Dear Mohamed Mughal

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 13th August
2021.   

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and has been allocated reference FOI21-318 which should be quoted in
all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days
starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to
receive a response no later than 13th September 2021.

Please note that in order to fulfil your request we need to liaise with
other teams across the University. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic most
staff are now working remotely and have intermittent access to information
held in hard copy. Staff may not be able to assist as they may need to
prioritise other work, cover for colleagues who are ill or be away from
work themselves due to illness. However, we will do our best to meet this
deadline and keep you informed should we be unable to do so. 

Where we consider that we will not be able to meet the deadline or if
further time is required to consider the public interest test we will
contact you as soon as possible and give you a revised date for response. 

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we
will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be
required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

Yours sincerly 

  Ian Johnson                                                             
               Ian Johnson 

  Swyddog Cydymffurfiaeth                                    
              Compliance Officer

Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd y Brifysgol   University Secretary’s Office

Prifysgol Caerdydd   Cardiff University

Tŷ McKenzie   McKenzie House
 
30-36 Heol Casnewydd   30-36 Newport Road

Caerdydd   Cardiff

CF24 0DE   CF24 0DE
Ffôn: 029 208 79633 Phone: 029 208 79633

E-bost: [1][email address] E-mail: [2][email address]

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r   We welcome correspondence in Welsh
Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu or English. Corresponding in Welsh
yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi. will not lead to any delay.

Ysgrifennwch ataf yn Gymraeg neu’n Please write to me in Welsh or
Saesneg English

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From: Mohamed mughal <[FOI #782119 email]>
Sent: 13 August 2021 12:23
To: InfoRequest <[Cardiff University request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - BDS A200 admissions statistics
 
External email to Cardiff University - Take care when replying/opening
attachments or links.
Nid ebost mewnol o Brifysgol Caerdydd yw hwn - Cymerwch ofal wrth
ateb/agor atodiadau neu ddolenni.

Dear Cardiff University,

I’m writing to request information from the past 3 admissions cycles.
(2021 entry, 2020 entry, 2019 entry)

The average UCAT of those interviewed

The lowest UCAT interviewed

The highest UCAT interviewed

Number of offers for entry in that current year

The number of deferred offers for entry in the following year

The average number of As/A*s at GCSE level required for an interview for
that year

Does the university differentiate between achieved A levels and predicted
a levels?

How are A levels used in the admissions process?

Yours faithfully,

Mohamed Mughal

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[FOI #782119 email]

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References

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Dear Mohamed Mughal

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 13
August 2021.

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your question(s) below and set
out our corresponding response(s).

I’m writing to request information for BDS A200 admissions statistics from
the past 3 admissions cycles. (2021 entry, 2020 entry, 2019 entry)

The admissions cycle for 2021 entry is still in progress. The University
is unable to release information on the current cycle of applications in
light of Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act. The University
operates in a competitive environment for students and feels that
releasing such information at this stage may impact on its ability to
attract students. 

The University holds some information regarding 2021 entry however we
consider this information exempt from disclosure under S43(2) of the
Freedom of Information Act entitled “Commercial Interests”. In particular,
section 43(2) states that information is exempt if its disclosure under
this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests
of any person (including the public authority holding it).

The recruitment of both Home and International students is a very
competitive environment where UK universities face competition not just
from each other but also from other institutions around the world.
Students are highly mobile and have wide choices over where they may
decide to study.

The release of information on applications and offers for the current
admissions period into the public domain would be highly likely to
prejudice the University’s commercial interests, by allowing competitor
institutions to undermine the University’s recruitment activity by
responding with different approaches to offer making, particularly in the
run up and during the confirmation and clearing period. We further
consider that releasing this information would be likely to influence
admissions practices of individual applicants, and this would be likely to
impact on recruitment offers and outcomes and potentially disrupt the
admissions processes across the sector and undermine the principles of
competition law.

Disclosure of this information would reveal details of the outcome of the
University’s recruitment activities and strategy and to release this
information into the public domain would enable our competitors to benefit
by adapting their offer making strategies and altering their behaviour in
the run up and during confirmation and clearing; as well as benefitting by
copying our strategy or programmes. In so doing this will affect the
University’s ability to distinguish itself from its competitors in a
highly competitive market.

Any loss of market share and reduction in enrolled student numbers would
have a significant impact on the University’s student fee income and would
further impact the University’s long term financial sustainability. As
public funding sources for higher education have declined, student fee
income has become an increasingly important source of income and is a key
factor in ensuring the University’s long term financial sustainability.
The ability for the universities in general, and Cardiff University in
particular as a major research intensive university in Wales, to compete
effectively in a global market is an important strategic objective as set
out by the Welsh Government in 'For Our Future: the higher education
strategy plan for Wales' and in the Welsh Government Policy Statement on
Higher Education which is available at:
[1]http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publicat....
It is also important that Cardiff University is able to continue competing
on an equal footing with similar large, research intensive institutions in
the UK and overseas.

Based on the above it is considered that the commercial interest of the
University would be likely to be prejudiced by release and as such the
Section 43(2) exemption is engaged.

In applying the Section 43 exemption the University has taken account of
the public interest as required by the Act. The University has reviewed
the arguments in favour of disclosing the information (openness and
transparency in public life) and found them to be outweighed by the
greater general public interest in protection of the University's
competitive edge and market positioning.

The University must consider the public interest test when applying this
exemption and this is considered below.

Public Interest Test

Factors in Favour of Disclosure

It is in the public interest to release information that provides a
greater public understanding of the way the University operates and its
provisions for future delivery of its services.

Factors in Favour of Non-disclosure

It is not in the public interest to release information that would be
likely to damage the commercial interests of the University by undermining
its ability to compete in the marketplace.

It is not in the public interest to release information that would reduce
the efficiency and effectiveness of the University by having the effect of
damaging the ability of the University to pursue its recruitment
strategies on an equal footing to other public and privately funded
education institutions.

On balance it is considered that it would not be in the public interest to
release this information and therefore the information will not be
released at this time.

            However I am able to inform you of the following:

The average UCAT of those interviewed

  Average UCAT score
2020/21 2675
2019/20 2660

The lowest UCAT interviewed

Cardiff University does not hold this information.

The highest UCAT interviewed

Cardiff University does not hold this information.

The average number of As/A*s at GCSE level required for an interview for
that year

The time involved in searching for and providing the information you have
requested would exceed the time limit (18 hours) allowed under the Freedom
of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees)
Regulations 2004.  Accordingly, section 12(2) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 will apply. 

Does the university differentiate between achieved A levels and predicted
a levels?
Predicted and achieved A-levels are scored in the same way to consider for
interview.

How are A levels used in the admissions process?
Predicted and achieved A-levels are scored for consideration for
interview. Applicants must be taking Biology and Chemistry at A-level.
Scoring guide below.

If successful at interview and the A-level grades have not been achieved,
applicants would receive a conditional offer subject to achieving AAA
including Biology and Chemistry.

Number of offers for entry in that current year

              2019 -   159
              2020 -   142                     

The number of deferred offers for entry in the following year

          2019 -   5
              2020 - 9

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry. Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to
[2][email address] where it will be forwarded to the Head of
Compliance and Risk who will be responsible for overseeing the review.

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your complaint, you
have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for
consideration. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the
following address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance please feel free to
contact me.

Kind regards

Gwasanaeth Cais am Wybodaeth   Information Request Service

Cydymffurfiaeth a Risg Compliance & Risk

Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office
Prifysgol Caerdydd   Cardiff University
     
Ebost: [3][email address]   Email: [4][email address]

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r We welcome correspondence in Welsh
Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg or English

References

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