Many of the UK's top universities refuse to recognise the Welsh Government's controversial Welsh Baccalaureate qualification for all of their courses. WalesOnline asked higher education institutions whether they treated the unpopular post-16 qualification as being equivalent to an A-level and the picture was very mixed.
The Welsh Government and exam regulator Qualifications Wales insist the course is equivalent to an A-level but some top Russell Group universities simply don't include the Welsh qualification in their offers at all and demand three A levels. Others will, but not for all courses and some accept it as A level equivalent for all courses.
Earlier this month Rishi Sunak announced plans to change A levels in England so that all pupils would study some form of English and Maths to the end of their time in school. The Welsh Government responded saying the Welsh Baccalaureate covered those ideas already, although the qualification does not include formal Maths or English lessons. You can read more about that here
Read more: Wales' independent schools compared on fees, exam results and facilities
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The Welsh Baccalaureate, as it is colloquially known, will be awarded in its current form for the last time in summer 2024. A new version, officially titled the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate has been taught from this term and will be first awarded in 2025 - like the old versions it will be graded A* to E.
There has been controversy since the Welsh Baccalaureate was first introduced that it is a distraction, not as valuable as other A levels and not accepted as such by some universities at all, or on some university courses. There have been several petitions from students to abolish the qualification arguing that they learn nothing from the course they don't already know.
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Here we take a look at the changes and which of the 24 Russell Group universities accept the Welsh Baccalaureate as equivalent to A levels for their offers.
Oxford University
No
Oxford says on its website: “The university is aware that framework for the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate has now been withdrawn, but that students are still able to take the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as a standalone qualification.
“The university recognises that this qualification will provide students with the opportunity to develop research and academic skills relevant for study at Oxford, particularly through the independent research project, and applicants are encouraged to draw upon their experiences when writing the personal statement. However, the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate will not form the basis of any offers, and conditional offers are likely to range between A*A*A and AAA at A-level, depending on the course.”
Cambridge University
Not usually
Cambridge says on its website: “If you are taking the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate, any offer we make you would be conditional on three A Level subjects studied as options for the Advanced Diploma.
“We may take The Skills Challenge into consideration when we assess your application. But we wouldn’t normally include it as part of an offer.”
Imperial College London
No
Imperial does not accept the Welsh Baccalaureate and requires three A levels.
Durham University
No
Durham says on its website: “Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge. We value the Advanced Skills Challenge as a qualification which provides you with skills which are excellent preparation for university study and a successful higher education experience, but it does not form part of our offers.”
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
No
The university said: “Applicants taking the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma are expected to have studied three subjects to A level and we would typically make an offer based on three A level grades (excluding the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification).
“If you have only been able to take two A levels alongside the Welsh Baccalaureate because of school/college restrictions, we would consider making an offer based on two A levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate in place of the third A-level.
“The Welsh Baccalaureate is regarded as a non-preferred subject and we would expect two generally preferred subjects at A level (see above). Supporting evidence regarding your school’s policy on A levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate would be required and should be provided in the reference.
Queen Mary University of London
Not for law or some other courses. Applicants are advised to check.
The university says on its website: “We recognise the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as an appropriate Level 3 qualification for entry to the majority of our undergraduate degree courses.
“Generally, this certificate can be accepted in lieu of one A Level and offers will specify a grade to achieve in the Skills Challenge. Specific A Level subject requirements will still apply. Please see our Course Finder for details of the ALevel requirements of your chosen course.
“Please note our School of Law will not include the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate in the conditions of any offers of study. However, we may consider the qualification when we receive your final results (if you slightly miss the conditions specified in your offer).”
Edinburgh
Not for all courses
The university says on its website: “If you are studying the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma, you will be required to achieve either three A Levels, or two A Levels plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate. Our entry requirements will vary depending on the degree you are applying for.”
Leeds
Not for all courses.
The university says on its website: “Some courses may include the Welsh Baccalaureate when they make an offer. We encourage you to discuss your Work-Related Education, Personal and Social Education and Individual Investigation in your personal statement and at interview.
“In some cases, admissions tutors may make an alternative offer, one of which involves successful completion of the Welsh Baccalaureate (eg AAA at A-level or AAB plus the Welsh Baccalaureate).”
Applicants are advised to check with the admissions teams for the course (s) they’re interested in.
Sheffield
Yes, but not necessarily for all courses
Sheffield University lists the Welsh Baccalaureate among qualifications it considers in offers. It says on its website: “Precise entry requirements vary for each course, and some courses don’t accept all of the qualifications listed. Courses with subject prerequisites also require specific grades/scores in individual subjects.”
Cardiff University
Yes
The university says on its website: “cardiff-university>Cardiff University accepts the Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate for admission to all of its undergraduate degree programmes as equivalent to one A Level at the same grade, and will accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in the same way from 2023.
“If you are studying either qualification in combination with three A levels, any offer you are made for entry will be flexible, allowing you to satisfy the grades required either from the Baccalaureate and two specified A levels or grade requirements for three A levels. Any subject-specific requirements will also be stipulated in the offer.”
Glasgow University
Many, but not all, courses
The university said: “We welcome and recognise the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate and the Core. The Advanced Diploma with a pass in the Core and two A-levels is accepted for many programmes.”
Bristol University
Yes - but there is one course it won’t be accepted for.
The university said: “We will be treating the new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate in the same way as the previous Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge – it can take the place of one non-specified A-Level at the same grade.
“For example, the offer for English is AAA including English Literature. This could be met by A Levels AA including English Literature and A in the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate. Offers will include both the three A Level version and the two A Level plus Advanced Skills Baccalaureate alternative.
