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.

What website is that screenshot from, OP?

Sorry I should have put that! Uniadmissions.co.uk

do they know things we don’t? 🤞🤞

It doesn’t sound to me like that website is written by anyone with actual info - note the “it is assumed”. Oxford and Pearson have not said that. It is only very recent news that Pearson have taken over the testing so more likely that the precise details of when Pearson is scheduling any given test haven’t yet been decided, only the broad window.

Uniadmissions have no insider knowledge of Oxford’s processes- but of course it’s in their interests to act like they do as they are selling a product based on the belief that if you pay them you’ll have a better chance of getting in.

Given that Oxford academic staff have to create and vet the tests alongside their teaching jobs, seems to me very unlikely that they’ll switch to a system that would involve vastly more work (to have so many questions at every level that candidates can take different papers over a long window while still guaranteeing each paper tests the same skills in in the same way and to the same degree of difficulty at each stage.)

They are often held in half term. It will depend when your school or area had its half term. It may mean he had to miss the break as it is anticipated that Oxbridge will expect all applicants to take the same test on the same date so they are comparing like for like. I guess people will decide whether attending Oxbridge is more important than a driving test which can be rearranged or whether if they have been planning tk go there they would have researched already what the entry entailed.

We booked the holiday before she decided to apply. And also was told ‘early November’ at an Oxford open day within the last few weeks, so we didn’t think it would be an issue.

yes that website is probably just guessing, like we all are! Will just have to wait and see…

Just remembered my friend is tutor and does interviews (not for my DS subject or MFL). Might be time for a text as she might know what they are expected to produce!

@Spirallingdownwards the tests dates are usually announced Feb/March time. So usually plenty of planning time. Students are allowed to chose to go to Oxford last minute, exams, teachers advice etc. This seems very discriminatory to those who have had the knowledge and are prepared to clear their diary for 3 weeks! All we are asking for is an exact date (or confirmation it's several dates) bearing in mind that's what they have done in previous years well before now.

OP you'll know the date on August 15th latest, because that's when registrations start. That's on the Oxford University website. So that's two months ahead of your trip - ample time to buy another flight if you have to. You say the cost of the trip isn't refundable anyhow so it seems pretty straightforward.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/guide/admissions-tests

My strong advice would be to stick to the Oxford University website. Oxford is always very good at putting info out as soon as it has it. No idea why anyone would try to glean info from non official websites.

DDs school have lots applying to Oxbridge. They also do a big bi-annual History and Politics A level trip at half term that is organised around 18 months in advance and has never previously clashed with the entrance exams. Similar scenario at other DCs school. DD was thinking of applying to Oxford but says there's no way she's missing the trip she's been looking forward to for ages if she can't sit the entrance exam.

Well MAT has been confirmed as one date only so fully expect it to be the same for all the others. Of course it's not discriminatory. The misuse of such word so often nowadays makes a mockery when there is true discrimination. Literally every person has the same access to looking up on their website what the entry criteria is and information.

Yes I have already seen what’s on the Oxford website, I have already emailed them too but they were very unhelpful and said they would let us know asap.

Having to buy another flight at the cost of several hundred pounds and her trip being cut short / delayed is not something I want to wait til August to find out about.

Feb/March would have been far more helpful and easier for people with busy lives / later applicants / etc etc - particularly when they TOLD my daughter it would be early November (this was literally 3 weeks ago on an open day)

@Spirallingdownwards when was the MAT confirmed as one day only? And how? (Eg an email etc as it’s not saying on the website, it says the same as the other subjects)

Hidinginbed just my take on this, but I'm not sure your reasons for wanting to know (holiday) are going to pull at Oxford's heartstrings.

Knowing the date by mid Aug latest is perfectly reasonable.

If you don't want to or can't afford to pay a large sum for a new flight then perhaps your DD could stay at home. Or apply next year. It's for her to assess her priorities.

Well of course I don’t WANT to pay for another flight, who would?! The trip is for her 18th so would be a bit shit for her to stay at home 🤷‍♀️

I’m not expecting Oxford to change their ways for us, I’m just moaning I’d like more notice and for them not to change what they told her only 3 weeks ago 🙄

I'm not sure August is entirely reasonable- I'm thinking more about the schools that will have to open over half term, staff that will need to come in, invigilators that will need to be booked etc etc. I think it's pretty rubbish of Oxford to leave it so late.

Schools won't need to open: All admissions tests will be online, delivered in partnership with Pearson VUE via its established network of test centres.

@kidsfromfamenyc , the Oxford tests are being held at Pearson Vue test centres, not at schools, this no doubt is leading to the delays. It's the same places as where you take the driving theory tests, ie nameless office blocks in town centres.

So once the idea of this creating difficulties for schools is batted out of the way, it's really only people who've booked or want to book a holiday who are affected.

Well that's going to be even more confusing for all the pupils that would previously have taken the exams at their schools surely? How will Pearson know how many they will have at each centre, where the tests will be etc? Sounds like a logistical nightmare!

@Karolinska yes maybe it is, but seeing as it’s potentially in the school holidays I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to think people might have booked something 🤷‍♀️

Pearson run professional exams, language tests, driving tests etc day in day out. The universities provide them with a rough estimate of the spread of locations. They open up booking windows. If a child in (say) Plymouth can't get a space in Plymouth, they go to their next available centre.

It's hardly difficult. In fact it's easier, as schools which rarely have Oxbridge applicants don't have the hassle of becoming a test centre for a solitary child.

I just hope the process isn’t as chaotic as the law exams Pearson/Vue now run

Well quite OP. But from experience, very few kids at our school who were going to take an aptitude test also chose to go on holiday. Even if their family did, a Y12 is generally easily capable of staying home alone.

@Hidinginbed I'm with you! But as I said at the beginning holidays are a no no to some people applying to Oxford. This has been their goal since they were born and how dare you want to apply if you are not 110% dedicated, left weeks clear, and want some sort of life too.
Guess we'll just have to wait. Think my holiday balance is due in September. But any new flights if that is also a plan will be £££ by then.