Women do worse than men in Oxbridge exams ‘because of premenstrual syndrome’

The University of Oxford has a first-class degree gender attainment gap of about 8.5 percentage points in 2022/23
The University of Oxford has a first-class degree gender attainment gap of about 8.5 percentage points in 2022/23 - Benedek/iStock

Women do not do as well as men in Oxbridge exams because of premenstrual syndrome, a think tank report has suggested.

A paper published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) think tank found women at Oxbridge secure more upper second-class degrees while men gain more firsts as well more lower second-class degrees and thirds.

Females tend to outperform their male peers and graduate with first-class and upper second-class undergraduate degrees at other universities.

Oxbridge degrees tend to be weighted towards exams, while coursework features more heavily at other universities.

The paper said exam-heavy degrees favoured by Oxbridge disadvantaged women because they suffered from premenstrual syndrome.

The condition can cause mood swings, depression and insomnia in women around two weeks before they experience their periods.

The University of Cambridge did not award degrees to women until 1948
The University of Cambridge did not award degrees to women until 1948 - Adam Burton/Alamy

In 2022-23, the percentage of female students at Cambridge gaining first class undergraduate examination results was 22.4% per cent – 8.3 percentage points below male students (30.7 per cent).

The University of Oxford has a first-class degree gender attainment gap of about 8.5 percentage points.

The paper – written by parliamentary researcher and Cambridge University graduate Famke Veenstra-Ashmore – said: “Some argue the 100 per cent weighting favours those more likely to postpone serious study to the end of their degree – a risk that men are more likely to take, as women tend to work more evenly across the three years of study.

“This may explain why women receive the majority of upper-second degrees at many institutions and subjects, whereas male students are more likely to get first-class degrees (and conversely, lower second-class and third-class degrees) at Oxbridge.”

It added that extending exam times and a larger distribution of classification weighting could benefit women as menstruation and PMS “can exacerbate the challenge of tight exam periods”.

The paper also argued that “representation issues” on certain Oxbridge courses – where supervisors and tutors are more likely to be men – could have contributed towards the degree awarding gap.

It added that Oxbridge’s “combative and confrontational” teaching style may disadvantage some groups and affect their exam performance.

The report has called for “bold reforms” at the universities, including an overhaul of assessment methods and a re-evaluation of the balance of exams to coursework, to address the awarding gap.

Ms Veenstra-Ashmore said: “Women still face significant institutional barriers to the highest levels of academic achievement at Oxford and Cambridge.

“The slow pace of change is deeply unfair and means female students are not getting the most out of their experience of higher education.

“Urgent action is required from both Oxford and Cambridge. Experimentation with assessment methods and teaching is possible.

“There is no reason why such large disparities in awarding should not be addressed with haste and genuine concern.”

Rose Stephenson, of the Higher Education Policy Institute ‘historically been bastions of male privilege’
Rose Stephenson, of the Higher Education Policy Institute ‘historically been bastions of male privilege’

Rose Stephenson, director of policy and advocacy at HEPI, said: “The universities of Oxford and Cambridge have historically been bastions of male privilege.

“Cambridge did not award degrees to women until 1948, and it is disappointing to see gender inequality is still baked into the system.

“I urge colleagues at these institutions to read this report and take urgent action.”

Professor Bhaskar Vira, pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Cambridge, said: “The university is investigating possible causes for the awarding gap in first-class degrees, including variation across subject and time. This is also being examined as part of our current teaching review.

“Our findings so far suggest that there is no single cause, and while there are examples of progress in some parts of the university, more remains to be done.

“We will make sure this research is visible and share the lessons we learn. This will contribute to an action plan being set up to address the issue.”