12 and studying history, economics and politics. I did a level maths for the first 2 terms of year 12 but i was struggling with it so i decided it would be best to drop it. I achieved a grade 8 in GCSE maths, but I know Oxford recommends having a level maths in order to make application competitive. I was thinking of doing a few online maths courses to show that I am still competent at maths. Would i still be at a huge disadvantage if i apply to PPE at oxford without a level maths?

Looking at the stats, you can still get in without maths, however, 92% of people who got interviewed did offer maths, so that is something to take into consideration. I would say, for your case try to maximise your grades to 3 A*s and to do lots of extra curricular activities so that you're still a strong applicant, but it is not a huge disadvantage.

Another thing to take into account is the TSA and GCSEs which are weighted quite a lot for shortlising for interviews, and then offers, so if you can get an amazing TSA score that is hard for admission officers to ignore, then you should not worry about maths not being a subject you have taken. And of course, ace the interviews and show you are a teachable student with all three areas of the subjects covered in depth within your interviews.

Of course, getting good grades in your current A levels is more important than doing maths and not getting good enough grades, since majority of the successful applicants have 3 A*s, so you would still have a good chance.
Here are the most recent stats: https://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/ppe-admissions-2023-24-further-statistics-final.pdf

Reply 3

thegeek888

18

Original post

by Peppapigmum

Hi, I am currently in year 12 and studying history, economics and politics. I did a level maths for the first 2 terms of year 12 but i was struggling with it so i decided it would be best to drop it. I achieved a grade 8 in GCSE maths, but I know Oxford recommends having a level maths in order to make application competitive. I was thinking of doing a few online maths courses to show that I am still competent at maths. Would i still be at a huge disadvantage if i apply to PPE at oxford without a level maths?

The TSA score is a huge factor and also your predicted grades need to be ideally A*A*A or A*A*A*.

Also, how you perform in the interview will be the deciding factor in whether you gain and offer or are rejected?!

Your GCSE Maths grade is an 8, so why could you not cope with A-Level Maths and even A-Level Further Maths?

I wonder which examboard you studied A-Level Maths with, as Pearson Edexcel has model answers by the examiners online for free. So, really you should get an A or A*.

More importantly, Pearson Edexcel has the most resources online for both A-Level Maths and A-Level Further Maths.

YouTube channels: ExamSolutions, TLMaths, HindsMaths and BicenMaths are all excellent. 😉 Also, almost everyone gets an A or A* grade by using them and even more so with UpLearn.

So, you should consider studying A-Level Maths. Because last year, although 92% of applicants without an A-Level in Maths were interviewed, ultimately 96% of applicants who were made an offer had offered A-Level Maths.

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 4

Napoleon I

7

Original post

by Peppapigmum

Hi, I am currently in year 12 and studying history, economics and politics. I did a level maths for the first 2 terms of year 12 but i was struggling with it so i decided it would be best to drop it. I achieved a grade 8 in GCSE maths, but I know Oxford recommends having a level maths in order to make application competitive. I was thinking of doing a few online maths courses to show that I am still competent at maths. Would i still be at a huge disadvantage if i apply to PPE at oxford without a level maths?

As someone who conducted TSA and PPE interviews, I believe the recommendation to take A-level maths is not solely based on the course requirements, particularly the economics section. It’s also because the skills developed in A-level maths can significantly enhance your problem-solving abilities during the TSA and the interviews. That is why those who do A-level maths statistically score higher than those who do not in the TSA. While it’s possible to be interviewed without A-level maths, as long as your TSA score is around the low 70s, possessing the skills from A-level maths can still be advantageous in the interviews themselves. After all, Oxford University’s acceptance rate for applicants without A-level maths is not solely due to a lack of mathematical proficiency, but rather to the assessment of whether applicants possess the necessary skills for the course, which aligns closely with what we learn in A-level maths. Attempting to complete a TSA paper could provide helpful insights into your ability to handle the questions effectively, even without A-level maths.

Reply 5

stabbynarhwal131

4

There's a guy at my college in the year above me who got in without it, so it's definitely not impossible. You'll need alright maths skills to get past interview- I can't remember it requiring anything much more difficult than basic integration and differentiation in terms of the practical bit of econ, but maybe learn the core parts of the a level course just in case. Like someone else in this thread said you'll need to do TSA papers, but they don't require very high maths skills either. I'd also advise calling round to check which colleges tend to accept people without it a lot- my college tends to accept more than the average without the "right" a levels in a fair few subjects, but some colleges are much less likely to do that. Go to the open days and ask them about it and see what their response is. If you're set on it, you still have a shot, so work hard and go for it.

Oxford PPE without maths a levels

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