Vice Chancellor’s Entrance Scholarship

International fee-paying students, applying for entry into the first year of an undergraduate bachelors degree programme. Students must be ordinarily domiciled in one of following countries/regions:

Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Canada
China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) 
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Arab Emirates
USA

The exams for 2025 entry will take place on the Friday 7th of February 2025 in an eligible school.

Remember to apply by 4pm (UK Time) Friday, 31 January 2025 to have your application considered.

If you do not attend an eligible school (like an International School), you may have the option to take the exams at a British Council Office, or another agreed invigilation centre. Please keep in mind that, although Aberystwyth University can support and advise on your exam location, any arrangements for this will be your responsibility, and you should make those arrangements directly with your school or alternative exam centre. If you have any questions before submitting your application, please email us at international@aber.ac.uk.  

Candidates are not permitted to take mobile phones, smart watches or any similar digital devices into the Exams.  Unless specified otherwise below, no texts, dictionaries, atlases or other documents or equipment may be used:

• Accounting & Finance- non-programmable calculators may be used.
• Art Portfolio – candidates must arrange to submit their portfolio by the date of the written exams.
• Business and Management – non-programmable calculators may be used. 
• Chemistry – a periodic table is provided and a calculator may be used. 
• Economics – non-programmable calculators may be used. 
• Mathematics - Candidates may take into the examination any information booklets or statistical tables approved by their examining board for use in examinations. Candidates are permitted to use calculators, provided they comply with A level examining board regulations. 
• Physics – all relevant information will be contained within the paper, but candidates may take into the examination room any ‘Information Booklets’ permitted by their Examining Boards for use in those examinations if they wish. Candidates are permitted to use calculators (provided they are silent, self-powered, without communication facilities, and incapable of holding text or other material that could be used to gain an unfair advantage).
• Photography Portfolio – candidates must arrange to submit their portfolio by the date of the written exams.

The exams are optional exams for students applying for an undergraduate degree scheme at Aberystwyth. 

The exams will be online and you will need access to a school/college computer with Microsoft Word, internet connection, and a web browser (preferably Chrome, Firefox or Edge) in order to access and submit the exam papers. You, and your school/college, will be provided with full instructions prior to the exam day. If you have special circumstances that prevents you from doing so, please note this on your application form.  

All candidates for the Mathematics and Further Mathematics exam will be asked to answer on paper, scanned and emailed to scholarships@aber.ac.uk  by your Exams Officer.  

You will sit TWO exams from the choice of subjects we offer (the choice of exam papers must be approved by the Department you have applied to study at). 

Each exam lasts for an hour and a half and both exams need to be taken on the same day. 

The exams are set and marked by our academic departments so they don’t follow any particular syllabus but they should be a similar standard to A-level exams. We do not offer marking schemes or feedback for exam papers. 

All results will be sent to applicants via email within 4-6 weeks of the exams taking place. 

The top 20% of all international students who pass the exam in that academic year will receive a tuition-fee discount of £2,000 per year for every year of their undergraduate studies (maximum of £6,000). The remaining 80% who pass will receive £2,000 in the first year only. 

Tuition -fee discounts will be applied automatically to your account. 

1. Open to candidates aged at least 17 by 1st October in the year of university entry. Applications from mature students are welcome. Candidates who have been a degree student at any university for more than one semester are NOT permitted to sit the Exams. 
2. Applicants must apply for full-time undergraduate degrees at Aberystwyth University. An online application form must be submitted by the published closing date, indicating two exam subjects. Ensure selected subjects are acceptable to the proposed department. 
3. Candidates will receive exam results within 4-6 weeks of the exam date. 
4. The University reserves the right to withdraw a Vice Chancellor’s Entrance Scholarship application for candidates to whom they cannot offer a place, even after exams have been taken.  
5. To be considered for an award, ensure the selected exam papers are acceptable to your chosen department. 
6. If a department cannot offer your first-choice course but provides a similar course with a foundation year, the award applies only to that course. Awards for courses that include a foundation year are not transferable to a three-year degree scheme. 
7. Students deferring their entry are entitled to Scholarships at the level publicized for the year of application. 
8. Aberystwyth University reserves the right to change or remove any current Scholarships, Bursaries, and Financial Awards. 
9. Failure to meet any requirements will result in the withdrawal of the Scholarship. 

Policy on Good and Unfair Academic Practice for the Entrance Exams 

Reasonable adjustment policy 

1. Check your Departmental Requirements - In order to be considered for a financial award and/or unconditional offer, it is important to select exam papers that are acceptable to the Department(s) you have applied to study at.  
 
2. Choose relevant Exam Papers - Ensure you choose subjects that are relevant for the degree scheme(s) you wish to pursue. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have selected appropriate subjects. Failure to do so may affect your eligibility for an award.  
 
3. Review Past Papers - It’s a good idea to look at some of our past papers to get a feel of the type and level of questions asked, but please note that the format of exam papers may change from year to year. 

If you are applying for a course which includes a foundation year and you’re unsure about which subjects to choose, please email us: 
scholarships@aber.ac.uk 

Please note that Veterinary Science, Veterinary Nursing and Nursing applicants are not eligible to sit the exams.

Please consult with your Exams Officer regarding any arrangements you have in place for normal school/college exams.

Eligible candidates may be entitled to 25% extra time, and arrangements as per normal school examinations, please see our Policy on making reasonable adjustments for applicants sitting the Exams.

1. Check that you are eligible to apply.
2. Seek permission from the Exams Officer to sit the online exams at your school/college on Friday, 7 February 2025. You will need their contact details on your application form. The deadline for applications is 4pm (UK Time) Friday, 31 January 2025. 
   
3. Check our webpage for which 2 exam papers you should choose. Each department has specific requirements and it is your responsibility to choose subjects that are relevant to the degree scheme you wish to pursue. Failure to do so may affect your eligibility for an award. 
   
4. Submit your online application*. This must be done in one sitting. You should receive a confirmation email following your submission. Please get in touch if you don’t receive this email: scholarships@aber.ac.uk  

Please note that although you must have applied to study at Aberystwyth University by the closing date, you do not need to wait to receive an offer before you can apply to sit the exams. If unsuccessful in achieving a financial award, your original offer will remain the same. Why not give the exams a go and see if you can enhance your offer? There’s nothing to lose! 

Please watch the  video on How to submit exam papers to familiarise yourself with the exams instructions before hand.  

Please also familiarise yourself with the Policy on Good and Unfair Academic Practice for the Exams. 

Please note that an updated Guide for the 2025 exams will be available here soon. 

Please review our Guidelines for Schools and Colleges 2025.

Candidates are required to sit both papers in the same day. Schools may determine start times to suit their own timetables. The exams last for one and a half hours each.  

All instructions and materials for the exams will be sent to the nominated Examinations Officer approximately one week before the exams. 

There is no charge associated with sitting the exams, but the University is unable to contribute to any invigilation or room booking costs which may be incurred. Normal exam arrangements apply.

If you have any questions that have not been answered in the above document, please contact scholarships@aber.ac.uk.