Our Reference: FOI.2019.12.601
Legal Services
Director
Samira El Amein
Mrs C M E Pike LLB
What Do They Know
Solicitor
(By Email)
20 January 2020
Dear Ms El Amein
Re: request for information under The Freedom of Information Act.
Further to your request for information dated 25 December 2019, please find
attached the University of Birmingham’s response. If you have any queries with
regard to this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please note our statement in respect of Copyright, which is also attached.
If you are dissatisfied with the manner in which your request has been dealt with,
you may ask for an internal review. The University’s Complaints and Appeals
procedure is available at
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/governance/policies-
regs/information/index.aspx
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
University of Birmingham
Encs
University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT United Kingdom
T: 0121 414 3916 F: 0121 414 3200 E:xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxx.xx.xx w:www.bham.ac.uk
University of Birmingham
2019.12.601
Freedom of Information Request – Samira El Amein Your request for information reads:
“
I would like to request the following data about the admissions process for all of
your undergraduate law degrees.
1. Whether a candidate's personal statement (which is submitted through UCAS) is
considered by the admissions team when considering whether to give that candidate
an offer;
If the personal statement is assessed by the admissions team:
2. A list of the marking criteria/factors that are considered by the admissions team
when assessing the candidate's personal statement;
3. Whether a candidate's personal statement is given a score or grade of any kind;
4. The weighting attached to the aforementioned score or grade (e.g. 20%);
5. A list of personal statement scores given to offer holders who had applied for
undergraduate study in law at your university in the 2018/2019 admissions cycle
(and thus received offers for either 2019 direct entry or 2020 deferred entry).”
The University of Birmingham responds:
The University of Birmingham is required to respond to a request made under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) if it holds the information being
requested, unless it is appropriate to apply one of the limited exemptions set out in
the Act.
1. Whether a candidate's personal statement (which is submitted through
UCAS) is considered by the admissions team when considering
whether to give that candidate an offer;
The Personal Statement for applicants for Law degrees are not scored but
they are reviewed and they are assessed for the level of plagiarism using
information provided by UCAS. Applications with a plagiarism score above
75% are rejected. Personal statements may also be reviewed during
confirmation in the case of applicants that have narrowly missed their offer
grades and to help determine whether to admit the applicants in question.
2. A list of the marking criteria/factors that are considered by the
admissions team when assessing the candidate's personal statement;
As Personal Statements are not scored, this question does not apply.
3. Whether a candidate's personal statement is given a score or grade of
any kind; 4. The weighting attached to the aforementioned score or
grade (e.g. 20%);
Personal Statements are not scored, therefore this questions does not apply.
4. A list of personal statement scores given to offer holders who had
applied for undergraduate study in law at your university in the
2018/2019 admissions cycle (and thus received offers for either 2019
direct entry or 2020 deferred entry).
As the answer to question 3 is negative this question does not apply.
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The University of Birmingham
This documentation has been produced in response to a request made under the
terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The copyright in this documentation will be held by the University of Birmingham, a
wholly owned subsidiary company of the University, or a third party associated with
the University. In the absence of a notice to the contrary, it should be assumed that
the copyright is held by the University of Birmingham.
Except as otherwise permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988,
and subsequent related legislation, this documentation may only be reproduced,
stored or transmitted in any form or means, with the prior permission of the
University of Birmingham (or other rights holders).
Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the terms of the legislation should be
made to:
Legal Services, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT
© The University of Birmingham 2020
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