University admissions overhaul could see start of the academic year being moved to January

University admissions are to be overhauled, with students applying after their A-level results and the start of the academic year possibly being moved to January, it was reported last night.

Earlier this year, the higher education watchdog launched a review into admissions. One of the options that the Office for Students (OfS) is considering involves amending the process so students only complete their applications to their desired universities after they have collected their A-Level results.

This would remove the problem of institutions handing out unconditional offers which can lead to students slacking with their school work since they have a university place guaranteed.

It would also solve the issue of unreliable predicted grades, where universities complain that teachers make unrealistic forecasts about what students are capable of achieving.

Ucas, the university admissions service, previously attempted to instigate a move to a post-qualification system but dropped the idea in 2012.

At the time, university leaders claimed that the move would put too much pressure on admissions tutors by forcing them to consider hundreds of thousands of applications in just a few weeks over the summer.

But there is growing concern about the misuse of unconditional offers, with the number rising sharply. Students are now 30 times more likely to receive one than five years ago.

Now the Education Secretary has ordered officials to draw up plans which would see a shift to a post-qualifications admissions system, according to The Guardian. 

It is thought that this would benefit disadvantaged young people and students from black and minority ethnic groups, as research shows they tend to receive lower predicted A-level grades than they go on to achieve.

Various models are being studied by Department for Education (DfE) officials for new admissions systems, it was reported.

One option involves university courses starting in January which would allow five months for universities to process applications following A-level results in August.

Another option involves bringing  exam results forward to July and pushing the start of university terms back to mid-October.

Other options involve leaving timetables unchanged, which would leave universities with only a short window of time to process applications.

A DfE spokesperson said: “We do not comment on leaks and will not be drawn on speculation.”