SPA - Supporting Professionalism in Admissions

Admissions Tests

SPA's work on Admissions Tests

One of SPA's objectives is to audit the use of admissions tests, and consider issues relating to their rationale, purpose and validity from higher education (HE) perspectives and issues to do with the costs, manageability and impact on the pre-HE curriculum for schools and colleges with regards to good practice.

To assist with this we have brought together data from the test bodies own websites, admissions tests as declared by - (HEIs) on UCAS for Course Search for 2012 entry (and deferred entry 2013) plus information from HEIs and their literature and websites. Many are tests that have run for some time but are now brought together in one place. We have attempted to make this information as comprehensive and easy to use as possible, the text used to describe the tests is that provided by the test bodies and HEIs themselves. We have linked the information about tests to the test bodies' and HEIs' websites where possible.

Admissions tests - some statistics

  • Since SPA started collecting admissions tests information in 2007 for 2008 entry to HE, the number of tests as declared by HEIs on UCAS Course Search has increased - from 67 for 2009 entry, to 84 for 2010 entry, to 90 for 2011 entry and to 114 declared as being in use for 2012 entry. We have contacted those HEIs where the test has appeared on UCAS Course Search for the first time this year, and those who replied stated that the test was not new but that the HEI was now being more transparent about its use. This has been the case throughout the period of research.
  • Admissions tests continue to be a small element within the admissions decision-making process - the percentage of courses requiring applicants to undertake a test has remained relatively constant during the period of SPA's research - 0.7% for 2009 entry, 0.7% for 2010 entry, 0.8% for 2011 entry and 0.9% for 2012 entry to HE, continuously less than 1% of the total number of courses in the UCAS scheme.
  • There are 349 courses of the 38,147 in UCAS for 2012 entry which have a declared test. There are fewer courses in UCAS for 2012 entry, the 2011 figure was 43,360 - a possible reflection of the systematic review of course provision by some HEIs.
  • The number of HEIs declaring the use of one or more admissions test has increased during the period of SPA's research - from 50 for 2009 entry, to 63 for 2010 entry, to 64 for 2011 entry and to 74 for 2012 entry. There are 301 HEIs in the UCAS scheme for 2012 so the percentage declaring the use of one or more tests is 25%. This is slightly up on last year when it was 21%.
  • There are about 114 tests in use this year, compared to 90 in 2011 and 84 in 2010. This figure includes the main national tests i.e. BMAT, GAMSAT, LNAT, STEP and UKCAT as well as tests which are used by one institution only (Institutions' Own Tests) which include TSA Oxford, TSA Cambridge and HPAT Ulster.
  • The increase in tests from 90 this year to 114 next year can be accounted for by some institutions e.g. Oxford as detailed below, increasing the number of course combinations for which a test is required.
  • Oxbridge tests: the University of Cambridge is using 19 tests in 2012, the same number as for 2011 entry. The number of tests in use at the University of Oxford for 2012 is 27, a rise on the 14 in use for 2011 entry - this in large part appears to be due to there being many more different course combinations for which a test is required.

The SPA Steering Group asked us to investigate the position with regard to appeals against test results. Meetings were held with the main test bodies and consortia and desk-based research was carried out to establish what appeal mechanisms exist for each of the main UK tests - BMAT, GAMSAT-UK, LNAT, STEP and UKCAT. The outcomes from this exercise are summarised on a separate page in this section of the website, under Appeals.

The SPA Steering Group also asked us to explore further with HEIs the rationale behind the use of tests as part of the admissions decision-making process. To broaden our research in this area we produced a questionnaire which asked not only about which specific tests are in use but also more detailed questions around areas including: what additional information is gained from the test result; how test scores are used in conjunction with other factors and whether any weightings are applied; whether any approval mechanism and/ or regular review process for tests is in place.

HEIs using one or more admissions tests were asked to complete the questionnaire and from a total of 64 institutions who declared the use of one or more admissions tests for 2011 entry to HE, 42 responses were received, a 66% response rate. An analysis of the questionnaire responses appears on a separate page in this section of the website, under Questionnaire.

to top

back to Admissions Tests main page

Reviewed and updated: June 2011