A-levels no longer useful guide for Imperial

LONDON - ONE of the country's most prestigious universities is considering setting its own entry exams because the plethora of top A-level grades has made it impossible to distinguish between students.

Imperial College London, which specialises in engineering, medicine and the natural sciences, said it will try out an entrance test to assess general intelligence and creativity.

'Grade inflation", by which so many pupils now obtain four or five 'A' grades, has destroyed the role of A-levels in selecting undergraduates, Imperial's Rector Richard Sykes told an independent schools conference.

Even interviews are not enough to differentiate, he said.

The rector, or vice-chancellor, said: 'Top institutions have great difficulty separating out the best students.

'Even if you interview all the students, you still have a problem.'

The government has introduced A* (A-star) grades in an attempt to stem accusations that the exams have become easier.

But Mr Sykes said he was not criticising the quality of A-levels.

'We are doing this not because we don't believe in A-level but we cannot use A-levels any more as a discriminatory factor. They have all got four or five A-levels,' he said.

The university will still require A-levels and other suitable qualifications.

Imperial introduced tests for students wanting to study medicine about three years ago. Other colleges have done the same, as have several institutions offering law courses, including Oxford and Cambridge.

The University of Oxford holds its own tests in about seven subjects including English, physics and computer science because of the high volume of applicants.

The University of Cambridge said it has no intention of expanding its existing entrance tests in law and medicine but would instead rely on detailed information, such as the marks achieved amid the overall grades. -- REUTERS