UCAS Update Tony Charlton UCAS Professional Development Executive

UCAS Update Tony Charlton UCAS Professional Development Executive 1

What this session will cover • Application trends • Changes – recent, ongoing, future • The new Tariff At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UK higher education – setting the scene § Circa 380 Higher Education Providers (HEPs) recruiting via UCAS 22 § 35, 000 programmes 5 19 336 At the heart of connecting people to higher education

2014 – some headline statistics. . . 1200 students accepted through Adjustment 12, 000 unconditional offers made to 18 -year-olds 699, 700 applied (512, 400 accepted a record total) 137, 000 applicants from the UK/EU received five offers At the heart of connecting people to higher education Providers made a record 1. 8 m offers (up 6% on 2013)

Quick quiz How many applicants were successfully accepted through Clearing in 2014? 61, 300 – a record! At the heart of connecting people to higher education

2015 Apply – latest Situation Report All applicants 636, 250 (+2% ) UK applicants 526, 570 (+ 1% ) EU applicants 46, 000 (+7% ) Non EU 63, 680 (+3% ) Source: Applicant Statistics (interim): Monday 20 April At the heart of connecting people to higher education

The busiest day of the year for applications… Over 50, 000 + applications made in 24 hours leading up to 6 pm, 15 January 2015 deadline! At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Outstanding decisions and responses ▪ Balancing the UCAS calendar If a provider fails to make a decision by a specified date, UCAS will process a reject by default decision If an applicant fails to accept or decline their offers by a specified date, all offers will decline by default At the heart of connecting people to higher education

It’s vital that students note their reply dates on Track At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Changes – recent, ongoing, future Possible developments In progress Continuing to develop Unique learner number? Apply 2016 Website & search tool Personal statement to incorporate visual material? E-learning modules for new advisers UCAS Progress At the heart of connecting people to higher education UCAS ‘franchised’ regional training schools? CUKAS rename Relationship with Inspiring Futures

Spotlight on Apply 2016 Course search - 5 May Apply 2016 - 19 May (Advisers) 27 May (Students) At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UCAS conservatoires § CUKAS renamed ‘UCAS Conservatoires’ in January ‘ 15 § Six choices (no preference order) § Applicant fee - £ 16. 00 (2015), £ 20. 00 (2016) www. ucas. com/conservatoires At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UCAS Progress • Search and Apply function for Year 10 and 11 students • Current national roll-out project underway • With all young people under 18 in England now required to stay in education or work-based learning, UCAS Progress offers an important source of IAG At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Website now includes material for younger learners Are you sitting GCSEs in the near future? At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Careers Quizzes At the heart of connecting people to higher education

The Buzz quiz At the heart of connecting people to higher education

The new Tariff - 2017

Background § The UCAS Tariff was first introduced in 2001 § 2012 Qualification Information Review (QIR) highlighted a number of shortcomings in the current Tariff § The QIR review also identified that higher education providers (HEPs) wanted more detailed information on UK & international qualifications. Background

Shortcomings (current Tariff) - identified by QIR review 1. Lack of transparency Opaque process for allocating Tariff points 2. Not meeting the needs of HE sector Did not fully support HEPs for management information purposes 3. Costly Cost implications for awarding organisations 4. Non-inclusive Unable to accommodate all UK regulated Level 3/ SCQF Level 6 qualifications 5. Unsustainable Not robust enough to cope with ongoing UK qualifications reforms across the UK 6. UK-centric Not responsive to the growing demand for international qualifications to be included in the Tariff 7. Confusing for students Misunderstanding amongst some students about how the Tariff is used in admissions The issues

New Tariff - methodology Points will be determined by multiplying size and grade bands size x grade Size bands - qualifications will be allocated a size band of 1 to 4, based on their guided learning hours Grade bands – qualifications will also be allocated a grade band. Our recommended option contains 12 grade bands across a value range of 3 -14. These grade bands spread across the breadth of Level 3 / SCQF Level 6 The new Tariff

