This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Average UCAT Applicant Score and Average Successful UCAT Score'.



 
INFORMATION GOVERNANCE 
Lafrowda House 
St. German’s Road 
Exeter, UK  
EX4 6TL 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xx.xx 
www.exeter.ac.uk/ig 
 
6 July 2020 
Ref: FOI20 - 216 
 
Dear Requester, 
Thank you for your email of 12th June 2020 requesting information under the Freedom of 
Information Act 2000.  Please see the responses to each of your questions below: 
Please release an excel sheet, summarising the average scores and average successful scores of 
applicants on UCAT test  and 9s at GCSE for successful applicants for the past three cycles. 
If averages are unavailable anonymised raw data with the columns '9s at GCSE', 'UCAT Score' and 
'Successful/Unsuccessful' would be appreciated. 
I'm looking for information on entry grades limited to one particular discipline which is medicine 
and would be great to know a list of grades and scores and if they were successful. 
 
Please find the table below for the Average UKCAT scores.  
Average 
Average 
UKCAT score 
UKCAT score 
Cycle 
for all 
for offer-
applicants 
holders 
2017/8 
1463 
1828 
2018/9 
2311 
2545 
2019/0 
2266 
2364 
 
With regard to GCSE, this will be available from UCAS. The University does not receive them from 
UCAS as the University does not use in the decision making process for BMBS programme.  
The detailed data you have requested cannot be provided in full by either the University or UCAS 
due to the low numbers of applicants covered by the requested data. The data would need to be 
anonymised in line with Section 40 of The FOIA and it would therefore not be possible to disclose 
the level of detail you have requested. The redactions which would be required would also reduce 
the usefulness of the data for the purposes of analysis.  
As the detailed dataset could not be disclosed under FOIA we then considered if an anonymised 
dataset could be provided and if so, if any additional exemptions may apply. UCAS can provide 
anonymised figures through the EXACT service and therefore the data is publicly available 
elsewhere, albeit in an anonymised form. It is worth noting that the anonymisation methodologies 
may vary across institutions, UCAS would be able to offer a consistent, comparable source for the 
 



 
data so procuring the data from them may be more appropriate if you wish to compare institutions 
in any analysis. 
Although EXACT is a chargeable service UCAS considers the pricing methodology of EXACT to be 
reasonable, justifiable and transparent.  Details can be accessed via their publication scheme on 
ucas.com here https://www.ucas.com/about-us/policies/freedom-information/guide-information. 
We feel that disclosure of UCAS derived data by higher education providers would prejudice their 
ability to sell application data via the EXACT service to third parties. There is likely to be significant 
commercial harm to UCAS as a disclosure under FOI, being a disclosure into the public domain, will 
allow the release of information with commercial value therefore severely weakening UCAS’ ability 
to continue to sell this level of data. Such sales assist in the finance of their operations and the 
pursuit of their charitable aims; reduction in income from such services can lead to consequences 
including loss of significant revenue, inability to offer the same level of service to applicants or 
potentially impact on jobs within their media or wider operations. We consider that the Section 
43(2) argument is supported by the fact that the relevant data would be accessible on the payment 
of a fee as per the details available at https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/data-products-and-
services/exact.
 
Given the arguments set out above we would like to reiterate that the data requested is available in 
an anonymised releasable format through UCAS on behalf of the sector. While there is a cost for 
accessing bespoke datasets, the price of which is determined by UCAS in line with the organisation’s 
charitable aims. We therefore consider that the data is reasonably available through that route and 
is exempt from disclosure under sections 21 and 22 of the FOIA. 
 
This response has been prepared in accordance with a request received pursuant to the Freedom of 
Information Act 2000. The supply of documents under FOI does not give the person who receives the 
information an automatic right to re-use the documents without obtaining the consent of the 
copyright holder. If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask 
for an internal review. You must submit this to the Information Governance Office in writing within 
40 days of receipt of this notification. Please quote the reference number above. 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to 
the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: 
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. 
(https://ico.org.uk/) 
 
Kind Regards, 
 
Information Governance 
University of Exeter