Access to Birmingham (A2B) Frequently Asked Questions

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1 Access to Birmingham (A2B) Frequently Asked Questions A2B Application and Offer Questions How do I know if I have been successfully accepted on to A2B? If you are successful in receiving an A2B offer then it will appear on UCAS Track. For example, an Accounting and Finance A2B offer may read: This offer is subject to you obtaining GCE A level Grades AAB in any order, alternative conditions GCE A level Grades BBB and successful completion of the A2B module. What happens if I do not meet the A2B criteria? If you do not meet the A2B criteria you will receive an explaining why you are not eligible and that we will only be able to consider you for the standard route rather than through A2B. Your A2B coordinator and our admissions office will also be notified. When should I expect to hear back from admissions on my offer? A2B offers will appear on your UCAS Track anytime from October to the end of March in Year 13. I have been given a standard offer from the University of Birmingham but haven t received an A2B offer, how do I know that my A2B application has been looked at? In some instances our admissions office may make you a standard offer prior to receiving your A2B application. This may be because you hadn t indicated A2B in the further details section of your UCAS form or there may have been a delay in the admissions office receiving your application. If this is the case then do get in touch with the Outreach Office as soon as possible. We will then contact admissions to arrange an amendment to your standard offer, where appropriate. I have been unsuccessful in gaining an offer at the University of Birmingham but haven t received any further information about A2B, how do I know that my A2B form has been looked at? Your UCAS Track will be updated when the admissions tutor makes a decision. If your application is unsuccessful, you will not receive an A2B offer. If you would like to check that your A2B form has been considered then you can get in touch with the Outreach Office. How do I accept my A2B offer when replying to UCAS? You can accept your A2B offer at the same time that you accept your standard offer through UCAS Track. You will not receive a separate offer through A2B. It will appear alongside your standard offer.

2 If I achieve the A2B offer but not the standard offer will I still have a place? Yes, if you successfully pass the A2B module and achieve the grades of your A2B offer then you will be able to take up your place at the University of Birmingham. What do I have to do to be able to take up the A2B offer? To ensure you are eligible to take up the A2B offer you must make the University of Birmingham your firm choice when replying to UCAS. Your A2B offer is also dependent on the satisfactory completion of the A2B module which consists of three elements: - An online study skills test based on the module - A compulsory A2B Preparation day which will help you understand what you need to do to pass the A2B module - An academic assignment specific to the course you have applied for I am hoping to achieve the grades for my standard offer, should I continue to complete the A2B module? If you successfully complete the A2B module and achieve the grades for your standard offer then you will be eligible for the A2B scholarship, which is 1,500 (previously 1,200) for every successful year you complete at the University. You may also choose to complete the A2B module in case you just miss out on your standard offer. The module also aims to help you prepare for University life and help you with the transition from school or college to University. If you do not wish to complete the A2B module, please let us know as soon as possible. My offer is ABB would I still get in with AAC? You will need to meet the exact grade requirements of your University offer to confirm your place. If you do get lower in one grade but higher in another then there is no guarantee that your place will be confirmed. We would encourage you to call the admissions department as soon as possible on results day if you have just missed out on your offer. I have been given an unconditional offer is it still worthwhile completing the A2B module? If you are given an unconditional offer you will not receive an A2B offer as well. If you are eligible for A2B you will be contacted about the benefits of completing the A2B module including the support you will receive with the A2B online study skills module and academic assignment task. You will also be invited to the A2B induction day and may receive additional scholarships if you meet the set criteria. The A2B Scholarship requires you to meet the standard entry grades for your course in addition to passing the A2B module. Can I apply through UCAS Extra or Clearing with A2B? We cannot make any A2B offers for students who are applying through UCAS Extra or Clearing.

