Response Ref FOI 619 Kakkar

By email only

Ref: FOI 801

13th October 2014

Dear Mr Khan,

I am writing in response to your recent request for information regarding Dentistry admissions (Ref FOI 801).

The response to your request is as follows:

(1) Please can you provide a copy of the interview form that is used in the MMIs for the dentistry course to assess candidates. This request is applicable to 2013 and 2014 entry if possible. I would kindly like to request a copy of the form used in each of the MMI stations.

The broad criteria which are assessed are as follows: communication skills, work experience, manual dexterity, motivation, logic, reasoning and decision making, teamwork experience and ethics.

We are unable to provide copies of the interviews forms we use because the information is exempt from disclosure under section 43(2) Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) because its disclosure into the public domain is likely to prejudice the University’s commercial interests. The form used to assess interview performance contains questions and methods of assessment which are designed by us to reflect the University’s interests and requirements. The University believes that the publication of the information would be likely to benefit our competitors and enable them to adjust their processes or criteria to gain an advantage. Accordingly, we believe that although there is a public interest in the University being transparent and demonstrating that it has appropriate selection and assessment methods in place, the public interest in universities being able to compete effectively to attract the best students outweighs this. As such, the public interest lies in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information.

In addition to the above, the information is also exempt from disclosure under section 43(1) FOIA because it constitutes a trade secret. The form used to assess interview performance contains questions and methods of assessment which are designed by the University using the specific knowledge and expertise of its employees to reflect the University’s methods of testing candidates to determine their ability, aptitude and overall suitability for the course. Although there is a public interest in the University being transparent and demonstrating that it has appropriate selection and assessment methods in place, publication of the information would be likely to enable candidates to manipulate the assessment process to gain an unfair advantage and hence their scores may not necessarily reflect their abilities. This could lead to unsuitable candidates (who may then drop out) gaining places on the course in place of those who are more suitable and could progress well. It is in the public interest for universities to be able to attract the best students for their courses and ensure that applicants do not have an unfair advantage. On this basis, we maintain that the public

interest in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information outweighs the public interest factors in favour of disclosure.

(2) Please can you provide the criteria used to select candidates suitability for the 4 year BDS dentistry course. Do you use a scoring system for their personal statement and academic achievements. If any form is used to determine/assess this, I would kindly like to request a copy of this.

The criteria used in selecting the candidates to progress from the application stage of the admissions process to being invited to sit the Entrance Assessment Examination is available for all to read on the University website http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/bds_dentistry_graduate_entry.php . All applicants that are selected to take the Entrance Assessment Examination must demonstrate all the academic and non- academic entry requirements which are listed below, through submission of the UCAS form and submission of the Verification of Prior Learning document. We do not have a scoring system for personal statements or academic achievements and therefore do not have a form in which to assess this. The reason for this being unnecessary is because all applicants that meet the minimum academic and non-academic entry requirements will be invited to sit the Entrance Assessment Examination. The cover sheets used for 2013 and 2014 entry are attached.

The minimum academic and non-academic entry requirements that must be fulfilled are as follows: Academic Requirements 1. A minimum of an upper second class Honours degree in a biomedical discipline. 2. Verification or prior learning (see below). 3. A minimum of 3 A-Levels at Grade C or above (at least two of which must be from Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics*). 4. GCSE Mathematics (Grade B) and English Language (Grade B) or equivalent 5. All students whose first language is not English must have IELTS – grade 7.0 or above in every category. 6. An academic reference. This should be from the course leader, your personal tutor or project supervisor. If you do not already have your degree, the academic reference should include a predicted grade. If you have been in employment for a number of years and are unable to obtain a reference from your previous university degree, we would consider a reference that can evidence continuing professional development at degree level or beyond. *Please note that only one Mathematics award will count as one of the two required subjects. General Studies is not counted as one of the A-Levels. Verification of Prior Learning At the time of submitting their UCAS form applicants for the Graduate Entry pathway MUST complete the document Verification of Prior Learning to demonstrate that their first degree has satisfied the Learning Outcomes of Year 1 in order to have their prior learning credited and therefore enable them to be eligible for entry into year 2. If applicants are successful at interview the information provided will be verified before an offer is made.

