University of Oxford

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UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD

			Ref. FOI/2016/Nov 1 December 2016
Reply to request for information under Freedom of Information of Act
Your Ref:	Your email dated 6 November 2016
Address:	What Do They Know
Request	According to the Freedom of Information Act, I am requesting the following statistics, broken down by individual colleges if possible, for the past 3 admission cycles for the Q300 English Language and Literature course: 1) I would like to know the average, median and range of ELAT scores for candidates invited to interview and those who were successful. 2) I would also like any scoring or grading system used to assess interview performance and submitted work. If such a form/criteria sheet is provided for admission tutors to record performance, I would kindly request this to be provided separately, and if possible also the average score/grade successful candidates received. 3) The predicted A-level grades and GCSEs of successful candidates(anonymised) 4)Statistics of the number of candidates being drawn to the pool for each college, how many interviews at other colleges did each candidate receive(anonymised) and which were successful 5) Any form/information sheet or general grading system admission tutors used when they present candidates to the pool. If such a document is used, I would kindly request this to be provided separately In addition, I would also like to know 6) How each part of the application process is weighed (UCAS form, ELAT, Submitted Work, Interview) and would ELAT performance be considered when making the final decision of offers

Dear Mr Liu

Thank you for your request.

Item 1

The University will be proactively publishing information on admission test scores, including the information you have requested, on its website from January 2017. We are therefore refusing your request, and in doing so we are invoking section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act. This exemption provides that a public authority may refuse a request where it has the intention to publish the requested information in the future.

The section 22 exemption is subject to the public interest test, and in carrying out this test we have had particular regard for the strong public interest in allowing public authorities to publish information according to a planned annual cycle, in order to make the best use of limited staff resources. It is our view that in this instance the public interest is best served by adhering to our planned publication schedule.
Item 2

The template scoring sheets and criteria that are provided to admissions tutors are attached.

Detailed information on individual candidates is only held in our admissions database for the current round of admissions. Copies of the data from prior years are not retained. We are not therefore able to provide accurate statistical information for the last 3 admissions cycles as requested.
Item 3

This is attached.

Item 4

Detailed information on individual candidates is only held in our admissions database for the current round of admissions. Copies of the data from prior years are not retained. We are not therefore able to provide accurate statistical information for the last 3 admissions cycles as requested.

Item 5

There is no separate form or guidance used when candidates are recommended for open offer/consideration by other colleges. The candidate's status on our admissions database is simply updated to reflect the admissions tutor's recommendation with no further information provided.

Item 6

In order to create the pre-interview banding score, which guides shortlisting decisions, we weight the various elements of the application as follows:

ELAT - 40%

Written work - 25%

Contextualised GCSE score - 17.5%

UCAS form - 17.5%

Any element of a shortlisted candidate's application (including Written Work scripts, personal statement, references, predicted grades, and ELAT grades and scripts) may be subsequently considered alongside interview performance when the decision to offer or reject is made.

INTERNAL REVIEW

If you are dissatisfied with this reply, you may ask the University to review it, by writing to the Registrar at the following address:

University Offices

Wellington Square

Oxford

OX1 2JD
Alternatively, you may request a review by e-mailing [e-mail].

THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

If, after the internal review, you remain dissatisfied, you have the right under FOIA to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with the FOIA.

Yours sincerely

FOI OXFORD