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UCAS Presentation
Peter Mulligan
Professional Development
Session Outline
 Application process
 UCAS tariff
 Admissions tests
 League tables
 UCAS updates
 Questions
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF UCAS
MAY 2010
When did UCAS come into existence?
2000
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
2001
2010
MAY 2010
UCCA
PCAS
UCAS IS MORE THAN JUST UCAS
All these
UKPASS
= UK
UCASadmissions
= Universities
& Colleges
GTTR
==Graduate
Conservatoires
services are CUKAS
run
from
Postgraduate
Application
Admissions
Service
Training Registry
UK
Admissions
Service
UCAS HQ inTeacher
Cheltenham
& Statistical Service
600,000 applicants
50,000
applicants
3,500
applicants
Our one and
only
office!
8,500
300 institutions applicants
1377institutions
19conservatoires
institutions
50,000 courses
MAY 2010
?
12,345,678
99,999
c. 30,000,000 !
452,981
MAY 2010
In that time we’ve placed
> 5 MILLION
actual people on to HE courses
That’s more than the whole
population of Norway!
MAY 2010
Each year we speak to
> 250,000 prospective
students at > 50
regional HE events
MAY 2010
2009 was a record breaking year for UCAS
639,860 Applicants
Equivalent to 7 full
Wembley Stadia
MAY 2010
2009 was a record breaking year for UCAS
481,854 Applicants accepted onto a course
Roughly equivalent to the whole city of
Edinburgh
MAY 2010
2009 was a record breaking year for UCAS
481,854 Applicants accepted onto a course
23.9%
45.3%
54.7%
76.1%
MAY 2010
20Male
& under
21Female
& over
2009 was a record breaking year for UCAS
What was the most popular degree subject by
accepted applicants?
LAW
MAY 2010
2009 was a record breaking year for UCAS
… and the top ten?
1. Law
2. Design studies
3. Psychology
4. Computer science
5. Business studies
6. Management studies
7. English studies
8. Business / admin
9. Sports studies
10. Social studies
Green = % rising Red = % falling
MAY 2010
WHAT WILL
MAY 2010
2010
LOOK LIKE . . .
2010 cycle figures
▪ Total applicants
▫ 20 and under
▫ 21 and over
▪ UK domiciled
▫ 20 and under
▫ 21 and over
570,556
447,342
22.9%
16.5%


123,214
53.7%

499,451
22.1%

390,826
108,625
15.3%
55.6%


As of 31 May 2010 there were 640,760 applicants, a rise of
77,758 or 13.8% over 2009
2010 cycle figures
▪ Top 10 subjects – UK domiciled
0
40000
80000
120000
Nursing
Psychology
Design studies
Law by Area
Pre-clinical Medicine
English studies
Training Teachers
Social Work
Sports Science
History by Period
Degree
Source: UCAS Statistics Unit
Foundation
Other
160000
The UCAS journey
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
Potential applicant researches and finds a course
Registers online with UCAS Apply
Completes form and processes payment
Academic reference added by school / college
School / college sends form electronically to UCAS
UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs
HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful)
Applicant views decisions on Track
Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance)
HEIs confirm places when results are released
Key features of admissions scheme
 Maximum of 5 choices
 Some choice restrictions:

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 choices

Oxford or Cambridge
 Simultaneous consideration
 ‘Invisibility’
Key dates
Mid June
Release of Apply software
Early September
First day for receipt of applications
15 October
Medicine, Veterinary and Dentistry
Oxford or Cambridge
15 January
‘On time’ applications
24 March
Various Art & Design Courses
30 June
Applications after this date held for Clearing
Factors for successful applications
 Research
 Application
 Consideration
Research
 Paper
 On-line
 Experiential
Course Search Post-it
Post-it is…or Post-it isn’t
Possible Chemistry HE courses