Non-UK Qualifications

UK NARIC is used during the assessment of non-UK qualifications. We ask that all applicants holding non-UK qualifications initially submit a copy of the ‘UK NARIC Statement of Comparability’

along with copies of their transcript (a copy of the original and a copy of the English translation) to [email protected] These will then be used to assess how your qualifications compare with the UK GCSE, A-Level and degree requirements. You will be required to present original documentation if you are invited to attend the Entrance Assessment Exam. Non-Academic Entry Requirements 1. Home/EU students only. Currently, we are only funded to offer places to UK/EU candidates, hence we cannot accept international applicants to this course. 2. A fully and accurately completed UCAS form, ensuring that all applicable sections contain the relevant information. 3. Work experience within dentistry; we recommend a minimum of two weeks shadowing experience in an NHS General Dental Practice. However, in general, the more dental work experience an applicant has the better their understanding of dentistry as a career as well as broadening their knowledge of current dental issues. 4. Personal Statement; applicants must demonstrate their motivation for a career in dentistry. 5. If the main academic qualifications were gained many years previously there should be evidence of recent academic endeavour i.e. in the last five years. 6. We are unable to accept applications from individuals who are enrolled on another university course unless that course will be completed, and the results known, by the end of August prior to the start of the dental course. Non-Academic entry Requirements that would be assessed on an individual basis 7. The School of Dentistry tries to accommodate students with disability or learning support needs, but it can only accept students who would be able to practise dentistry without detriment to patients. Students who have a disability that is likely to significantly affect their ability to practise dentistry, or who will need significant support to enable them to do so, are encouraged to discuss this informally with the Admissions Tutor at the School of Dentistry at UCLan. Non-Academic Entry Requirements that must be completed once an offer has been made 8. DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) (formerly CRB); all potential students must undergo an enhanced DBS (CRB) check prior to admittance to the programme. 9. Occupational Health Clearance; all prospective students must complete an occupational health screening. Students are advised to be protected against chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis C and TB. All offers are conditional on completion of a health questionnaire and satisfactory assessment of fitness to train from the Occupational Health Service. In line with the document for ‘New healthcare workers’ (Department of Health, 2007) all students must demonstrate that they are free from TB, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV prior to final acceptance on to the course. Students must also demonstrate that they have sufficient Hepatitis B antibody levels prior to commencing ‘exposure prone procedures’ and so are encouraged to start an appropriate course of Hepatitis B vaccinations as soon as possible (i.e. by the time an offer is made). (3) Please can you provide information regarding the exam that candidates have to sit prior to receiving an interview. I understand that the exam paper format has changed from true/false to picking from a/b/c/d. I would kindly like to request a paper using this true/false format or a/b/c/d format. Also any information you may use when deciding your questions- do you tend to pick questions which would be suitable for A-level students?

The Entrance Assessment Examination is based on multiple choice questions, not true/false. The questions are based on all the Learning Outcomes listed within the Verification of Prior Learning document (attached). The questions are at a level suitable for students having completed a relevant

degree or in the process of completing a relevant degree. The questions are therefore not suitable for A-Level students as they would not have covered the work at the required level. We are unable to provide copies of the Examination papers because they are also exempt from disclosure under section 43(1) FOIA because it constitutes a trade secret. The examination papers contain questions which are designed by the University using the specific knowledge and expertise of its employees to reflect the University’s methods of testing candidates to determine their ability, aptitude and overall suitability for the course. Although there is a public interest in the University being transparent and demonstrating that it has appropriate selection and assessment methods in place, publication of the information would be likely to enable candidates to manipulate the assessment process to gain an unfair advantage and hence their examination marks may not necessarily reflect their abilities. This could lead to unsuitable candidates who do not have the necessary prior knowledge to entitle them to have their knowledge credited (who may then drop out) gaining places on the course in place of those who are more suitable and could progress well. It is in the public interest for universities to be able to attract the best students for their courses and ensure that applicants do not have an unfair advantage. On this basis, we maintain that the public interest in maintaining the exemption and withholding the information outweighs the public interest factors in favour of disclosure.

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request for information, you are entitled to ask for an internal review; however you must do so within 40 working days of the date of this response. Any internal review will be carried out by a senior member of staff who was not involved with your original request. To ask for an internal review, contact [email protected] in the first instance.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of any internal review, you are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner. To do so, contact:

Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF www.ico.org.uk

01625 545 745

Yours sincerely,

Information Governance Officer University of Central Lancashire Email: [email protected]