UCAS Points

[Milo51]

My DS Year 9 has G8 for one instrument and would like to get another instrument and theory G8. DS is not doing because of UCAS points just would like to achieve to gain his confidence. But I would like to know if he can get more UCAS points? He got 30 points already but can he add for another instrument and theory or just limited for 1 music related points? I understand that UCAS points is not important for leading universities though.

They’re not relevant at all. Unless possibly where doing a music degree. Offers aren’t made on points and you can’t just collect up points.

But the answer is you can get points for each instrument

@Milo51

My DS Year 9 has G8 for one instrument and would like to get another instrument and theory G8. DS is not doing because of UCAS points just would like to achieve to gain his confidence. But I would like to know if he can get more UCAS points? He got 30 points already but can he add for another instrument and theory or just limited for 1 music related points? I understand that UCAS points is not important for leading universities though.

Some universities express offers in terms of points, although these tend not to be the post fashionable ones. Points for different instruments would be added together as they are for any other qualification.

Universities like students who have high points tallies because some of the league table use it as a measure of how good the university is. (Which says more about the quality and value of the league tables than anything else).

Yeah, it's really not any help.

If you want an academic degree, they'll want A-levels. If you're going for a performance degree, they'll audition you.

I suppose it's possible that with enough points they could waive the requirement for 2 A-level passes; but you might as well do something with the two years.

Thank you everyone!
DS will take music exam anyway as this is not for the sake of gaining UCAS points. But I just would like to know if he can gain more points or not. DS would like to study humanity subjects at Uni so I understand music qualification doesn't help his entry of university at all!

Yes it gives more points.

Yes they each add points but UCAS points are not used by many unis.

Thank you! I have boy and girl twins and now the time to decide GCSE subjects and lots of discussion about their future in our household at the moment.

My son is currently applying for music degrees and dd is doing a postgrad in MT at drama school so we have some experience of this.

Those universities that give offers in terms of UCAS points will usually say whether or not they accept music/dance/lamda grades towards them. Some do, some don't. Of those that do some will specify a limit eg up to x number of points can be accrued from music grades. Conservatoires are the places that usually accept most non A level/Btec points.

If applying for a conservatoire they might be used as a basis to give an unconditional offer - DC1 was offered EE for conservatoire but told to come back to them if something went wrong as the offer could be re-expressed in terms of UCAS points which would have been met already.

My understanding is that people who get unconditional offers to conservatoire often get them on the basis that they have the UCAS points already - which is why the conservatoires get away with making them when the universities are tld not to.

Agree with the above.

Conservatoires admit purely on musical expertise BUT to get funding a student has to get at least EE at A-level. As the two things (academic and musical ability) do not always go hand in hand, they may make offers based on UCAS points equivalent to EE or more IF an otherwise suitable student may for some reason not get the formal grades.

Otherwise, the UCAS point are something of a fun distraction. DD has enormous numbers from dance exams in 3 disciplines (and several dance exams that are at a higher level that A-levels), but they were an irrelevance in university applications.