Medicinal Chemistry

Chemical Physics

Environmental Chemistry

Chemical Engineering

Biochemistry

Chemistry with Patent Law

Chemistry with Nanotechnology

Chemistry with Oceanography

Chemistry for Forensic Science

Chemistry for Drug Discovery
Edit, edit, edit!
Similarity Detection Service
 Personal statements are checked against a library of
those already in the system, and from a variety of
websites and paper publications
 Each new statement is added to the library after
processing
Common errors in APPLY
 Missed Qualifications (GCSE’s)
 Non-existent criminal convictions
 Poor choice of email address
 Choices too broad
 Weak personal statement
 Ref / PS mentions one institution by name
 Weak vocational references
UCAS Tariff
The Tariff came into practice for 2002 entry and
originally encompassed the following qualifications:

Curriculum 2000

Scottish Qualifications
It enables you to make offers and specify entry
requirements under a single numerical score
To be within the UCAS tariff a qualification would
normally have been accredited at the English NQF
level 3
Tariff statistics
Use of Tariff for 2010
entry requirements:


GCE A Levels
Grade
Tariff Points
81% of institutions
A*
140
using the Tariff
A
120
B
100
C
80
D
60
E
40
65% of courses using
the Tariff
Diplomas in the UCAS Tariff
 Progression Diploma (Principal and Generic Learning)

Maximum 350 points
Progression Diploma
 Additional & Specialist Learning (ASL)
Grade
Maximum 140 points
Tariff Points

A*
350
 Advanced Diploma = Progression Diploma plus ASL
A
300
Maximum 490 points

B
250
C
200
D
150
E
100
Diplomas in the UCAS Tariff
Principal & Generic Learning combined grade
(Progression Diploma)
UCAS Tariff
Points
Additional
&
Specialist
Learning
E
D
C
B
A
A*
100
150
200
250
300
350
E
40
140
190
240
290
340
390
D
60
160
210
260
310
360
410
C
80
180
230
280
330
380
430
B
100
200
250
300
350
400
450
A
120
220
270
320
370
420
470
A*
140
240
290
340
390
440
490
▪
1,265 level 3 qualifications on ASL catalogue
▪
49% of these attract UCAS Tariff points
Tariff points
Principal Learning
Extended Project
Grade
Tariff Points
Grade
Tariff Points
A*
210
A*
70
A
180
A
60
B
150
B
50
C
120
C
40
D
90
E
60
D
30
Functional Skills
E
20
Grade
Tariff Points
Level 2
10
Example 1
 A student has failed their Advanced Diploma due to the
failure to achieve a maths functional skill
 However they have achieved:

A grade B in Principal Learning = 150 tariff points

A grade C in their Extended Project = 40 tariff points

Functional Skills in English and IT = 20 tariff points

An A level in Maths at grade C = 80 tariff points
 In total this student has achieved 290 UCAS tariff points
Example 2
 A student had not received and Advanced Diploma
because they did not pass the extended project and some
functional skills
 However they have achieved:

