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Report On Physics Aptitude Test 2010: WWW - Physics.ox - Ac.uk/admissions

The document summarizes the results of the 2010 Physics Aptitude Test used by Oxford University to help select applicants for their Physics and Physics and Philosophy degree programs. Over 1000 applicants competed for around 190 places, resulting in over 5 applicants per place. The test has proven a good predictor of future academic performance at Oxford. Scores on the combined 2-hour math and physics test ranged from 16 to 97, with a mean of 66. Applicants scoring 71 or higher were initially shortlisted, with a small number of lower scoring applicants also selected based on other merits or extenuating circumstances. Around 490 candidates who met the screening criteria were invited to Oxford for interviews.

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79 views

Report On Physics Aptitude Test 2010: WWW - Physics.ox - Ac.uk/admissions

The document summarizes the results of the 2010 Physics Aptitude Test used by Oxford University to help select applicants for their Physics and Physics and Philosophy degree programs. Over 1000 applicants competed for around 190 places, resulting in over 5 applicants per place. The test has proven a good predictor of future academic performance at Oxford. Scores on the combined 2-hour math and physics test ranged from 16 to 97, with a mean of 66. Applicants scoring 71 or higher were initially shortlisted, with a small number of lower scoring applicants also selected based on other merits or extenuating circumstances. Around 490 candidates who met the screening criteria were invited to Oxford for interviews.

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From: Physics Admissions Coordinator

Report on Physics Aptitude Test 2010

Oxford Physics receives a large number of applications for places on both the Physics and Physics
and Philosophy courses. In 2010 there were a total of 1013 applicants contesting around 190
places, more than 5.3 applicants per place. We are, therefore, using a short-listing process, using the
results of our Physics Aptitude Test to guide us in reducing the number of applicants to around 2.5
per place.

These tests have been run for several years, and are known to be good predictors of future
performance at Oxford; in particular they are known to be better predictors than GCSE results. The
tests are set to a defined syllabus and the contents are checked by school teachers to ensure that they
are set at an appropriate level. Further details including sample papers can be found on the Oxford
Physics Admissions website www.physics.ox.ac.uk/admissions/. As in 2009, the maths and physics
tests were combined into a single two-hour maths/physics test, with candidates asked to write their
answers in the spaces left on the question paper.

We are extremely grateful to all the schools and test centres for agreeing to host candidates and for
bearing with us through inevitable hitches. The great majority of tests went smoothly, and in the
small number of cases where there were difficulties we have made due allowance in interpreting
marks. We have also taken note of medical certificates and letters drawing attention to grave events
in applicants’ personal lives. We are grateful for the advice we have received from schools on
making the administration of these tests simpler, and expect to continue to make minor changes
reflecting this advice in subsequent years.

Our primary short-listing criterion is the total mark


achieved on the combined test, which ranged from
16 to 97, with a mean mark of 66 and a standard
deviation of 14. More details are shown in the
graph, which plots the cumulative rank of
candidates scoring a certain mark. All applicants
scoring 71 and above were short-listed. A small
number of applicants below this cut-off whose
application forms showed other evidence of
excellence or had been ill during the test were
added to arrive at a final short-list of around 490
candidates who will be invited to Oxford for
interview (candidates from outside Europe can be interviewed by telephone if they prefer).

A key element of the Oxford Admissions process is that the chance of admission should not depend
on the choice of college to apply through. Our short-listing is, therefore, followed by a reallocation
process, in which candidates are transferred from colleges with large numbers of candidates to
colleges with a smaller number of candidates, so as to ensure that the number of candidates per
place is approximately constant across the collegiate university. This year 71 candidates were
reallocated. Reallocation has been practised by the University for many years, making it easier for
strong candidates to obtain a place at Oxford even if it is not at their first choice college.

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