How can I compare admissions difficulty when universities use different exam subjects and scoring systems?
When comparing universities, align the faculty, admission route, and year, and do not treat raw scores, maximum scores, or deviation scores as directly equivalent. Combine the number of applicants and admitted students with published minimum scores or score rates, when available, and mock-exam estimates on a common scale. Also check the number of subjects, coverage, weighting, and whether common-test results are used. An acceptance ratio alone cannot fully show difficulty because applicant pools and places differ.
Key points
- Align the faculty, admission route, and year across the universities being compared.
- Use score rates or mock-exam results on a common scale rather than raw totals.
- Check subjects, tested coverage, weighting, and the number of places.
- Interpret acceptance ratios, minimum scores, and deviation scores together, since their definitions and populations may differ.
Things to check
- The type and definition of published data can differ by faculty and admission route, and may change by year. Confirm the details in each university’s official application guidelines and admissions results.