Imperial’s Maths Department has "highest" entry standards in UK
Is the Maths Department asking too much?
Potential undergraduate maths students may find it harder to receive an offer from Imperial this year as a result of the A*. Imperial’s Mathematics Department has the "highest" A level entry requirements in the UK, asking for AAA with the A*s in Maths and Further Maths. Although these criteria are much more demanding than those of other universities, they are only a marginal change from Imperial’s previous highest offer of AAA with As in each maths module. “We rely entirely on the UCAS form and A level results, so it is not surprising that our minimal entry requirement is higher.” Professor Alexei Skorobogatov, Imperial’s Mathematics Admissions Tutor, explains.
A College spokesperson said: “The College aims to identify, attract and develop students of the highest ability and the admissions criteria reflect this” and added that “the A* grade for A levels is one way to help academic departments [...] identify those who would benefit most from an education at Imperial”. However some students believe that the current system is unfair. “Everyone always drops a few marks in exams,” Navid Nabijou, a first year undergraduate mathematics student, states, “some people who have a clear knowledge of mathematics will be ruled out because they make errors in calculations. Many students also find that they aren’t used to the way university mathematics is. A good STEP test mark shows a lot more about mathematical understanding than an A* at A level.”
The Sixth Term Examination Paper, or STEP, is used by Cambridge University, which requires lower A level grades of A*AA. “STEP is a far better predictor of success in our mathematics examinations than A-levels”, Steve Siklos of Cambridge University Admissions Office believes, “the questions are less standard and less structured, which helps to distinguish between ability and good teaching.” The STEP test helps Cambridge to select students while preparing them for the sort of mathematics they will experience at university. Interviews are also conducted for all successful applicants, though only 1200 students apply for Mathematics at Cambridge each year. Interviews are logistically difficult to conduct at Imperial due to the sheer number of applicants: 2000 students apply for only 220 places.
The current system of AAA without interviews or additional tests has only been enforced for a year and so it is too early to tell whether it has any real faults. The system is not yet fixed and Imperial may even consider an alternative form of testing in future years. “Our admissions criteria are reviewed every year to make sure that we are selecting the best qualified students for our degrees” Prof Skorobogatov reassures.
