English exams (UMS) Scottish equivalent

[kua]

Hi all,

While looking at universities courses in England and the subsequent requirements, I keep coming up with statements regarding UMS. I have googled this of course, and to be honest I'm no wiser!

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Also, I'm aware that in Scotland we are told that on he whole it is best to do exams at on sitting ie sitting 5 highers in one year , however this does not seem to be the case for A levels?

Am I missing something?

Thanks

What statements regarding UMS? Afaik only Oxbridge ask for extra UMS information. It's grades other than that.

And the expectation is that A levels are taken in one sitting - again where are you getting your information from?

Various places! Hence my confusion .

Perhaps I'm not being clear, as I don't understand the English system. Is there a possibility to resit modules that are part of an exam, I keep seeing queries re this. How does this work? And the different exam boards, how does this compare?

Oh I think I know what you mean now.

Not any more - A levels are changing so so there will no longer be the opportunity to resit individual papers.

Any resits must be an entire resit of all papers.

Theres no real difference between the exam boards. Universities don't care what board the A level came from.

Thanks Titchy

Sorry Titchy for another question! How is one able to resit an individual paper? In Scottish Highers we sit an exam and that's it.

Is it this coming academic year this in place.?

Thanks again for educating me on the English system!

A levels were four papers normally, not one!

Reformed A levels I think are two exams, but much longer than the old ones.

About a third of subjects are reformed now to be taken in June 17. The second third of subjects to be reformed will be examined June 18 and the rest the year after. A levels are two year courses, so everything that starts to be taught from Sep 17 will be the new type.

Sorry Titchy, i'm still not clearer. So for the sake of arguing I choose to take A level physics. In Scotland this would be perceived as a lower level than advanced higher physics. At the end of the Scottish academic year exams take place , there is no option to retake any part of said at that time or prior .

How is it/or was it possible to resit papers? When were these taken in the year?

Two papers were taken at the end of the first year and two taken at the end of the second year. The results of all four papers were averaged out to give the overall grade. If one of the papers taken at the end of the first year was low, you could retake that paper alongside the two you took at the end of the second year, but obviously having an extra paper to revise could impact on the other two.

Physics is one of the first to be reformed so now the whole of the two years are examined at the end of the second year.

Thank you again, you have made it clearer than anything I've found online