Oxbridge entrance exam dates?

[Hidinginbed]

My DD has recently decided to apply for MFL at Oxford - I did a bit of research and historically the entrance exams have been in early November.

However I have seen on the admissions page that this year entrance exam dates are scheduled from 21-31st October 😬 We have a 4 day holiday booked the first weekend in half term (flying on thursday evening 25th) which is really worrying me that it will clash!

Does anyone have any insight? It seems strange that they haven’t released dates yet if they are planning to hold them in half term as surely we can’t be the only people who may have holiday booked? I am panicking somewhat. And I’m guessing it’s only one date for everyone so won’t be able to take it earlier / later.

From the information I have received from my dc's School it sounds like the date will be released nearer the time, the delay is no doubt linked to the test being sat at a Pearson Vue test centre rather than at school.

Why potentially put them on at half term though? With short notice? It seems a bit silly…we can’t be the only ones who have booked holiday. I wish they would hurry up and release the dates!

Maybe it's in half term because the students need to be off site to take the test buts it's more likely to be related to the timeline agreed between Pearson and Oxford.

From experience, don't try and book any holidays in Year 13. Every holiday is blighted with tests, mocks, second mocks, revision, university open days, offer holder days and , university interviews, 18th birthday parties that cannot be missed. Not much help I know. You might manage a weekend away in Feb if you are lucky...

There are often Oxbridge work submission deadlines around then too even if no exam requirement, dc school cancelled an overseas exchange trip in October half term because it potentially clashed with Oxbridge tests.

It’s already booked - only 4 nights so assumed would be fine! For her 18th & husband’s 50th (& not cancellable either)
Im just praying it’s in the days before we go… argh!

It is a bit ridiculous it's in half term especially as the exams are usually sat at school. Both DCs schools have lots of trips in that half term sports trips, A level curriculum trips etc. they haven't given much notice at all.

If you ask on here you are not meant to go away in year 13. Especially if you are doing Oxford!
They usually release date way before now but with the change of examiner it's all been delayed. There was a big f-up with exams last year so they have changed them again. However they are usually around these 2 weeks.
However if there is a date range, why can they not announce the actual date.
We booked a holiday in full knowledge it might clash. We have only paid a deposit so far so can cancel or my ds is happy to fly out/back if it's at the beginning or end of the holiday.

yes I think worst case scenario if it’s on the Friday or Monday she will join us later / fly back early and take it with jet lag 😳 I’ll just have to suck it up and pay for an extra flight.
When she went for an open day they said initially early November so that’s annoyed me too as they gave her incorrect details. She only decided to apply recently, holiday already planned and I didn’t think 4 nights away would be an issue.
It’s ridiculously late to announce something that is potentially in school holidays!

Last year the tests were in half term week at our school. They moved half term back a week so I was hopeful, but now they moved the exams too. Maybe it's a test of how much you want to do the exam and get in! Part 1 - be available.
My TSA page just says more details nearer the time 🤦🏼‍♀️.
Back in my day the exams were mid November and even better if you did the exam route you got a 2E offer!

They were held in October when DD did the TSA. They work to a tight timetable from UCAS submission to the tests to shortlisting for interview. Half term for you may not be half term in Scotland, the Isle of Wight (who have a fortnight) etc. Schools may also start their mock exams in November.

Don't even think about booking anything over Easter!

We had a similar issue with the tests clashing with a school trip last year. We found out that you can pay to take the tests at British Council offices globally. It costs more but it’s fine, just Google for British Council in the nearest big city to where you will be and email the office to ask how to book.

DD did the entrance exams the following year, post A levels. Might that be an option? For MFL in particular, time spent in the 'target language' country beforehand would be time very well spent, especially if she wants an ab initio language. They don't so much teach the languages at Oxford as expect it to happen between essays, in DD's jaded view

My DD applied for MFL at Oxford this year. Her entrance exam was the last Friday before October half term. I want to say it was the 20th.

I have the GCSEs/Alevel double next year! So Easter and May will be at home. then I need to negotiate the post alevel events.

I didn't do it, but my boyfriend did, it might have changed, MFL at Oxford is very old text heavy. Like English lit but in a language! He hated the course, wanted more culture, linguistics, conversations etc. Just double check it's what she wants.

The test arrangements will be different this coming year because Oxford have a new relationship with Pearson to administer the tests. So dates and logistics from previous years may not be relevant.

OP - I’m sure you are right that there will only be one date for any given subject, the range is the window in which all the tests will take place.

Thanks for your input everyone… guess I just have to keep my fingers crossed it’s not the Friday or Monday surrounding the middle weekend 😬 it seems nonsensical to do it so close to school holidays IMO but what do I know…!

yes I think the course looks very literature heavy too but she’s ok with that, she does eng lit anyway and loves it so is quite happy with the idea. I think it looks really boring, but I’m not the one applying so I keep my mouth closed!

There are Pearson test centers overseas which International applicants can use. Depending upon where you are going, it may be possible to register to sit the test at one of them rather than taking them jet-lagged.

There seems to be an assumption in some quarters that the 'between date x and date y' indicates that the tests will be set up like the UCAT / LNAT, allowing candidates to book for any available session within that window?

I only have knowledge of the MAT but all candidates had to sit the test on the same day, no exceptions (there were different start times for overseas students but still within the same day)

That seems unlikely as the contents of the test would then leak. With the LNAT it is a massive operation used by many universities and largely computer marked. Presumably they can have a huge question bank to avoid unfairness, so any given version of the test will be different to others. The other tests are mostly Oxford-only, so it would be a prohibitive workload to create enough questions that candidates doing the test across a 10 day window got different versions of the test.

Gosh that would be so much better for an awful lot of people but yeah my guess is probably not? But far better than one date and one date only - and only announced in what will amount to a few weeks beforehand! It’s really prohibitive - anyone who is away, hospital appointment, driving tests (so hard to book) etc - having a choice of a couple of days would make life easier. But I think that’s probably wishful thinking!

I can't believe they would only announce it a few weeks before. That seems rather unhelpful. I know it's Oxford but people do have other plans in life they need to consider. Holidays may be extreme but logistics, other mocks, driving tests, family events etc.
At this rate my DS may decide it's too much faff! He was rather impressed with Exeter (uni!).

I agree- it’s bloody ridiculous. All other major exams are announced months and months in advance - and certainly they don’t put them in bloody half term week when it’s even more likely people will have made plans. It never occurred to me that they would put them in the school holidays!

I found this just now online which is hopeful - not sure how legit their intel is but it’s made me feel slightly more hopeful.