“The only course we cannot accept the Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate for is Chemical Physics – this is because for this course we require A levels in maths, chemistry and physics.”
Queen’s University Belfast
Not for all courses.
The university said: “The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (WBASCC) is considered in lieu of an A-level (grades A*–C) with the exception of medicine and dentistry.
York University
The university will “consider” the Welsh Baccalaureate in offers.
The university says on its website: “We will consider this qualification alongside A levels, as equivalent to one A level. You would need to pass the qualification with a grade A-B in the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.”
Manchester University
Yes, usually, but applicants are advised to check with admissions team for their chosen course.
The university ays on its website: “The university welcomes and recognises the value of the Advanced Welsh Skills Challenge Certificate (Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate) and usually requires two A levels to be included within this.
“The grade required will normally be the same as the lowest A-level grade listed in the course entry requirements. We advise you to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether your specific portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry on to your chosen course.”
Birmingham University
Yes
The university says on its website: “Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate - the grade required will be the same as from an A level and must be combined with 2 A levels.”
Newcastle University
Yes
The university said it accepts the Welsh Baccalaureate as A level equivalent in its offers.
Nottingham University
Yes
The university says on its website that “although A levels are the most common entry qualifications” other qualifications, including the Welsh Baccalaureate are accepted.
Exeter University
Yes
The university says on its website: “The Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate - Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted as equivalent to an A level and can count towards our general entry requirements. Applicants would normally be expected to offer at least two A levels or equivalent in addition to this qualification.
“We accept an A* grade as equivalent to an A* at A level, A as equivalent to an A at A level, and B as equivalent to a B at A level and a C grade as equivalent to a C at A level. The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma - Core is also acceptable as equivalent to an A Level when a grade C is achieved.
University College London (UCL)
Yes
The university said: “We consider the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus two A Level grades as meeting our requirements. Your grade in the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate is considered as directly equivalent to an A Level grade.
“Please note, where a programme has an A Level subject requirement, you must sit this subject as one of your two A Levels.”
Warwick University
Yes
The university says on its website: “Warwick welcomes applicants who are studying the Welsh Baccalaureate at Advanced Level. In addition to our typical offer an alternative offer would be made to applicants taking the Skills Challenge Certificate.
“The alternative offer would be one grade lower and include obtaining grade C or above in the Skills Challenge Certificate. The one grade reduction would not be in any essential subjects required for a course e.g. if the typical offer was AAA including A in mathematics the alternative offer would be AAB including A in mathematics and grade C or above in the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
Southampton University
Yes.
The university said: “We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales as an alternative Level 3 qualification to A levels.”
Liverpool University
Not on all courses and only in combination with A levels not other level 3 qualifications.
The university says on its website: “The Welsh Baccalaureate is considered for science and engineering, humanities and social sciences and health and life sciences on the same basis as BTEC at either a grade A or B depending on the programme. Although some programmes within science and engineering may require an additional mathematics test.
“Note that for the majority of programmes the Welsh Baccalaureate will only be accepted in combination with two A levels and not in combination with other Level 3 qualifications.”
Kings College London
Only on condition.
The university says on its website that it will only accept the Welsh Baccalaureate in place of an A level if the applicant’s school won’ let students take three A levels alongside the Welsh Baccalaureate.
The university says on its website: “King’s would normally expect applicants taking the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate to have studied three subjects to A level as part of their qualification, and would make an offer based on these A-level grades.
“However, where a school or college is unable to offer students a third A level alongside the Welsh Baccalaureate, King’s would consider making an offer based on the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate alongside two A-levels. In these cases, a statement must be included in the first few lines of the UCAS reference to inform us of the school’s policy in this regard.”
The Welsh Baccalaureate is changing
The new Welsh Baccalaureate – is a two year post-16 qualification. A new version, officially titled the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate – was approved for first teaching this term and will be awarded for the first time in summer 2025.
The Advanced Skills Baccalaureate replaces the former and also revised Welsh Baccalaureate, known as the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate. That will be awarded for the final time in summer 2024 and will form part of university offers next summer.
Exam regulator Qualifications Wales says the post-16 qualification, known colloquially as the Welsh Bacc or Welsh Baccalaureate, has always been equivalent in size and demand to an A-level. It is graded A*-E and is available as a standalone qualification that can be taken alongside other general and vocational qualifications including A levels.
How the new qualification works
The Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales is a post-16 level three qualification which exam regulator Qualifications Wales describes as supporting learners “become effective, responsible, and active citizens ready to take their place in a sustainable global society and in the workplace”. It aims to promote learning in and outside the classroom with learners encouraged to choose areas of study which are of personal interest and linked to their future studies and careers.
Candidates will be required to develop and use “four integral skills” - planning and organisation, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity and innovation) plus three “embedded skills” - digital competence, literacy and numeracy).
The assessment of the two-year course is made up of three projects:
- Global Community Project – where learners will investigate a global issue and share their knowledge with others and take part in a community action.
- Future Destination Project – where learners will explore future employment and wellbeing goals.
- Individual Project – here a learner will plan, manage and research a topic linked to their future education or career aspiration, and create a written dissertation or artefact.
Announcing the new qualification Caroline Morgan, Welsh Baccalaureate Framework Manager said: “We have gone through an extensive and rigorous development process to create the new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales. By engaging with sector leaders, higher education professionals, employers, practitioners, teachers, lecturers and learners, we have ensured that this innovative qualification will inspire learners and equip them with the skills that will enable them to flourish in a global market.”
