UCAS data on… well, something

UCAS has published data on students who saw A level, SQA, or BTEC grades increase this summer.

David Kernohan is Deputy Editor of Wonkhe

The question it has chosen to answer is a curious one – how many students who have seen their grades increase as a result of the UK-wide move to Centre Assessed Grades (CAG) have secured a place in their firm or insurance provider, or provider of the same or greater tariff band as their firm provider.

Applicant country of domicileQualification type where grade increasedMain scheme applicantsMain scheme applicants placed at firm provider, insurance provider, or provider of the same or greater tariff band as firm provider%
EnglandAlevel13738012163088%
EnglandAlevel + BTEC2540234092%
EnglandBTEC8930839094%
EnglandSQA1010
Northern IrelandAlevel6720608090%
Northern IrelandAlevel + BTEC605083%
Northern IrelandBTEC18017094%
ScotlandAlevel25022088%
ScotlandAlevel + SQA1010
ScotlandSQA10570964091%
WalesAlevel7140669094%
WalesAlevel + BTEC2020
WalesBTEC9090

I say the question is curious because we know that concerns have been about missing out on specific courses rather than providers.

What the data appears to show is a satisfaction that applicants have achieved a place at the kind of provider the initially chose – with the assumption that tariff bands are a good proxy for this at an institutional level. I would argue that they are not – high tariff courses can and do exist in low tariff providers, casting serious doubt on the notion of a high or low tariff university.

We should also be aware that this is JCQ+22, so correct as of last Friday.

Here’s the press release.

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