Admissions procedures

It provides our view on programme advertising and admissions processes, including our regulatory requirements, and what we commonly see in programme delivery.

This information should be considered by education providers when developing new and existing programmes, linked to this area.

Our threshold requirements

Summary reflections 

Education providers have clear structures in place to ensure that all parties have the information required to make an informed choice about whether to take up or make an offer of a place on a programme. This includes clear and consistent information for prospective applicants and for staff applying admissions requirements.

Programmes are usually advertised through central services in addition to education provider websites, and bespoke information is available for prospective applicants depending on the type of programme. Potential applicants to degree apprenticeship programmes are often identified by an employer. 

Education provider approaches 

Programmes are advertised in a range of places, primarily on education provider websites and through central services like the University and College Admissions Service and Discover Uni. There are differences in advertising and methods of application between direct entry and apprenticeship programmes. Apprenticeship programmes were also centrally advertised through the ‘find an apprenticeship’ web page. In addition, applicants are often made aware of the opportunity by their employer who recommends / suggests individuals to apply to apply to a degree apprenticeship programme, or directly recruits individuals to be considered for entry to apprenticeship programmes.

There are often ‘open days’ or other similar activities for prospective applicants to help them understand the programme, its requirements, and how to apply. Some education providers use virtual activities, such as webinars and virtual tours. In addition, applicants are often made aware of the opportunity by their employer who recommends / suggests individuals to apply to apply to a degree apprenticeship programme, or directly recruits individuals to be considered for entry to apprenticeship programmes.

Education providers are normally clear about admissions requirements in a range of materials to ensure applicants understand the requirements, such as advertising materials, including social media, and information provided at open days, and staff are supported to apply those requirements consistently and fairly.

Selection methods are different depending on the programme. Entry to direct entry programmes are managed solely by the education provider, while degree apprenticeship programmes involve the employer throughout the process. Sometimes, admissions decisions are described as ‘joint’ decisions between the education provider and employer, and at other times the education provider makes the final decision about whether to admit.  

There are a range of recruitment techniques, often with values-based recruitment at the centre of decision making, with face-to-face or virtual interviews normally preferred.

Some education providers showed us how they regularly review admissions requirements and processes to ensure they remain current and fair.

In the academic year 2024/25, we asked education providers to reflect upon their admissions procedures for the first time through performance review. Education provider reflections focussed on the activities related to widening participation. For example, providing support for applicants transitioning to Higher Education (first generation applicants or those returning after a break) and around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  

Current sector focus and challenges 

For apprenticeship programmes, education providers need to work with their employer partners to agree how operational responsibilities for programme admissions work, including how the employer may be involved in the recruitment process, and who makes the final decision about admission onto an approved apprenticeship programme. 

Areas commonly explored further through our assessments 

In approval assessments, we often need to explore inconsistencies with the information provided to prospective learners and for the expectations to be applied by the education provider. We expect education providers to clearly define their expectations and correct inconsistencies. 

Also, through approval assessments, in the 2024-25 academic year, we clarified our expectations for degree apprenticeship programmes and embedded these expectations for our stakeholders. This was to ensure named employers were in place at the point of programme approval. As part of this, we needed to understand which (and whose) policies / processes were taken into consideration through the application process and what happens if they differed. To understand this, we referred questions relating to the admission procedures to stage 2 of the approval process, so we were clear about the employer / education provider relationship. 

In two approval assessments, we set conditions relating to the clarity of information provided by the education provider and / or the employer to applicants of degree apprenticeship programmes.