Selection Process
The School has a 3 staged selection process:
Information on the Offers process is also available below.
For admission to nursing and midwifery programmes September 2012 or March 2013 all applications received at UCAS by the main cycle closing date, which is 15 January 2012, will receive equal consideration.
The chart below illustrates a typical UCAS cycle application profile. These numbers change between cycles due to changes in the number of funded places available and the number of applications received.
| Programme | Number of Applicants | Number of Applicants Interviewed | Number of Places (Sept) | Number of Places (March) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 2,020 | 700 | 110 | 55 | |
| Mental Health | 250 | 100 | 30 | 20 | |
| Child | 600 | 120 | 25 | n/a | |
| Midwifery | 900 | 90 | 35 | n/a | |
Shortlisting
All applications are reviewed to ensure that candidates either possess or are working towards qualifications which meet the schools minimum entry criteria. If so the application will progress to the next stage. Applicants who do not progress to the next stage will not be invited for the Assessment Day and will be informed by UCAS that their application has been unsuccessful.
Unsuccessful applicants who wish to obtain feedback should contact: admissions@cf.ac.uk
The invitation will include a selection pack which contains:
- Information regarding the time and location of the assessments.
- Information regarding what the nature and process of the assessments.
- A reply slip which must be returned to the School's Selection and Admissions team.
Applicants who are invited to assessments are encouraged to let us know of any disabilities on the reply slip. We will contact you to discuss your access requirements so that appropriate adjustments can be arranged. These might include, for instance, adjustments to the format of the numeracy and literacy assessments.
Applicants who are unable to attend an assessment on the date offered should contact the School’s Selection and Admissions Team.
Assessments and interviews are held at the School between October and March each year over a morning or afternoon session (due to the large number of applicants invited, it is not possible to allocate specific timeslots).
Assessment
The numeracy assessment is designed to test your numerical competence. Calculators are not permitted. It will cover:
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Expressing fractions as decimals
- Expressing figures as percentages
- Weight, volume and measures
This will be under examination conditions with a 45 minute time limit.
Applicants for Nursing: If successful in the numeracy test you will be invited for an interview.
Applicants for Midwifery: If successful in the numeracy test , your application, including personal statement, will enter a shortlisting process using the same criteria as that used during the interview process (see below). All applicants who reach the threshold score will be invited to interview.
Unsuccessful applicants who wish to obtain feedback should contact: admissions@cf.ac.uk
Interviews
Interviews are normally held at Heath Park Campus, University Hospital of Wales for Adult Nursing and Eastgate House, Newport Road for Mental Health and Children’s Nursing.
Applicants are encouraged to discuss individual needs with the Admissions and Selection Team prior to interview in order for any reasonable adjustment to be made as necessary during the process.
At this stage of the process your personal statement will be reviewed and scored using the same criteria as that used during the interview process (see below).
The School is aware of websites which assist applicants in preparing personal statements and would like to emphasise that it is important for the statement to be a genuinely personal one, particularly since material from the applicant’s personal statement is likely to be discussed further during the interview.
The interviews are of 15-20 minutes duration. There will normally be two interviewers who are aligned to the specific programme for which you have applied.
You will have the opportunity to ask questions during your interview. This may be to clarify any points or to seek information regarding the programme, university life or clinical placements.
Unsuccessful applicants who wish to obtain feedback contact admissions@cf.ac.uk
Each applicant is scored using the following criteria:
- Motivation
- Care
- Communication skills
- Insight into the nature and demands of the programme
- Insight into chosen area of practice
- Transferable skills and attributes
Following the Assessment and Interview stages each applicant is awarded a total application score. This is the sum of their personal statement and interview scores.
Offers are made using the total application score. Please note- offers will only be made to applicants who have provided satisfactory evidence of good character.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their selection process via UCAS tracker.
Unsuccessful applicants who wish to obtain feedback should contact admissions@cf.ac.uk
Offers
Offers will be made via the UCAS system in line with the UCAS recommendation that all main cycle applicants should have received a decision by 31st March. Applicants are only required to respond once all decisions have been received. UCAS will specify the date by which a response will be required.
All Nursing and Midwifery programmes in Wales have a limited allocation of funded places. Therefore, the availability of a funded place will be a condition of the offer. Applicants who select Cardiff University as their first choice will be given priority for the allocation of a funded place.
Confirmation of offers via UCAS will take place after all applicants' academic results are received by the School and funded places have been allocated. Please be aware, your offer does not become unconditional until this point. This is normally the third/fourth week of August. The commencement date for nursing and midwifery programmes will be stated in the offer letter.
Nursing applicants may be offered a place for a Spring intake if the funded places for September have been filled. Unless applicants already meet the prerequisite entry requirements, there will be an academic condition attached to the offer. If you have declared a disability the University's Disability and Dyslexia Service will contact you after an offer has been made and will be available to assist you with any adjustments or additional support that you may need in order to pursue your chosen programme of study.