Hi CoffeeMugShot and other parents and guardians whose DC had to do this test last year, I was wondering how things turned out for your DC after the test- how long results took to appear and decisions made. Would also be interested to hear from this year's applicants.
The price is now £124 this year and £170 if you include the option of receiving some practice materials offered. There's no information on what to expect and many parents deciding to pay up the £170 [and cut back on other things] were shocked to find that the "revision materials" were only 1 practice paper at a whopping cost of £46!
They left off the information about the STAT test from their website in autumn (when many candidates had to submit UCAS applications before 15 Oct) so many were literally ambushed in February when having not been informed there would be a test (even when enquiring about the course) they received an email saying that they had to pay up and take the test, or else forfeit the application- and by February it was too late to change course or university choices.
I looked up the link to see if there was financial help for such a high fee- on following the link, it turns out that if you're a student from a very low income household living in a council flat in a state school, you're not entitled to any help or reduction in fee unless you happen to have the "correct" postcode and the "correct" name of state school.! So basically UCL computer science departments only want rich students or a very select minority of not wealthy students (makes you wonder how many of this tiny select minority actually get in or instead accepts offers elsewhere) so that UCL can shrug and say "well, we tried [not very hard]". So much for UCL's founding ethos that they would champion the students not from the privileged backgrounds of the time (ie Anglican, from fee paying schools and wealthy). Their approach feels like a way of keeping out students who aren't well off.
No communication was sent from the department or UCL after submitting the application either, which could easily have been done as a form letter email to all applicants- if a computing department can't do something as basic as that, it makes you wonder about their competence.....
I went to the department website after they sent that email demanding the booking- they have belatedly added in a box mentioning a possible extra test for computer science BSc and MEng applicants.
This raises a serious red flag about how the university and departments organise things and it's made us now very wary of UCL in general and the computing department. Not sure we would accept an offer if one were given now- what next, extra £124 charges to attend compulsory lectures? Aptitude tests at a cost just to be able to sit summer exams and Finals?
We would not have minded taking the test - most candidates are already taking TMUA - but it's the lack of transparency (or the level of disorganisation and poor communication) that does not bode well for students.