Ucas Points, for grades 6-8 Options

[hannah]

I was wondering if someone could explain the maximum number of of UCAS point you are allowed to claim. I understand that if I have grade 6 and 8 piano, I can only claim the points for Grade 8. However, if I have grade 7 in another instrument - viola - can I claim the points for this or can I still only claim for the grade 8?

[AnotherPianist]

QUOTE (Ayshah @ May 11 2005, 06:02 AM)

I assist with a large selection of UCAS applications every year, including my own children. The AB points awarded for the UCAS system DO HELP.  I emphasis HELP.  If you have a conditional offer for say 300 points to take a Combined Degree and come in with your A levels results at say 260, then they cant argue with the extra points you get from you AB Grade points.  Basically you have got what they asked for.

This is indeed correct and I wouldn't dispute it but I think that it's worth remembering that Universities are well aware of this and are very careful to avoid giving offers that can be achieved in this way if they do not want them to be. For example they will most probably say '300 points from 3 A-levels (usually adding: excluding general studies)' and usually then even go on to say 'with at least an A in Biology' or something similar. You could not use AB exam points to get those 300 points as they have to come from A-levels.

If they do make the mistake of just saying 300 points (or do so intentionally) then yes the UCAS points will still help but admissions tutors are aware of the other ways of getting points and will word offers very carefully (probably with a standard wording) to avoid them if they don't want points from these sources. I think in practice if you want to study a subject unrelated to music at a good university (i.e. one that can afford to be picky about who it accepts) then UCAS points from AB exams won't be of help to you; but if you want to study music (maybe? Or maybe they just assume grade 8 as required and then give the offer on A-levels in some places, I don't know) or want to study anything somewhere looking for 'bums on seats' then you may be able to use them.

As for whether the points help at the point of actually getting the points for the offer (rather than getting an offer in the first place) I would suspect that is true (if the offer allows you to count them) unless the subject is music in which case I suspect they'd be quite reluctant to give you an offer (or an audition) without a practical exam as evidence that you can play.

About grade 8 distinction being worth half of an A-level: it isn't (although I'd go so far as to say it's harder than the A-levels I did!) but universities can choose to give you an offer that allows you to count it as the appropriate number of UCAS points it is given if they wish to; then again if a university really wants to they can just give you an unconditional offer! Sometimes they will accept (particularly if they're impressed with your playing or at music colleges, or you didn't have the opportunity to study A-level music) grade 8 practical and theory as a substitute for A-level music. There is, however, no official statement that it's equivalent, just that it's of the same standard as A-level but testing different material.