News
Cambridge announces written entrance test amid elitism row
02 February 2016
Gonzalo Viña in the Financial Times quotes Sir Peter Lampl’s response to Cambridge’s announcement it will be introducing a written test as part of its admissions process.
The university-wide tests will be standardised by subject, doing away with the myriad assessments at its colleges, and are being brought back to give admissions tutors a better idea of who to invite for interview now that schools are phasing out AS-levels.
The change comes as the Sutton Trust — a group that campaigns for greater social mobility — is this week expected to criticise Cambridge and Oxford universities for having labyrinthine admissions systems that deter applications from the brightest pupils at state schools.
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Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “We welcome any measure to simplify the admissions procedures at Oxbridge. However, Cambridge should be aware that tests could present a disadvantage for low and middle income students as there is a thriving market in private tuition for the extra admissions tests used at Oxford and Cambridge.
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