Oxford MAT exam and covid

[Neolara]

Just wondering what you think might happen if a candidate couldn't do the Oxford MAT maths exam due to covid? The MAT is also used by other universities such as Warwick and possibly Bath and Durham

Dd3 arrived back from school today and announced 4 people in her class now have covid and she'd sat next to one of them for the whole day. DD1 is due to take the MAT in 2 weeks, which by my reckoning is just long enough for dd3 to come down with covid and pass it on to her big sister. Hoping there may be a contingency plan for this eventuality so covid doesn't screw up her chances of applying for her chosen courses at a number of unis.

From what I can remember from last year's MAT I think you can apply for special consideration if you can't take the test due to Covid, provided you have medical evidence. I'm not sure what that actually means in practice. Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that.

From the Oxford website:

Illness on the day of the test

If a candidate is ill on the day of the test but decides to sit the test anyway, they may apply forspecial consideration. If a candidate does not take the test at all due to illness, the decision about whether or not to shortlist the candidatewill be taken by the college considering their application. In the case of BMAT, candidates who fail to take the test are not considered further, unless there are very strong mitigating circumstances.

We're in exactly the same situation. DS's friend, who he spent the weekend with, tested positive today. DS now really worried he'll get it and won't be able to sit his MAT.

I went so far as to message Cambridge Admissions Assessment about this (who run the courses). No real joy from them, I'm afraid. The reply was the same as the large Covid message on their website. If you're isolating on the day of the test then you fill in the Special Consideration form and ... 🤷‍♀️ who knows?? It seems pretty likely to me that you simply don't get to do the test and they just consider the other parts of your application. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong! But if I'm right it seems hugely disadvantageous. They have been quite guarded about it all, I think. Maybe they're waiting to see exactly how many end up missing it because of covid. To my mind, it wouldn't have hurt them to prepare two different versions of the tests and offer a second date a week or so later for any isolaters... but what do I know?

The whole point of MAT though is to see performance directly assessed against competitors which us why they won't do 2 versions.

MAT is just after half term so to give it their best shot at being covid free is your DC prepared to in effect do what they can to minimise contact with others over half term as in self isolate?

I wonder why, after last year, all of the entrance tests couldn't have gone online this year, or other contingenciesallowed for. DS1 did some a level assessments in the summer at home. He was required to video himself doing the whole paper and then the exam centre SAID they would randomly check videos. They never checked his, though it certainly prevented him from being tempted to cheat. I can understand them not making provision for students who actually feel too I'll to sit a test - that's just bad luck - but those sitting at home isolating but feeling perfectly well?? It's bound to happen with some. Yes, we will be minimizing our social contacts this week and next!

Should say 'too ill', obvs.

OP, have your DD's been vaccinated? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about something that is probably not going to happen. But if it does, then remember the MAT is only really a requirement for Oxford. Those other universities you mention will only take MAT into account if she's sat it, and will also take alternatives such as STEP into account.

Thanks all for your replies. Just wanted to update that amazingly, no-one in the family came down with covid and DD was able to take the MAT exam today. Phew!

@Neolara just wanted to echo that - but with regard to PAT instead. I had a celebratory drink last night to mark the fact that I had actually got DS to the exam room without succumbing to covid or isolation. 😰 it felt like Russian roulette throughout October ...

Hi all! I know Oxbridge entrance is a worrying time, doubly so in Covid times. I've been through it as a parent pre-Covid, in 2016/17 , and I also did some maths at a certain level.

It's worth always remembering that, out of all everyday subjects, University Maths is completely different from even Year 13 Further Maths. So the Admissions people are looking for any and all evidence that will say nothing about School performance and might offer evidence about projected University performance. So nowadays I would do the maximum study and 'fun' practice with STEP stuff and aim to take the most and the toughest STEP papers I could cope with, especially at the end of Year 13. The Admissions selectors will be mindful of that. STEP is also the only 'mainstream ' prep for University Maths, so well worth doing anyway. The toughest prep - whether for Warwick, for Edinburgh or for Oxford - is what the candidates do from February to September next calendar year.

All Uni Admissions folk I know, including some in my family, are actually pragmatic, flexible and desperate to be fair. And get the decision right as to 'Offer' or 'Not offer'. This really is worth bearing in mind.

Anyhow, good luck to all candidates! Glad to hear that quite a few managed to make it to their Tests!