Problems understanding UCAS v A Level Entry requirements

[FarawayTreeFolk]

Can anyone throw any light on my confusion? I am helping DD with looking at undergraduate Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence courses at Uni for next year.

She has got an A, B and a C at A-Level, which adds up to 120 UCAS points. When we search for Unis, some state that UCAS points to get in are 112 - 153 but ask for Grades AAB.

On the face of it, it looks like she has enough UCAS points but her A-Level grades are not high enough.

I just don't understand if we should be looking at A-Level Grades or UCAS points, to work out if there is any point applying.

Any help would be very welcome.

Can you ring the departments at the unis you are considering after term starts and ask?
I think in comp sci especially they put a lot of value on your personal statement and explanation of how involved your DD is already in computing.

Yes, I will give that a go!

If they specify grades that is probably what they are looking for at A level and ucas points may apply to level 3 alternatives such as Btec. Can you see what was in Clearing this year as grades sometimes lower on under recruited courses

LIZS That could be it. DD isn't planning on going to Uni this year as always planned to go in 2020. The particular Uni she favoured didn't have any Clearing places on offer this year, but I don't know if it will be the same next year. I need to get on the phone to them I guess.

I recommend it is your DD who makes any calls to the Uni as they don't like speaking to parents instead of the students themselves

Echoing what LIZS said above, On the whole, the university website (as opposed to one of the search tools) will express entry requirements either in terms of the typical A level offer (as well as the BTEC / IB etc equivalent), or the UCAS tariff points required.

e.g. Universoty of Nottingham states that it requires AAB (iirc) at A level for Computer Sciece with AI, whereas the Northumbria website says for its course:

Standard Entry

120 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate

In the first case, ABB would equal the same number of points (136), but despite the A, the second B may be seen as missing the required grades. In the second, the total could include BBC at A level (112 points), plus any acceptable other qualification worth at least another 8.

Her grades are ok. IME Most unis drop their grades below what is advertised.
This year we have seen one of DS1s friends go off to Durham with ABB (advertised grade A*AA, offered grade AAA).
Nottingham comp sci took one of DS2s friends with BBB.
Best thing to do is speak with the unis directly.

Is that a search in the uni websites or is that form a search site like Which University? The latter tends to state a range based on including things like contextual offers and foundation years.

Sorry, just realised marching more or less said that too!

Thank you all for your advice. Great to know that Unis will drop entry requirements in practice.

Will definitely get DD to do the phoning around unis rather than me doing it for her

Piggywaspushed Yes, you are right. We have bee looking on the Which University website. We will go on the individual uni websites instead. Thanks for this advice.

I would suggest looking at AAB-ABB places as in practice unis can drop up to 3 grades between published typical offers and what they will take on offer day. With A levels in hand your DD is in a stronger position than those doing A levels next summer. Also it's important what subject the C was in eg if A is maths and B computer science this puts her in a much stronger position than if her C is in maths.

The A was Electronics, B Computer Science and C was Statistics. DD is going to do a Fast Track full Maths A-Level in one year distance learning with the National Extension College starting 16th September. Hopefully she will get a decent grade at the end of it! She has also been give permission to re-sit Statistics. She didn't do so well in Statistics as prioritised her revision on Computer Science and Electronics.

I would check with Unis if they will count the maths and stats as separate A levels for admissions purposes as Stats form a part of the maths A level. It may be worth her just concentrating on getting a good grade for the maths and working/doing work experience for the rest of her free time. As she did so well in her electronics, has she thought of a joint degree eg Bristol's joint Computer science and Electronics MEng or BEng degree? As she hasn't done Maths it may be that Unis will give her offers conditional on her Maths grade.

mushroom3 Thank you for your post. I think you are right that it is likely that they won't count Statistics and Maths as 2 A-Levels as Stats is part of Maths syllabus. Just hoping that she does well in her fastrack Maths A-Level or her Stats resit, so that she has a higher grade to offer alongside the B in Computer Science and A in Electronics. I don't think that she wants to take the Electronics any further. Ironically she was lease confident about Electronics and did the most revision for this subject, which resulted in the A grade. Stats she considered to be easy and did barely any revision and as a result got a lower grade! Bitterly ironic I think!

Unis won't know who calls- seriously.