Stages of the selection system

The tables below show progression through the selection process: how many candidates applying were shortlisted for interview, how many of those interviewed were offered places, and how many of those offers translated into final acceptances.

Nearly 60% of all candidates applying to Oxford were shortlisted for interview. Decisions on invitation to interview are based on predicted A-level grades, achieved GCSE grades, personal statement and reference, and crucially, for many subjects, performance on pre-interview subject-specific aptitude tests.

Just over 35% of those interviewed received offers of a place at Oxford. Offers are made on the basis of the full range of information available on a candidate, comparing them to the whole field of candidates, not just on the basis of the interviews. Predicted and achieved grades, aptitude test scores and performance in at least two interviews are all fed in to the decision. Each candidate invited for interview will have at least two and up to four interviews, increasingly at two different colleges. More than 90% of offers at Oxford translate into acceptances of a place. Those with offers who do not end up at Oxford may not come for a variety of reasons, including missing the conditions of their offer or turning down the offer. 

This table shows the stages of progression through the admission process broken down by domicile.

42 of the 17,241 candidates withdrew their application before short-listing and are only included in the 'Applications' figure above. 24 of the 42 were UK, 3 were EU other than UK and 15 non EU. 

This table shows the stages of progression through the admission process broken down by school type, for UK domiciled applicants.

24 of the 11,832 UK domiciled candidates withdrew their application before short-listing are only included in the Applications figure above. 17 of this 24 were from the maintained sector, 2 from the independent sector and 5 from the 'other' sector.

This table shows the stages of progression through the admission process broken down by school type, for UK domiciled applicants.

146 of the 12,107 UK domiciled candidates withdrew their application at some stage during the process and are only included in the 'applications' figure above. 96 of this 146 were from the maintained sector, 33 from the independent sector and 17 from the 'other' sector.