Cambridge University issues statement on admissions

The University of Cambridge has issued a statement over this year's admissions process, following the publication of A-Level results yesterday.

University says it has to house students in colleges

Around 300,000 school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving calculated grades to help them progress onto university, work or training after this summer’s exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.

The government announced late on Tuesday that students in England will have the “safety net” of being able to use mock exam results as the basis for an appeal if they are higher than the calculated grade.

Despite the controversy, initial Ucas figures suggest more students have been accepted on to UK degree courses this year - with 358,860 people from across the UK with confirmed places.

But exam boards downgraded nearly 40% of school leavers' grades in England, according to data from Ofqual – which amounts to around 280,000 entries being adjusted down.

It meant many students missed out on their first choice university places.

Today the University of Cambridge issued the following statement.

It said it was still committed to "widening participation" and ensuring its "student population is representative of wider society".

But it added it was limited by "physical constraints"

England’s exam regulator said it was forced to downgrade thousands of A-level results owing to “implausibly high” predictions submitted by teachers.

A-level results day descended into chaos as 39.1% of teachers’ estimates for pupils in England were adjusted down by one grade or more, according to data from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation.