GCSE and AS/A Level requirements – the facts
Because the University of Cambridge is a highly selective institution, rumours sometimes circulate that significantly misrepresent our entrance requirements. If you are considering applying to the University and want to know the facts about our requirements, read on.
AS/A Level retakes
We recognise that even the best students can have 'bad' days when it comes to exams. We are therefore not concerned if an applicant has retaken or is planning to retake a couple of AS/A2 Level units for which the results obtained are clearly 'blips'.
We would be concerned about an applicant who seldom seems to have 'good' days and is therefore retaking large numbers of units, unless this number of retakes was justified by circumstances beyond the applicant’s control and explained in their UCAS reference.
UMS performance
We ask applicants to tell us the details of their uniform mark scheme (UMS) performance in every AS/A2 Level unit taken to date on our Supplementary Application Questionnaire. Our research shows that performance at AS/A Level as measured by average UMS percentages is a much better predictor of degree potential than GCSE results.
Our main measure of UMS performance is the average across three subjects: for Arts and Social Science applicants across the three best subjects (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking); for Science applicants across the three most relevant subjects.
In the last admissions round the average Cambridge applicant scored about 90% on this measure, while the average successful Cambridge applicant scored nearer 95%. Note that both these figures are averages. There were successful Cambridge applicants who had UMS averages in their best/most relevant three subjects below 90%.
GCSEs
As our research shows that post-16 examination performance is a much better predictor of degree success at Cambridge, we do not have any hard and fast GCSE requirements: there is no minimum number of A* grades required for any of our courses. Strong performance in Years 12 and 13 can make up for less stellar performance at GCSE.
The facts
To reinforce the reality:
- Cambridge is comfortable with applicants retaking a few AS/A2 units
- Cambridge does not require 90% in every AS/A2 unit
- Cambridge does not require an average of 90% in every AS/A2 subject
- Cambridge does not require an average of 90% across their three best or three most relevant A Level subjects
- Cambridge does not require a minimum number of A* grades at GCSE
There is only one certainty in the Cambridge admissions process:
- If you don’t apply, you won’t get in!