Can fomal gymnastic levels such as BG add ucas points for HE / Uni application?

Any college and university will of course take extra curricular activites into account when considering an application, however when it comes to credits/points, only OFQUAL regulated qualifications are recognised.

With dance for example, all the recognised graded and vocational exams are accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), with selected Grades also having a UCAS Tariff. So each grade carries a credit value towards further education. For example, RAD Grade 5 Ballet is a level 2 qualification, so is equivalent to a GCSE... useful for someone who isn't academic, but who wants to go to college.

And for the benefit of anyone who thinks these exams don't amount to much... here is an example. A child achieving Distinction in RAD Intermediate and Advanced Foundation (both exams you can take before the age of 16), would gain a total of 135 UCAS points. That's equivalent to an AS level, so again... useful if they go on to 6th form and fall a bit short on the exam results.

Gymnastics is worth doing in itself. It improves fitness and many people enjoy it. A lot depends on the course how relevant gymnastics is.

DD has earned some UCAS points doing vocational dance exams & Arts Awards; however none of the colleges she has auditioned for count either the UCAS points or the dance exams for entry purposes.

(Some of the dance content is marginally academic - as well as the language translation skills, did has had to put together oral presentations and whatnot). It's very basic, admittedly, but I think that's how the points were initially credited - because of the pseudo-academic content - please note I am in no way trying to justify the inclusion/ exclusion of disciplines from the UCAS tariff - as I said, I find the whole thing quite funny)

Dd has also attained notional UCAS points through dance, but in all honesty they are an 'also-ran' as she is entering hard core sciences. She dances about ten hours a week, including two hours of teaching.

She dances because she loves to dance - she will never be a professional dancer (might continue with teaching pt to earn money through college) but in all honesty we think it's pretty funny that she has earned UCAS points through a hobby.

I can see that it would be much more important if you were intending to pursue a career in a related discipline, but tbh it's largely irrelevant - I'm not even sure we will bother to list them on the application form - if you need to scrape points together from extra-curricular to apply for a program unrelated to those skills, you probably need to rethink what you are applying for.

personally I don't think any non-academic qualifications should attract UCAS points.Fortunately it is only at the bottom end 'points based' course s they came into play.

well that's a circular argument isn't it?

But they are not accredited. Dance, Lamda, music all offer credits to level1 or 2 awards.

You used dance exams as an example and they don't have academic content either.
The lowest grades are called 'regional' grades (well, it's changed recently and there are club grades below them now) but their content is set by BG centrally not by each region.And then after that are 'national grades' and alongside that compulsory grades.

Gymnadtics grades are regional and do not have the academic clout of music exams. Gymnastics is a completely different type of activity.

Gymnastics does not have formal exams like music or drama or dance

Yes it does. She doesn't mean BAGA badges she means gymnastics grades.

If she is flexible and fit perhaps she could do dance exams which might add ucas points. Gymnastics does not have formal exams like music or drama or dance. Badges at many clubs are achievable by the average 6 year old. To have ucas points for a British gymnastics badge would be as laughable as having points for an ASA swimming award.

Universities are interested in what is relevant. Gymnastics might be relevant if your daughter wants to do physical education. Certainly my son's old gym coach left th club and went to loughbough to train to become a school PE teacher. I am sure that his coach qualification and level 2 coaching qualifcation helped him. I suspect that gymnastics would help your daughter get onto a dance course.

It's nice that she enjoys it but it won't make a difference to get university applications. The serious gymnasts here train for 2 hours a night from 4 yo! It's a huge commitment but they seem to love it.

maypolist- but the Op has said her 12 year old is doing 2 hours a week- that isn't very much.

But gymnastics grades are a thing you fail pass or get distinction in at teh same time as being a comp

Mercia Even the most basic gymnastics grades usually require an absolute minimum of 6 -9 hours a week which quickly increases as you move up the grades.
The thing with gymnastics is that most people have reached their competitive ceiling before or shortly after they start secondary school and Universities generally have no interest in things that happen at that age.

G

OP two hours a week is not a big comittment, nor even 4 I'm afraid.

I have a DD who dances to high grade level- she does 20 classes a week. Her exams are recognised by UCAS.

No, gymnastics grading doesn't work in the same way as dance or music as it's not an exam, it's just a competition with set pieces in. My DD does both.

In terms of UCAS, it won't really be worth much. It's not even really relevant for personal statements unless they're using it to show other skills like they're good at time management or something. And only then if they have been doing it recently. No university will be interested in hearing about how they did gym at 12 or even 14. Bearing in mind most girls 'retire' from gym in their early teens, you're unlikely to be able to use it for UCAS.

My own daughter (now 11) has recently given up gym. Last year, she was training 18 hours a week. Now she's joined an advanced rec class and she's doing 3! However, at her club she's able to go on and train to become a gym coach and get a part time job through this. I know girls who have done this and used that for UCAS - in particular those who have gone into teacher training. To go into it with a level 2 gym coaching qualification... Unis have loved that. I also know people who have also gone into sports science and sports therapy (though not sure if or how they used it on their applications, but some of my students who have done these courses have used their own experiences in their own sports on their personal statements).

But beyond that, I'm not aware of it being of any UCAS support except for those who train at a very high level.

Alternatively, is there a display team nearby - that uses gym for fun and they often tour and do gym displays. My DD is looking to do that.

Other than that, just enjoy it for what it is - a great sport that they will really enjoy and get a lot out of!

The official list is www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/tariff/tariff-tables . No gymnastics as far as I can see.

I work for a top 20 accountancy practice. When I was involved in recruiting trainees, we had a UCAS requirement and did include extra curricular UCAS points.

My DD already has 160 Ucas points from dance exams- she is 15. The course she wants to do asks for 260 UCAS points so this will be helpful.

sigma33 with the exception od a few 'people centred' courses such as medicine, Oxford and Cambridge have zero interest in extra curriculars unless related to their chosen course.
They separate the wheat from the chaff by means of their own admissions tests (eg MAT, PAT, sTEP papers) and by interview.Often the interview process will incorporate a test as well.

OK- you know best.