The new UCAS Tariff for 2017 entry

Tony CharltonProfessional Development Team

Setting the scene

23/11/2015 3

New A levels in England, Wales & NI

New Highers & Advanced Highers in Scotland

Decoupled AS in England

New GCSEs in England

Coupled AS in Wales & NI

VQ reform in England

New Nationals in Scotland

New core maths in England

Declining 18 yearold population Increased use of VQs

Science practical separate in England

HE admissions perspective

New Welsh Bacc

The UK picture – GCSEs

9-1

Open market:9-1 and

A*-U

National 4 and 5

A*-U

Why change the current Tariff?

Many qualifications cannot be accommodated within the current method as the Tariff domains are not suited to vocational qualifications; the process is Awarding Organisation led, expensive and complex.

Benefits of the proposed new Tariff method

Benefit 1 Transparent

Benefit 2 Meets the needs of the HE sector

Benefit 3 Efficient and cost effective

Benefit 4 Comprehensive

Benefit 5 Sustainable and flexible

Benefit 6 Fair

Understanding the methodology

size x grade

New Tariff points are determined by multiplying size and grade bands

Size bands – allocated 1 to 4, based on a qualification’s guided learning hours

Grade bands – allocated 3 to 14 spread across the breadth of Level 3 / SCQF Level 6

New Tariff size bands• Size bands have been designed to ensure that existing size relationships between

qualifications are maintained whilst not over-emphasising the importance of size

• AS remains half the size of an A level

• Scottish Highers are allocated a size band in between AS and A level

• Scottish Advanced higher, A levels, IBHL, Pre U Principal Subjects are regarded as being of comparable size

• Welsh Baccalaureate is being revised for programmes starting in 2015. The new qualification is equivalent to an A level and has therefore been allocated size band 4

New Tariff size band examplesSize band

GLH/NLH Size band value

Qualifications included GLH/NLH

1 < 120 1 Free Standing Mathematics Qualifications 60

2 120-219 2 Extended Project Qualification

IB Core

AS

BTEC L3 Certificates

IB Standard Certificates

120

220

180

180

200

3 220-319 3 Scottish Higher 240

4 320+ 4 Scottish Advanced Higher

A level

IB Higher Certificates

BTEC National L3 Subsidiary Diploma

Pre U Principal Subjects

320

360

360

360

380

New Tariff grade bandsAim to establish a grade scale that maps across the whole of level 3, providing broad grade bands that all qualifications can be mapped to.

Grade Points A level AS

(New Tariff)

Scottish Highers

Scottish Adv

Highers

14 A* A1312 A B11 A10 B A C9 B8 C B D7 C6 D C5 D D4 E3 E

Example Tariff valuesQualification Tariff score

A level – A* 56

AS – A 20

BTEC Extended Diploma - DDD 144

Welsh Bacc (2017 award) – A* 56

CACHE Extended Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce- C

96

Scottish Higher - A 33

Example of offers Current Tariff points total

New Tariff points total

Three A Levels at grades A, B, B 320 128

Five Scottish Highers at grades A, A, B, B, C 340 141

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.

New Tariff points – e.g. A levelsThe new Tariff numbers are very different (i.e. considerably lower)

2017 Tariff Points Current Tariff Points

140

120

100

80

60

40

NB: Whilst the above accurately reflects the 2016 entry requirements in terms of the current and new Tariffs, entry requirements for 2017 have yet to be set for any

course in our university and thus may change before publication.

Current Tariff requirement New Tariff requirement

320 points required. (Minimum 320 to be achieved from 3 A levels or equivalent.) At least 100 points must

come from a scientific discipline.

128 points required. (Minimum 128 to be achieved from 3 A levels or equivalent.) At least 40 points must

come from a scientific discipline.

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy

Extended

Project

GCE & VCE AS-

Levels

GCE & VCE A-

Levels

Tariff BTEC (QCF)

Extended

Diploma

BTEC (QCF)

Diploma

BTEC (QCF)

Subsidiary

Diploma

BTEC (QCF)

Certificate

168 D*D*D*

160 D*D*D

152 D*DD

144 DDD

128 DDM

112 DMM D*D*

104 D*D

96 MMM DD

80 MMP DM

80 MPP MM

A* 56 D*

A 48 PPP MP D

B 40

C 32 PP M

A* 28 D*

A D 24 D

B A 20

C B E 16 P M

D C 12

D 10

E 8 P

E 6

University example: reference table

Resources - new Tariff Resources currently available to support the switchover are available on the UCAS website: https://www.ucas.com/advisers/guides-and-resources/tariff-2017

New Tariff calculator

To recap• UCAS is introducing a new Tariff for the 2017 admissions cycle – one

switchover point for both reformed and unreformed AS and A levels.

• The new Tariff addresses the shortcomings of the current model.

• Very different method to the current Tariff, and the new Tariff numbers are much lower.

• Key principle is that of minimum disruption, apart from the AS repositioning to 40% of an A level.

• The primary purpose of the new Tariff is to provide a broad metric for universities, which they can use for management information and reporting purposes to HESA.

• Approximately one third of courses in our search tool use the Tariff currently and we are not expecting more universities to start using the new Tariff.

Final questions & discussion points

Thank you for listening and joining in

I hope you found it informative and useful

Tony CharltonUCAS PD team

t.charlton@ucas.ac.uk