Cambridge Assessment International Education
We live in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. Every moment, technology is changing the way we work, the way we think and the way we live. It changes so quickly that we don’t know what challenges students will face in the future. How, then, do we create Cambridge programmes that will prepare the students of today for the world of tomorrow? We do this by embracing an innovative and progressive approach to learning. Our programmes emphasise the mastery of subjects in depth, and the development of valuable transferable skills. Deep subject knowledge, valued so highly by universities, develops students’ ability to solve problems and apply their understanding to new situations. Our syllabuses encourage students to develop their conceptual understanding – a grasp of the key concepts that enable students to make links between different aspects of a subject.
Considerations about Cambridge students’ futures were also at the heart of the development of the Cambridge learner attributes, introduced in 2011. These habits of learning – being confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged – determine how students approach different situations and challenges. They nurture students who love learning, and who will continue to learn throughout their lives, whatever they are doing. It is this love of learning that is so valuable in a constantly changing world. That’s why the Cambridge learner attributes are an important part of our approach. They help us design Cambridge qualifications that are challenging and relevant, so that Cambridge students can continue to apply what they learnt at school to their lives.
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Ian Harris, Cambridge International’s Assistant Director, International Network.
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95% of Cambridge International A Level students who apply to UK universities receive offers, according to new research by UCAS, the UK Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
From 2014-2017, research showed:
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95% of Cambridge International A Level students who applied to UK higher education institutions were offered places. This equates to over 67,700 offers.
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Of the 95%, sixty-two percent (62%) of Cambridge International A Level applicants were accepted into ‘higher tariff’ universities, the 24 most sought-after and reputable universities in the UK (including the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham and the London School of Economics, and all of the 'Russell Group' universities).
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A further 25% were accepted at medium tariff universities, and 13% at lower tariff institutions.
This breakdown shows that students who have taken Cambridge International A Levels are better placed than most other students to get top places.
When we look at the total figures of all students who applied to study at UK institutions, only 28% of all applicants get into the Russell Group universities – less than half the figure for Cambridge learners.
The figures also show that over the same three-year period 2014-2017, the number of Cambridge International A Level students applying to study in the UK almost doubled, as did the number of students who were offered places.
The data shows that engineering and business studies were the most popular subjects for applicants with Cambridge International A Levels. These were followed by social studies, biological sciences, law, medicine, maths, computer science and creative arts.
While this data is providing a rich resource for further research, it shows very positive trends for students with Cambridge International qualifications who wish to study at the UK’s top universities.