UAL - extended diploma and UCAS points 18 April 2021 at 8:52AM in Student MoneySaving 4 replies 52 views

Spendless

Hi, Can someone help. Struggling to understand information on-line.

My 18yo daughter is on her 2nd year at college (equiv to yr13)  studying UAL extended diploma performance and production arts. She has been made an offer by a top London drama school for one of their degree course. It is conditional on her having 120 UCAS points and I'm struggling to work this out.

The UAL qualification gives her 3 grades (like taking 3 A levels would), one is awarded at the end of the first year where she received a merit. The other two grades will be awarded when her course finishes later this year from Distinction, Merit, Pass. 


We're trying to work out what she needs to go with her current 1 Merit mark. I've gone on here put a merit grade in for UAL and it says 120 UCAS. But she doesn't get one  overall grade she gets three. Surely 1 merit doesn't equal 120 UCAS points? Do you have to divided the UCAS points by 3 to work this out so her 1 merit is currently equal to 40 UCAS?

 https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
 

2childmum2

I think your best bet is to ask the college/school your daughter is at.  There are such a variety of diplomas and they are all a bit different. My best guess is that and average of a merit across the 3 grades would give the 120 points, but best check it out with college

Indigo_and_Violet

Agreed - ask college. I've had a look at the documents for your daughters course - they seem to suggest it has one overall grade rather than 3. Maybe college gives your daughter 3 grades so that she has an idea of what level she is working at but when she gets her actual certificate it only has one? Agreed that a merit seems to be 120 UCAS points so as long as she keeps up her current standard she should be good.

Spendless

Indigo_and_Violet said:

Agreed - ask college. I've had a look at the documents for your daughters course - they seem to suggest it has one overall grade rather than 3. Maybe college gives your daughter 3 grades so that she has an idea of what level she is working at but when she gets her actual certificate it only has one? Agreed that a merit seems to be 120 UCAS points so as long as she keeps up her current standard she should be good.

That's what I couldn't understand. It's equivalent to 3 A levels so I sort of thought there'd be 3 grades, the same way there was when my eldest did a vocational BTEC extended diploma a few years ago (eg he ended up with MPP)  . She already got one grade from last year (the merit) again like older brother did at the end of his first year  so I don't understand how it becomes one overall  grade the year after. Who would I try at college? Her course tutor is on maternity leave and the replacement doesn't seem to be familiar with much detail eg she hasn't been able to give a date daughter's course actually finishes.  

2childmum2

Is there a head of department?  Although that might be the course tutor.  Otherwise I would work my way up the heirachy - or there is usually someone in charge of uni applications who might be able to help