3 Can I defer my A2B offer? If you want to defer your A2B offer then you will need to complete the A2B module in the year that you apply. If you did not complete the A2B module in the year that you apply you would only be able to defer your standard offer. Can I reapply through A2B? It is possible to reapply through A2B if you are resitting qualifications at an A2B partner school or college, but we do not allow students to complete a second attempt at the A2B assignment. If you have previously failed or not submitted an assignment we will not allow you to reapply through A2B. Can I apply through A2B if I have already achieved the entry requirements or completed the qualification relevant to the course I m applying for? It is not possible to apply through A2B if you have already completed the qualifications you were studying for entry to the University. For A2B offers and the A2B scholarship we have to differentiate between the standard offer and the A2B offer and this is not possible if you have already achieved the required grades. I think I am eligible for the scholarship, how do I apply? You do not need to apply for the A2B scholarship. We will check everyone s results and let you know if you are eligible to receive the scholarship. Please note that we will check that your household income is below the required threshold of 42,600 from your Student Finance England form. Please ensure that you have ticked the box giving your consent to share your information with the University on your Student Finance England Form. If you do not tick this box, we cannot award you the scholarship. When does the A2B scholarship get paid in to my account? The A2B scholarship gets paid in two instalments, half at the end of January and half at the end of May. This scholarship is awarded in addition to any other grant or bursary you may receive. What should I do if I want to withdraw from A2B? If you no longer wish to complete A2B then please get in touch with the Outreach Office as soon as possible. If you withdraw from the scheme and do not pass the A2B module you will only be holding the standard offer rather than the A2B alternative offer. A2B Module Questions When will I be contacted about the compulsory A2B Preparation Day? Once you have been given an A2B offer you will be invited to a visit day. The visit days run from November to July.

4 I am applying for Medicine/Dentistry/Physiotherapy/Nursing/Social Work how do I arrange a practice interview? Once we have received your application we will invite you to a practice interview. When will I receive the skills4uni online module log in details? Your online module details including your password will be ed to you in January. I am having problems loading the A2B online module skills4uni website, how can I access it? This may be because you have pop ups blocked on your computer. The skills4uni module opens in a separate window so make sure you click on the taskbar at the top of the page to allow pop ups. If this doesn t work then try and access the module from your school or college computer, or you could arrange to come to the University of Birmingham to complete the module. What happens if I don t get over 75% in the online module? If you do not achieve over 75% (30/40) in the online module then as long as you attend a student shadow day or visit day and pass the academic assignment then your A2B offer will still be available to you. If you don t achieve 75% in the module then you won t be eligible for the A2B scholarship. Do I have to use all three attempts on the online module assessment? No, you don t have to use all three attempts on the online module assessment. If you pass the assessment on your first attempt (75% or higher) then you don t need to complete the other two attempts. Do I have to do all three attempts of the online module in one sitting? No, you don t have to complete the tests straight after each other. If you don t pass on the first attempt you could take another week to look through the module and then complete the second attempt, as long as it is completed by the deadline date at the end of May. I have taken part in the Academic Enrichment Programme (AEP) do I have to complete the online study skills module? If you are part of AEP then you only need to complete the academic assignment, you do not need to attend the A2B Preparation Day or complete the online module test. When will I receive the A2B assignment? If you have chosen your A2B offer as your firm choice then we will send you details of your academic assignment once your summer exams have finished at the end of Year 13. You will access the assignment details at with the same password you were provided for the online study skills module.

5 I have been accepted on to A2B, but I will be on holiday when the academic assignment is due to be completed, what should I do? The academic assignment is set at the end of June when A Level exams have finished and the deadline is normally mid-july, so please don t book a holiday until the end of July. When will I find out if I have passed the A2B module, including the assignment? We will notify you in the first week of August whether you have successfully passed the A2B module. You will also receive feedback on your academic assignment. What happens if I don t pass the A2B assignment? If you do not pass the assignment then you will be unable to take up your A2B offer. However, this will have no effect on your standard offer which you will still be able to take up should you meet the necessary conditions. Any other questions If you have not found the answer to your question then please get in touch with the A2B Team Access to Birmingham a2b@contacts.bham.ac.uk Student enquiries Julia Kingston j.kingston@bham.ac.uk (works Monday & Tuesday) Lucy Hall l.hall@bham.ac.uk (works Wednesday to Friday) Teacher and Adviser enquiries Anne Snell, A2B Manager a.m.snell@bham.ac.uk Janet Hadley, A2B Administrator j.hadley@bham.ac.uk Updated March 2016