Ucas / Results 2014 (carrying on Ucas Forms Sent.... thread)

[Littleham]

Thought we might need a new thread for the results...

Doesn't all this make you wish they only applied to Uni's once they have their achieved results. You would think there would be a way if they arranged it so exams were taken earlier and that the first year of Uni started a bit later. Once the students had their exam results they would have a much clearer idea of where to visit and apply to. I guess it would be difficult arranging interviews though.

Really useful link to last years thread - thanks. I was totally wrong then - the insurance offers can go up before the firm offer uni has decided.

I'm glad I read that as we may find ourselves in that position - DD will certainly have got her insurance grades bu may miss the firm grade - so if the insurance updates first, it doesn't necessarily mean she hSnt got her firm.

I am really really nervous now - was keeping it all together until just today really! I think I'll hang out here with you all for a while, rather than inflict my nerves on the rest of the family!

Ok, to cut to the nitty gritty, I seem to recall that the results piece of paper is about as impenetrable as the NorthWest Passage pre global warming. I have just looked at the AQA website which (un)helpfully says:

"Firstly find where your raw mark lies between, and thus your grade. If your mark lies on the grade boundary, then your UMS is just the minimum UMS for the grade (see the tables above). If you got a B, C, D, or E (where the relationship is definitely 'almost linear'), then it's relatively simple to find the UMS:

Work out the gap between your grade's boundary and the boundary of the grade above in raw marks;
Work out 10% of the total UMS marks (which is the gap between your grade's upper and lower boundaries in UMS marks);
Work out the gap between your raw mark and your grade's boundary below, in raw marks (which is how far you are into your grade in raw marks);
Divide the number worked out in step 3 by the number worked out in step 1;
Multiply this number in step 4 by the number in step 2 (which gives you how far you are into your grade in UMS marks);
Add this to your grade's UMS boundary, then round to the nearest whole number if appropriate, to give your UMS score.

A worked example should make things clear. Let's take AQA A Psychology, PYA1, summer 2006 session, and we see that the examiners have concluded that a particular script has gained 32 overall in raw marks. From the grade boundaries:

Grade Max. mark A B C D E
Scaled Boundary Mark 62 39 33 27 22 17
Uniform Boundary Mark 100 80 70 60 50 40
So 32 is a C; it falls into the linear range. But what UMS score is 32/62 raw marks?

raw gap = B - C = 33 - 27 = 6
UMS gap = 10% of 100 = 10
how far into a C in raw marks = 32 - 27 = 5
5 ÷ 6 = 0.8333...
how far into a C in UMS marks = (5 ÷ 6) × 10 = 8.333...
UMS score = 60 + 8.333... = 68.333...
Hence 32/62 is about 68/100."

Blimey. All this at 8am in the morning whilst panicking. Is that why we need a calculator with us (I had assumed that was to work out if we could afford the fees ;-) )

Am I right to deduce from this that the results sheet has raw marks (that we have to convert to percentages and then find out grade boundaries), or is it just marks out of whatever that we just scale to a % and KNOW that 90% is an A* on the basis that the UMS process has already been applied? I so don't want those 10 minutes of total incomprehension having opened the envelope and can;t find any good guides online. Thank goodness for maths where I know that we are looking for scores of 90/100 in each of C3 and C4 so at least I will understand it...

For each module or paper, littlemiss they list both the raw mark eg 68/75 and the grade for that module.
Then they add up the total UMS for all of the modules in that subject and give a score for that. Eg 297/300 (we wish!). Then give a grade score for that eg A*.

They do only the working out of the grades for you.

What you can't see from the results paper, I don't think, is how far into the grade your score lies - whether you missed by one mark or scraped in by one mark. That is what the grade boundaries calculations are all about.

The grade boundaries info you can get from your school - the exams officer will have it in his hot little hand, I'm sure, or online from the exam board (and those are due up on Wednesday, I see from the student room).

Blimey.

I think this a a ratio thing. Whatever the raw gap, it is equivalent to 10%. So if you are 5/6 of the way to a B in raw marks, you are 5/6 of the way to a B in UMS (83% of the way to the next grade). And you add the extra bit on to the minimum for grade C to get the UMS.

dd is very tense and doesn't want to talk about results (I think/hope she will be fine but hard to be rational about it at the moment!. I will make sure she has UCAS and school (results emailed to school email) logins to hand but don't think she will engage with anything else - is there anything else I can do do, quietly?

And now I feel utterly stupid as I don't understand a single feckin word of that.

DSs get their mathematical ablilites from DH, not me (thanks goodness).

G'waaan, ask me spellings!

Thanks beckandcall : so for each module we will see the raw mark and a grade (?including A* if applicable?), but won't know what %UMS this is until we look up online the conversion factor that year, but further down on the results sheet they will tell us the total UMS and grade for that subject overall? Aaaaaagh! I hope I can understand it on the day...

Same here LetsFaceTheMusic! Job for DH I think.

lalsy. We found this link helpful - its shows the latest early clearing vacancies (ahead of the final list on Results Day). We sat down and listed out codes of courses.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2766660&page=6&p=49230569&highlight=clearing#post49230569

Thanks Littleham, that link is great.

