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Original poster

New UCAS Entry Grade Tool

44 replies

titchy · 15/05/2024 08:47

Are people aware of this? It's a new tool (in beta version) that shows the range of historical offers for a subject at each university. Obviously historic offers may not predict future offer likelihood, but looks like a useful tool.

You need to login in with a UCAS account:
https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/adviser-news/news/our-historic-entry-grades-tool

OP posts:
Original poster
titchy · 19/05/2024 12:06

jennylamb1 · 19/05/2024 11:18

The Times had a recent story on overseas students being offered much lower entry requirements due to the much higher international fees they pay. Are they included in these figures? Another poster noted that her daughter achieved the grades necessary to gain admission however was not offered a place, so I'm wondering if these lowered accepted grades are in danger of leading home residents into a false sense of expectation.

No - international students are not included. Nor are mature students.

OP posts:
stubiff · 19/05/2024 14:01

I think it’s useful to have more info/data.
Another thing that would have an impact is the grades accepted in the clearing period. And may be useful to have a % accepted via the normal firm/insure period.
I like the number out of 20 to see how competitive it is.
Caveat that some are for the course in question and some are for a group of related courses, which obv could have diff numbers.

SabrinaThwaite · 19/05/2024 14:13

mondaytosunday · 17/05/2024 08:12

The range will include all sorts of reasons - it doesn't separate out contextual offers or international.
And be warned, it's not just about grades: I looked up a course my DD did not receive an offer from. They had highest entry A star A star A, lowest A BB. My DD has 3 x A stars in hand and did not get an offer (no interviews or entry exams required).

My DC also applied with grades in hand and would have been contextual and did not get an offer from Durham for the chosen course, despite meeting the standard offer grades (and exceeding the contextual). It did say that only 2 in 5 applicants received an offer for the course, so I agree with PP that it's useful if you've got an offer and you're trying to work out whether to firm / insure and if you can afford to drop a grade.

Bunnyannesummers · 19/05/2024 14:22

It’s useful information, given with the correct IAG. But as someone working with students, parents, teachers etc, I’m not convinced it will be used as intended and worry it might encourage students to make the wrong decision. EG predicted BBC, apply for a AAA course because the tool says people were accepted at BBC.

At my institution we contextualise but for a WP applicant from an underrepresented group (e.g. care leaver) we’d be flexible on top depending on circumstances. So some of our accepted grades could look really low on there…but 99% of students wouldn’t be offered at that grade profile or confirmed.

I think it would be more useful if the info was offered on UCAS after your offers are in, to aid in that decision.

Habbibu · 19/05/2024 14:28

Doesn't include Highers or Advanced Highers as far as I can see...

stubiff · 19/05/2024 15:07

@Bunnyannesummers
Am guessing the % accepted at bbc (can enter those grades in the tool) for aaa standard will be pretty low.
You’d hope most would have some common sense to say that aspirational would be one grade above PG, two at most, and then I’d be looking for a pretty high % accepted at those PG, otherwise no point applying there I think.

Bunnyannesummers · 19/05/2024 15:46

stubiff · 19/05/2024 15:07

@Bunnyannesummers
Am guessing the % accepted at bbc (can enter those grades in the tool) for aaa standard will be pretty low.
You’d hope most would have some common sense to say that aspirational would be one grade above PG, two at most, and then I’d be looking for a pretty high % accepted at those PG, otherwise no point applying there I think.

You would be surprised! Some students really don’t get much guidance (or are given bad guidance, which is another issue).

poetryandwine · 19/05/2024 19:12

titchy · 19/05/2024 12:06

No - international students are not included. Nor are mature students.

Show quote history

A number do A levels here, even if not a large percentage of the Overseas cohort at certain universities. Enough to show in this tool however, I think (not just the bottom 5%). I also worry that pupils will waste UCAS choices as a consequence of seeing the actual grades of some accepted applicants, without thinking about their PGs.

Also the recent trend towards only making offers to those with PGs in excess of your standard offer (in certain competitive subjects and universities) is camouflaged by the tool. That is potentially a big problem.

MrsRusselBrand · 28/05/2024 12:42

I tried to log in and it says access denied!!
Does anyone know the range of offers for Vet Med, I know it's AAA but wondering in terms of contextual offers etc so was keen to have a wee look at this

SabrinaThwaite · 28/05/2024 13:40

@MrsRusselBrand

This is the data for Bristol vet science:

https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/courses/112f2deb-49d8-e477-f983-62462f0c6058?academicYearId=2025

If you can get the link to work then you can put in predicted grades for a more tailored answer.

New UCAS Entry Grade Tool
MrsRusselBrand · 28/05/2024 14:47

@SabrinaThwaite thank you for that. It's really helpful

crokodial · 21/09/2024 17:41

@titchy , is this tool still available? If so, what sort of account is needed to access it? Does it have to be an adviser account? My son has a ucas hub account and there is no info about the historical data in it. When he tries to view the link in your original.post, it says he doesn't have permission to access it.

mumsneedwine · 21/09/2024 17:56

@SabrinaThwaite that's their contextual offer for vet med. Data doesn't seem to distinguish for this.

SabrinaThwaite · 21/09/2024 20:35

@mumsneedwine

The UCAS tool I snapshotted shows the most common grades (std offer) and lowest grades (contextual) for Bristol?

mumsneedwine · 21/09/2024 20:38

@SabrinaThwaite Bristols standard offer is AAA and their contextual is ABB (or AAC or A starBC). And Bristol give a lot of contextual offers !

SabrinaThwaite · 21/09/2024 21:04

mumsneedwine · 21/09/2024 20:38

@SabrinaThwaite Bristols standard offer is AAA and their contextual is ABB (or AAC or A starBC). And Bristol give a lot of contextual offers !

Always good to know - thank you!

BiancaBlank · 21/09/2024 22:47

@crokodial You don’t need an account at all - you can see this info simply by going on the UCAS website and then searching for the subject/uni you’re interested in.

chocorabbit · 22/09/2024 19:56

Because the data is since 2019 some grades might be too low compared to current offers.

I also saw KCL CS had an offer rate of 40% which is again old. I saw data under FOI which showed that they had made offers in 2023 or 2022, I don't remember to about 15% of home students. International was similar. That's less than half of 2/5 shown on the UCAS website.

Also, enrolled students have significantly reduced overall. Have universities reduced the amount of students they admit?

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