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Data Protection Office
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Dear Adam,

Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

We confirm that we hold some of the information of the description
specified in your request; please see our response below and the attached
document.

Your request

For each of these courses: (1) BSc Economics and Business with East
European Studies; (2) BSc Economics; (3) BSc Economics and Geography; (4)
BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics, can you please provide the
following information:

·         How many applications from English-domiciled students were there
to these courses in 2023-24? How many of those applicants studied Maths?
How many of those applicants studied Further Maths? 

·         How many conditional offers were made to English-domiciled
students for these courses in total in 2023-24? How many of those students
studied Maths? How many of those students studied Further Maths?  

·         How many English-domiciled students to these courses in 2023-24
had sat or indicated they would sit the TMUA? Of those, how many offers
were made conditional on their TMUA score (if any)?

·         What are the most common pieces of evidence of mathematical
ability you take into consideration besides AS/A-Level Maths/Further Maths
e.g. TMUA? What is the ranking of pieces of evidence you consider for a
candidate to these courses, where does 'mathematical ability' sit within
that ranking?

Our response

The tables in the attached document show the number of applicants from
English and Non-English domiciled students for the listed courses as well
as the number of applications made by, and conditional offers given to,
English domiciled applicants who studied Maths or Further Maths at
A-Level, for the listed courses in 2023-24 admission cycle.

As you can see, we are unable to disclose the exact number of individuals
where 5 or fewer applicants who studied Further Maths either applied to,
or were given a conditional offer for, the listed courses. This is because
to provide the exact numbers may inadvertently lead to the identification
of these individuals. This also means that we are unable to provide the
total number of English Domiciled applicants or conditional offer holders
who studied either Maths or Further Maths at A-Level. Whilst there are no
personally identifiable details within the data being withheld, that data,
when combined with other data that may already be available in the public
domain, could be used by ‘motivated intruders’ and other knowledgeable
third parties to identify the individuals concerned. Linking together
separate strands of data available in this way can indirectly lead to an
individual being identified which would breach the first data protection
principle. Further, these individuals would have no expectation that their
identities, by virtue of disclosing this type of information, would be
made known to the wider public and it would be considered unfair to do so.

As this data would be likely to become personal data, this information is
exempt from disclosure and has been withheld under section 40(2) of the
FOIA by virtue of s40(3A)(a). Section 40(2) of the FOIA allows a public
authority to withhold information under the FOIA where (i) the requested
information is personal data relating to someone other than the requester
and (ii) its disclosure would breach any of the data protection
principles. It is for these reasons that this information is exempt under
section 40(2) of the Act. As the section 40(2) exemption is absolute,
there is no need to conduct a public interest test.

UCL does not hold information regarding the number of English Domiciled
students who have or will sit the TMUA. This is because UCL does not use
the TMUA in the assessment of applicants for the listed courses. UCL does
not use any other evidence besides their grade in A-Level Maths or Further
Maths to determine an applicant’s mathematical ability for the listed
courses.

You are free to use any information supplied for your own use, including
for non-commercial research purposes. The information may also be used for
the purposes of news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for
example by publishing or issuing copies to the public, will require the
permission of the copyright owner.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact me using the details
provided in this letter and including the request reference number. If you
are unhappy with our response to your request and wish to make a complaint
or request a review of our decision, please email
[1][email address]. Emails should include the words ‘Internal
Review’ in the subject and be marked ‘For the Attention of the
Vice-President (Operations)’. Alternatively, please write to:

Vice-President (Operations)
University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT

Please note that complaints and requests for internal review received more
than two months after the initial decision will not be handled. If you are
not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by using the
following web address: [2]www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints or by writing to
the ICO at the following address:

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF

0303 123 1113

[3]https://ico.org.uk/

You should do this within two months of our final decision. Further
information on the FOIA is available on the ICO’s website:
[4]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici....

Kind regards,

Fawwaz Noibi

Data Protection and Freedom of Information Administrator

Data Protection Office

Office of the General Counsel

University College London

Tel:        020 3108 6389 (ext. 56389)

Email:    [5][email address]

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References

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