Size bands Size band 1 2 GLH/NL H < 120 -219 Size band Qualifications included value 1 Free Standing Mathematics Qualifications 2 GLH/NLH 60 IB Theory of Knowledge 100 IB Extended Essay Extended Project Qualification 100 120 AS 180 BTEC (QCF) L 3 Certificate 180 200 240 3 220 -319 3 IB Standard Certificate Scottish Higher 4 320+ 4 Scottish Advanced Higher 320 A level 360 IB Higher Certificate 360 BTEC (QCF) L 3 Subsidiary Diploma 360 Pre-U Principal Subject 380 The new Tariff

Grade bands A finite grade scale has been established for Level 3/SCQF Level 6 qualifications providing 12 grade bands that all qualifications can be mapped to. Grade Points 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 A level AS (New Tariff) Scottish Highers Scottish Adv Highers A* A A B B A C B D C D E A B C C D • The new Tariff uses a 3 -14 point scale with 12 grade bands • Scale starts at 3 points (as 1 or 2 points does not provide a sufficient multiplier effect) • The scale ensures that key UK benchmark qualifications such as Scottish Highers can be precisely positioned in agreement with UK qualification regulators • The scale is finite – for example, qualification grades operating significantly above A* at A level are considered Level 4 D E The new Tariff

New Tariff points – A levels The new Tariff numbers are very different (i. e. lower). For example, the illustration below taken from the new Tariff tables shows that the new total Tariff points for an A level A* grade = 56 points; under the current Tariff the A level A* grade is allocated 140 points. The new Tariff

Re-positioning of the AS Value of AS qualification has been adjusted to circa 40% of an A level at each grade to reflect the Ofqual statement: ‘the material studied in AS is less demanding than an A level’. Adjustment has been applied to other qualifications e. g. Pre-U short-courses that are aligned to the AS rather than the A level. The new Tariff

Source: ‘Unpacking Qualification Reform’ UCAS survey (Jan ‘ 15) https: //www. ucas. com/sites/default/files/ucas-unpacking-qualification-reform-jan-15. pdf

HEP views Aston: “Aston University will not discriminate against schools/colleges Cambridge: “We strongly encourage or students who have not taken or potential applicants to take AS-level certified stand-alone AS levels in Year examinations in at least three, and 12. If a school or college chooses to preferably four, subjects, whether enter its students for AS levels then reformed or not, at the end of Year 12” this should be stated on the UCAS form and in the UCAS reference” Qualification reforms UCL: “Where possible we would also ask referees to provide a picture of the applicant’s progress through both GCSE and A level study, to give us an added context to A level predictions” King’s: “Neither advantage, nor disadvantage will be given to students who present [AS] qualifications at the time of application and therefore this should be a matter for the individual school or college” The new Tariff

Timeline for schools, colleges & HEPs – new Tariff Calculator available on UCAS website for students to use 2017 Entry applicants receive their results UCAS search tool opens (entry 2017) Sept 2014 UCAS published the new Tariff points, toolkit & factsheets Feb/Mar 2015 Sept 2015 May 2016 Sept onwards 2016 2017 Entry applicants start their Level 3 qualifications July/August 2017 from Sept/Oct 2017 Entry applicants begin their HE courses First offers made to 2017 applicants The new Tariff

• DATA • Biog, chem and phys – numbers (trend) • 1/2/3 science progression trends – HML Tariff and POLAR • 1/2/3 science - JACs new Tariff offers from Sept 16 20/01/2022 28

www. ucas. tv Includes • ‘How to’ guides • Information videos • Case studies For • Learners • Advisers • Parents • HEP staff Plus • International • BSL Apply 2015 – education Preparing for higher education Personal statements For advisers - references At the heart of connecting people to higher education Journey of an application Student finance

Questions? Tony Charlton Professional Development Executive 01242 544 885 t. charlton@ucas. ac. uk Matthew Welbourn & Helen Lee 690 Professional Development Team a. jones 01242 545 712 // www. ucas. com/training