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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Imperial may set own entry test | Imperial may set own entry test |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| One of the UK's most prestigious universities may use its own entrance exam to differentiate between well-qualified degree applicants. | |
| Imperial College London is trying out an entrance test for subjects other than medicine, which has one already. | Imperial College London is trying out an entrance test for subjects other than medicine, which has one already. |
| Rector Sir Richard Sykes told an independent schools conference that all applicants had "four or five A-levels". | Rector Sir Richard Sykes told an independent schools conference that all applicants had "four or five A-levels". |
| He said it was "frightening" that 40% of his undergraduate intake came from | |
| the 7% who were privately schooled. | |
| Imperial specialises in engineering, medicine, and the natural sciences and was ranked fifth in a recent global league table. | Imperial specialises in engineering, medicine, and the natural sciences and was ranked fifth in a recent global league table. |
| 'National system' | 'National system' |
| Speaking at the Independent Schools Council's annual conference in London, Sir Richard said "grade inflation" had "destroyed" the role of A-levels in selecting undergraduates. | Speaking at the Independent Schools Council's annual conference in London, Sir Richard said "grade inflation" had "destroyed" the role of A-levels in selecting undergraduates. |
| "Top institutions have great difficulty separating out the best students," he said. | "Top institutions have great difficulty separating out the best students," he said. |
| "Even if you interview all the students you still have a problem." | "Even if you interview all the students you still have a problem." |
| Hence the trials of an entrance test to assess general intelligence and creativity, which could become the norm at Imperial from 2010 and perhaps elsewhere. | Hence the trials of an entrance test to assess general intelligence and creativity, which could become the norm at Imperial from 2010 and perhaps elsewhere. |
| "That hopefully would become a national system if that was seen to be successful for selecting students," Sir Richard said. | "That hopefully would become a national system if that was seen to be successful for selecting students," Sir Richard said. |
| "We are doing this not because we don't believe in A-level but we cannot use A-levels any more as a discriminatory factor. They have all got four or five A-levels," he said. | "We are doing this not because we don't believe in A-level but we cannot use A-levels any more as a discriminatory factor. They have all got four or five A-levels," he said. |
| A-levels and other suitable qualifications will still be required as well. | A-levels and other suitable qualifications will still be required as well. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY A-levels are so devalued, universities should set their own entrance exams Cyril, Bognor Send us your comments | |
| Steps have been taken to make A-levels more demanding, partly in response to concerns that so many students now achieve A grades, making it difficult to distinguish between the good and the very good. | Steps have been taken to make A-levels more demanding, partly in response to concerns that so many students now achieve A grades, making it difficult to distinguish between the good and the very good. |
| Among other things a top A* grade is being introduced to address this issue. | Among other things a top A* grade is being introduced to address this issue. |
| In recent years some universities have begun using entrance exams for specific subjects such as medicine and law. | In recent years some universities have begun using entrance exams for specific subjects such as medicine and law. |
| Going private | Going private |
| Sir Richard also made a wider attack on the state of education in the UK. | Sir Richard also made a wider attack on the state of education in the UK. |
| "We have got to do something radical if we are going to save children in 93% of our schools that somehow are just not getting the education they deserve," he said, referring to the proportion in state schools. | "We have got to do something radical if we are going to save children in 93% of our schools that somehow are just not getting the education they deserve," he said, referring to the proportion in state schools. |
| "We have in this country some of the best secondary education in the world but only a few percentage of people benefiting from it." | "We have in this country some of the best secondary education in the world but only a few percentage of people benefiting from it." |
| He said radical action was needed to "save" bright children by taking them out of state schools and using public funding to support them in private schools. | He said radical action was needed to "save" bright children by taking them out of state schools and using public funding to support them in private schools. |