Miss Zoe Allwood
FOI Manager
Sophie Brown
By email
Reference: FOI-2023-479
14 July 2023
Dear Ms Brown,
Your request was received on 23 June 2023 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’).
You asked for:
1a) The number of applicants to the University who applied with Access to HE as their level 3
qualification in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles per course.
1b) The number of applicants applied with Access to HE as their level 3 qualification in the
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles per course who received an invitation to interview.
1c) The number of applicants who applied with Access to HE as their level 3 qualification in the
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles who received an offer per course.
1d) The number of applicants who applied with Access to HE as their level 3 qualification in the
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles who received an offer and successfully gained a place
per course.
2a) Which colleges received applications from applicants who applied with Access to HE as
their level 3 qualification in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles, per course.
2b) Which colleges sent out interview invites to applicants who applied with Access to HE as
their level 3 qualification in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles per course.
2c) Which colleges gave offers to applicants who applied with Access to HE as their level 3
qualification in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles per course.
2d) Which colleges have students who applied with Access to HE as their level 3 qualification in
the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 cycles per course.
3) The University of Cambridge’s official stance on whether Access to HE is a suitable level 3
qualification for entry.
4) The University of Cambridge’s official stance on applicants who have retaken A levels or
other level 3 qualifications.
The Old Schools
Trinity Lane
Cambridge, CB2 1TN
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 764142
Email: xxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx.xx
www.cam.ac.uk
1 and 2. This information, insofar as it is held, is attached. Information about interviews is not held; all
interview processes for entry to undergraduate degree courses at the University are set and managed
locally by each of the individual Colleges, each of which is a separate legal entity and public authority
under the Act. Some aggregation has been applied to prevent the risk of any individual being identified.
In presenting the information in this way, the University is engaging the exemption at section 40(3A)(a)
of the Act because the release of the raw data would breach the first data protection principle (the fair,
lawful and transparent processing of personal data) as set out in the UK General Data Protection
Regulation. This part of section 40 confers absolute exemption under the Act.Please note that the
attached document should not be copied, reproduced or used except in accordance with the law of
copyright.
3. See
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/entrance-requirements 4. Each application is viewed as a whole and decisions will be based on all aspects of the application.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a
complaint or request an internal review of this decision, you should contact us quoting the reference
number above. The University would normally expect to receive your request for an internal review
within 40 working days of the date of this letter and reserves the right not to review a decision where
there has been undue delay in raising a complaint. If you are not content with the outcome of your
review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by the University. The Information Commissioner may be contacted at: The
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
(https://ico.org.uk/).
Yours sincerely,
Zoe Allwood