Having just re-read my attempt at explanation, I am not surprised others are now baffled, sorry all too much coffee I think .

I've just phoned Bath and they've told me that as DS has an insurance offer, he can't apply for accommodation until 20th August. They let them know by 1st September which seems very late to me. Then if they're not offered anything, the university has a first year house hunting weekend when they can stay on campus and meet others to look for flats together.

DS is very shy and that would be his worst nightmare!

I really hope it doesn't come to that..

This thread is bringing back very happy memories. Last year bone idle, constantly underachieving DS1 tapped on my bedroom door and said, "Mum, I've got this congratulations and welcome text from my (wildly optomistic, solid Russell group) first choice university". To say I was pleasantly surprised is the understatement of the century.

As it turned out, DS had in fact missed his offer by one grade, but they took him anyway.

And, even better, DS has rather turned over a new leaf and just missed out on a first for his first year results.

You might find this link from last year useful Timetraveller (about Bath accommodation). Also they are building a huge amount of accommodation, so you may be OK.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2363288

I've often used the university buses from the city centre to the campus & they are very frequent (takes about 15 minutes). If you need any help PM me - I'm sure my dd's would like a shopping trip to Bath soon, so if you need me to wander around / collect info / take pictures...happy to help.

Littleham Thank you so much. We saw the building going on, and I'm hoping they now have enough accommodation for first years on campus. If DS does end up there, it will be frustrating not being able to sort anything out til September.

Just saw your post TT. You have my sympathy. My DS is also very shy and the idea that to get accommodation he would have to meet others to look for flats together would be impossible for him.
I do hope it doesn't come to that.

littleham just seen your post re Durham - when did your DD receive that? I just asked DS and he said he got a letter a couple of weeks ago but that was the most recent communication from them. Definitely starting to worry for him now. He has his heart set on Durham :(

It was in a letter sent on 11th July from admissions & contained information about what to do once examination results are out. Your DS probably received one too. If you can't find it, let me know & I'll send you a copy.

Another useful link for clearing.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Clearing_Contacts_Directory

That sounds like the one he received a few weeks ago. I will get him to have another read over it in preparation for thursday!

Hmm, letter has been dug out but the only reference to results day is "If you are unfortunate and narrowly miss out on your entry offer, then do contact us so we can discuss your position further".

All will become clear on thursday!

We are anxiously waiting for results here as have 3 x 18 year olds all waiting for news.

This is our first time having to tackle applications too so we are complete beginners and I don't mind admitting we are a little phased.

It's the thought of having to go into clearing which is confusing me.

If they get there 1st or 2 choice results then all is well and good.

But if any of them decide to go into clearing though then do we do this via UCAS or do we contact the Uni direct?

Also, do they get a choice? Will it be a case of UCAS saying, we can offer you a place here, here or here? Or do we have to have some preferences lined up already?

Sorry for all the questions, feeling very wobbly now

Wow, three sets of results seagulls that doesn't bear thinking about!

I'm getting pretty jittery now, especially as DS hasn't heard from either his firm or his insurance recently, no reassuring e-mails about getting in touch if he narrowly misses his offer etc.

From past experience, when do welcome e-mails/ texts/ letters arrive?
Is it possible to receive these BEFORE Thursday- that would be wonderful!

Yikes! Three sets of results

..still at least you will get it over with in one go.

If I'm understanding it correctly, clearing works like this....(please correct if I'm wrong).

1. Log onto track & if your firm and insurance universities don't want you, then there is a message to say you are in clearing. If Firm or Insurance do want you, you cannot go into clearing unless they release you officially.
2. As soon as possible, look at clearing lists (see my earlier link) or Telegraph Newspaper (which also has lists) and ring up Universities you are interested in (making sure you have Ucas number, personal statement, course codes ready in case you are interviewed).
3. Line up as many verbal offers as you want through the day (they are usually limited to a certain number of hours before they lapse).
4. At 5pm, Ucas will allow you to put in ONE new application (that you hold a verbal offer from). Hopefully the University will then give you an unconditional offer. You are only allowed to do one at a time.
5. If new university takes you, then great, otherwise repeat the process.
6. If unsure, some universities are holding Clearing Open days eg. Nottingham Uni is doing this on the Friday after Results Day.

I think this is how it works...

I would just add to that if you think you may be in clearing then it is worth looking around now to see if there is somewhere in particular that you may be interested in. Several unis already have their vacancies up on their websites and it makes it so much easier because come Thursday, if you look in The Telegraph, what you will see are pages and pages of course codes, no course titles just codes. If you don't have a course code to look for, you'll be at a loss. The only titles are general subject headings. Even then you have to be canny. Just because your English course is not listed under E for English or English Literature doesn't mean it doesn't exist in clearing, try looking under L for Literature or C for Comparative Literature or A for American Literature etc etc. They are not always where you expect them.

so that you have course codes and info at the ready