A grade C in Principal Learning = 120 tariff points

A functional skill in English = 10 tariff points

An A level in Spanish at grade B = 100 tariff points
 In total this student has achieved 240 UCAS tariff points
Vocational Routes to HE
 BTEC
 OCR
 NVQ
Question1: BMAT
A farmer has an underground water tank
which he decided to calibrate by adding
known volumes of water and measuring the
depth using a dip-stick. His calibration graph
is shown below. The horizontal cross section
of the tank is circular at all points.
Question 4: LNAT Essay question
What tests are available
▪ BMAT
BioMedical Admissions Test
▪ ELAT
English Literature Admissions Test
▪ GAMSAT
Graduate Medical School Admissions Test
▪ HAT
History Aptitude Test
▪ HPAT
Health Professions Admissions Test
▪ LNAT
The National Admissions Test for Law
▪ MML
Modern and Medieval Languages Test
▪ STEP
Sixth Term Examination Papers
▪ TSA Cambridge
Thinking Skills Assessment
▪ TSA Oxford
Thinking Skills Assessment
▪ TSA UCL
Thinking Skills Assessment
▪ UKCAT
UK Clinical Aptitude Test
Admissions tests
▪ 14% of HEIs in UCAS scheme using one or more tests
▪ 84 separate tests now in use
▪ 2 ‘generic’ tests being piloted / researched
▫ SAT and UniTEST
▪ Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA) initial
report on admissions tests available at www.spa.ac.uk
Where to find information
▪ UCAS Apply
▪ UCAS website
▫ Informational links
▫ Course Search / Entry Profiles
▫ UCAS Publications
▫ Big Guide
Big Guide
UKCAT survey
 December 2009 a survey was conducted into UKCAT
 4620 responders
19.5% of all those who sat it
 45% think UKCAT tests the right attributes
 54% think it tests innate ability
 83% travelled less then 20 miles to a test centre
 6.4% found out about the test from careers advisers
 18% thought their school very informed about UKCAT
 10% didn’t take the online prep test
League tables
Sports facilities
Distance from home
Friends applications
Campus
City v rural location
Nightlife
Updates
Art & Design 2010
 Process brought in line with Route A:
 Simultaneous
 5 choices
 Invisible
 For Art & Design courses formerly recruited
through Route B, HEIs had the opportunity to
select a deadline date of either:
 15 January
 24 March
 Application deadlines will display on UCAS
Course Search for each course
Invitation requests (1)
 HEIs have the facility to send an invitation
transaction requesting applicants to:
 Attend an interview
 Provide a portfolio
 Provide other evidence
 It will be possible for a college/university to
provide optional additional text.
 A date will be specified (they will be the
option to specify a time also)
 This transaction will be displayed on the
applicant’s Track screen
Invitation requests (2)
The applicant will be able to view & respond to invitation via
Track:



Accept the invitation
Decline the invitation
Request a new date/time
Communication around changes of date/time will take place
outside of UCAS
The college/university will be able to view the response from
the applicant on the link-products
Course closures
Adjustment process 2010
▪ For the 2010 entry cycle, Adjustment will be available from
19 August (A level results day) to 31 August
▪ During this period applicants have five calendar days (5 x
24 hours) to register and secure an alternative course
▪ An applicant's individual Adjustment period will start when
▫ CF  UF
▫ 19 August
(whichever is the later)
Adjustment stats 2009
▪ Over 40% of applicants had the opportunity to use Adjustment
▪ 3,600 Applicants registered
▪ Numbers placed
▫ 2,355 reconfirmed with their original choice
▫ 444 were placed in another choice (Main/Extra/Clearing)
▫ 382 were placed in their Adjustment choice
Apply 2011
 Increase of application fee to £21 and £11
 Removal of application number
 Enhancement of the criminal convictions question
 Nominated access details to be available to institutions
 Collection of passport details
 Compulsory question on highest level of qualification
 The ability to carry conditional offers through to the next
cycle for courses that start mid-cycle
Competitiveness
▪ Differentiation
▪ Entry Requirements
▪ Application numbers
Successful Equations
QU = Degree offer
QU + E + S + T = Degree offer
Qualifications
Experience
Skills
Testimony
Future demand for higher education
Population aged 18-20 (millions)
2.2
Previous projection (2007 report)
Latest projection (2008 report)
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.7
Source: HEPI ‘Demand for Higher Education to 2029’ (11/12/2008)
2009 cycle statistics
UCAS applicants and accepts
700,000
78.56%
650,000
77.68%
77.63%
77.20%
77.35%
77.57%
600,000
75.31%
550,000
500,000
450,000
400,000
350,000
2003
2004
Applicants
Source: UCAS Statistics Unit
2005
2006
Accepts
2007
Acceptance rate
2008
2009
Competitiveness
18 – 20
Demographics
2009
Applicants
Mature
Students
 Adviser Guide
 Changes for 2010 entry
 Application flowchart
 Big Map
The UCAS Schools’ Team
 A dedicated priority telephone line for schools, colleges and
careers offices
 Your call will bypass our queuing system and you will be put
straight through to one of our Customer Service Advisers
 Please do not distribute to applicants or parents
 0845 123 8001
Questions
Peter Mulligan
Professional Development
p.mulligan@ucas.ac.uk