Freedom of Information Team
Legal & Governance
Our ref: FOI/2324/044
University of Liverpool
Foundation Building
Name: Ibrahim Mahmood
765 Brownlow Hil
By email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xx
m
Liverpool
L69 7ZX
31 August 2023
E xxx@xxxxxxxxx.xx.xx
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/legal/
Dear Ibrahim,
A response to your request for information received on 24 August is provided below. The questions asked
are in
italics fol owed by our responses in
bold.
I would like to kindly ask how you select applicants for an interview using factors such as the UCAT, GCSES
and the personal statement.
When shortlisting we would first check that the academic criteria have been met. Applicants who fulfil this
criterion (required A-level predictions/achieved grades and minimum GCSE requirement in place) would
then progress to stage two of our shortlisting, where we would then look at their UCAT scores in
conjunction with their non-academic questionnaire. We would then interview the top students from this
group and an offer would then be dependent on the applicant’s interview score. A score of Band 4 in the
Situational Judgement would not be deemed a competitive enough score for the applicant to be
considered for the BDS programme.
Secondly, what was the UCAT cut off score for applicants in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
2022 2021
Lowest UCAT score for offer
2170 2220
We can confirm that the University holds this information; however, it is withheld because it fal s under
Section 43(2) (commercial interest) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Section 43(2) FOIA provides that an authority is not obliged to respond to a request for information if “its
disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interest of any person, including the
public authority holding it”. Commercial interests may be prejudiced where a disclosure would be likely
to:
•
Damage its business reputation or the confidence that customers, suppliers, or investors may have in
it
•
Have a detrimental impact on its commercial revenue or threaten its ability to obtain supplies or
secure finance
•
Weaken its position in a competitive environment by revealing market sensitive information or
information of potential usefulness to its competitors.
The University does not supply in-cycle admissions data until December after the academic year after an
applicant applies in, and the academic year they would have started. Until this time, we believe is exempt
from disclosure as the disclosure of this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the
commercial interests of the University. Application and admissions data are commercial y sensitive
because they are key assets in developing and implementing the University’s marketing, recruitment and
offer making strategies. These directly affect the University’s ability to recruit high-calibre students on
whose fees and achievements the University’s financial and reputational success depends. Disclosing this
type of information is likely to prejudice the University’s ability to compete effectively and fairly in
the highly competitive higher education market as it:
a) Forms the basis of the way in which the University structures its business, which is one of the factors
which distinguishes the University from its competitors.
b) Discloses and gives unfair insight into the University’s marketing, recruitment and offering strategies
for the current recruitment cycle to competitor institutions.
As section 43(2) is a qualified exemption, the University has considered whether it would be in the public
interest to provide the information, despite the exemption being applicable. When assessing whether it
was in the public interest to disclose the information to you, we have considered the fol owing factors:
Factors in Favour of Disclosure
•
Disclosure would help public understanding of admissions policies and procedures.
•
Disclosure would demonstrate the University of Liverpool’s commitment to the principles of
accountability and transparency.
•
Disclosure would empower interested individuals to analyse and understand university recruitment
plans, patterns, and trends.
Factors Against Disclosure
•
The Information Tribunal has acknowledged that universities have commercial interests
(EA/2009/0034), and that UK Universities operate in a global market. The University operates in a
competitive environment where other institutions of higher education deliver comparable products
(undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses).
•
The admissions process for the current entry year is ongoing. Premature disclosure of the information
would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of the University because we are stil
in the current admissions cycle.
•
Universities are in competition to recruit high-calibre students from a limited pool of prospective UK
and international applicants. Regulatory changes in recent years, such as the lifting of the cap on
university places in England, have increased competition between institutions.
•
If data were to be publicly available, the University would be placed at a significant commercial
disadvantage. Our competitor institutions would be able to analyse our candidate selection and offer-
making behaviour in granular detail. This would al ow them to target our applicant demographics. It
would be likely to cause the University genuine commercial prejudice if it were available to
competitors within the sector.
•
Releasing information for the current application process wil also have a detrimental effect on
applicants. Potential applicants could have an unfair advantage within the current cycle in
understanding our candidate selection and offer-making processes. This would undermine confidence
in our admissions processes and could be expected to have an impact on our ability to attract paying
students.
•
The University receives over 50% of its income from student fees and, there is a need for it to ensure
that it stil is competitive by protecting any information it considers to be sensitive which could affect
student recruitment and affect its income.
•
Our decision to withhold this information is consistent with the policy and procedure fol owed by
UCAS (Universities and Col eges Admissions Service) on this subject matter. UCAS does not publish
information about individual institutions' year-on-year application positions until after a cycle is over
so that the information cannot influence prospective applicants who are deciding whether to apply to
an institution.
For the reasons outlined above, the University believes that the balance of interest currently lies in favour
of withholding the information at this time. This acts as our Refusal Notice.
Also, please could you provide the average GCSES scores of applicants in 2022 and 2023 who were selected
for an interview.
Information not held. We do not record GCSE scores against our admissions data.
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you have a right under Section 50 of the
Freedom of Information Act to ask the University to review it. You must do so within 40 working days of the
date of this response. Your request should include our reference number and explain the reason for
requesting a review. Email xxx@xxxxxxxxx.xx.xx or write to the Freedom of Information Reviewer, Legal &
Governance, University of Liverpool, Foundation Building, 765 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 7ZX. We will
respond to your request for an internal review within 20 working days of receipt.
Following an internal review, if you are still dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a right to
appeal to the Information Commissioner. Information on how to do this is available at
http://ico.org.uk/complaints. There is no charge for making an appeal.
Yours sincerely
Kirsty Rothwell
Kirsty Rothwell
Freedom of Information Officer / Data Protection Co-ordinator
