The Changing Profile of Entrants to Mathematics at A Level and to Mathematical Subjects in Higher Education

Over the past decade most, if not all, university departments of mathematics, science and engineering have talked about a decline in the mathematical capabilities of their entry cohorts. Anecdotal evidence from the universities and the press has blamed this drop on a lowering of standards at A level. However, it may be due to the lowering of admission requirements to allow for the expansion in university places. This article attempts to quantify the present situation by looking at the characteristics of the student population at both the interface between the General Certificate of Secondary Education and A level, and A level and higher education over time. As well as analysing official published data and hitherto unpublished data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, it builds on some initial work carried out at the Mechanics in Action Project at the Universities of Manchester and Leeds over the past 6 years as part of the evaluation of the effects of the Project's mathematics curriculum development work post‐16. An explanation for the universities’ perception of declining standards is found in (a) the changing A level cohort, (b) the universities’ policy on recruitment, and (c) able students choosing not to study mathematical subjects.