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.

Pearson do this for a living. They’ve been running the LNAT this way for years and years.

Either 110% dedicated or can’t go on holiday in the October half term for family or work or financial reasons?

The two DC of mine who sat the LNAT didn’t have any issues - what have the issues been?

@Karolinska like I’ve said before, last minute decision to apply and it’s a trip for her birthday, so we can’t exactly go without her. I can’t imagine we are the first people to be in this situation (& sounds like we aren’t, like @chickenpieandchips - flights to NYC which is where we are going have already gone up loads since I booked - argh - maybe she she change to Cambridge instead as we can do those dates and she wasn’t too bothered by which one she applied to!)

Loads of prospective Oxbridge students at both my DCs schools are on curriculum and sports trips over that half term. Quite a few have decided to switch to Cambridge. A few may be at an NYC Pearson centre!

Doesn’t sound like your average comp tbf.

@kidsfromfamenyc yeah I guess she could potentially take it when we’re there?! Might put a bit of a dampener on that day but cheaper and less stressful than flying out late / home early?!

maybe they’ll all apply to Cambs instead then 🤷‍♀️🤣 Oxford’s loss for scheduling at a stupid time!

They have changed to Pearson for delivery of the tests after Tata messed up the delivery last year, and so the arrangements are all new. It has only just been confirmed that Pearson is taking on the testing. That is why the exact dates haven’t been released when they are normally set before March.

There will surely be a Pearson Centre in NYC. Many Americans apply for undergraduate admission to Oxford. The tests can be taken all over the world. She could do the test and then get on with the rest of the holiday.

It could equally not be Oxford's loss.

@Karolinska thanks for that really helpful input 🙄

The TSA exam (for PPE, E&M and others) has mostly been in October I think.

Hi OP, I can understand your frustration, particularly as you tried to time things to avoid a potential conflict.

Can you use the current impasse as an opportunity to encourage your DD to look at the relevant courses at Oxford and at Cambridge in more detail and, if time and money allows, for them to both locations, either informally or on Open Days? This way, any decision-making is not clouded by the NY trip issue. If Oxford wanes in appeal, say, because of course structure, then it will have been discounted for sensible reasons. If an Oxford visit fires enthusiasm, then your DD may be more accepting of, say, a cancellation or curtailment of the NY trip.

If it is any consolation, my DC went down the professional apprenticeship route where multiple, parallel applications meant Autumn term of Y13 was characterised by assessment centres etc, often at short notice on a take it or leave it basis, and with potential nail biting clashes with driving tests, uni tests etc. So juggling major commitments can be a feature of that year, I am afraid.

Thanks @PerpetualOptimist - she has been on a couple of visits to Oxford already (& was given the incorrect info re assessments as they were told November) and really likes it - Cambridge she has an open day next month but has visited the town and done some online open day type things already. Course-wise she is indifferent between them but prefers Oxford as a place to live - that was her main reason for choosing it over Cambridge but tbh if push came to shove she might go the other way as opposed to missing the NY trip!

(It’s a big deal for us, not something we have ever had the funds to do before or probably ever will again so she won’t miss it, I think she’d rather skip Oxbridge altogether than miss the trip!)

@Karolinska you are a right charmer. It’s not at all unusual for people to book holidays in upcoming half terms and it’s not unusual for schools to organise trips. people look forward to these things, they book them far in advance, spend money which is in short supply and look forward to these events – now they’re having to cancel but even more annoyingly they don’t know what they can arrange because the dates have still not been published. OP we were hoping to get away at half term, partly because older DC already at uni often have reading weeks then and it’s a good chance to get together but this has scuppered plans. It’s very poor of Oxford to give such short notice.

There is one test centre in Wales and one in Scotland.

Where do you get that from? I just looked on the Pearson locator page for the UCAT just as an example and they have lots of centres across Scotland and Wales

Oh good happy I am wrong. It was a map I found when I googled. It didn't seem right.

The dates are out on the Oxford admissions page and looking good for the OP, MLAT is 22nd Oct.
Have a great trip!

I’d just say that the Oxford admission tests are often during half term, or during the half term of independent schools that have a 2 week half term.

As OP says, her DC has decided to go for this late in the day and so the holiday was already booked. It’s one of those things. Specific dates have been later in coming out this year, but that range of dates has been out for a while and schools or colleges should have been able to advise about when to keep free. But when people decide fairly late in the day there will always be the chance they have booked something else that will clash. It will always happen to someone. No doubt, some decide in Sept to apply close to the deadline and some of their families might have already booked something.

In the end, you can switch to Cambridge, or cancel the holiday. It depends how much you want the Oxford course and are prepared to do what it takes to have the chance of a place.

It might also be worth bearing in mind that lots of schools or colleges will have mock exams after Oct half term, or after Christmas or after Feb half term or after Easter and other big assessments or deadlines for coursework after these holidays. Having holidays mid yr 11 or 13 can be tricky, lots of people simply choose not to book anything beyond a weekend away, to give the chance for revision etc.

Was just coming to post that dates are up

Yes the dates are up and fine - phew! Big relief here. Thank you to all those who contributed helpfully 😉 good luck to anyone whose kids decide to go for any of the tests - at least we can plan now, and hopefully not too many clashes with holidays.

Glad it worked out for you!
Just had to spend a week rebooking our holiday. But we've got it cheaper, and DS is flying out 2 days later rather than 5. Good luck in the exams.

Can I ask as someone who has never navigated this before. Should my niece who is in year 12 have applied by now?

No, but the applications do have to be in much earlier than the general UCAS deadline: 6pm (UK time) on Tuesday 15 October 2024 according to Oxford's website.

The she might have various admissions tests to book, or essays to submit, and then interviews if she gets through the first round. The first term of Year 13 could be quite intense.

My chief tip from DD's application a few years back would be 'don't lose your marked essays'.