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Entry requirements

Our students from all over the world share one thing: the potential to succeed.

A world university


The School of Mathematics welcomes applications from candidates from all sections of the community as well as from overseas. We encourage applications from local students, mature students and those with disabilities. All applications are considered on their individual merit.

We seek to identify candidates who have the necessary ability and potential to succeed. For greater detail, please see the School Admissions Statement and the Advice for Applicants. We have a limited number of places available on single honours Mathematics courses at Bristol, and we are not able to offer a place to every candidate that meets the requirements below. They must be regarded as a minimum standard, and you must read the Advice for Applicants for details of other characteristics and achievements that are given credit by the School.

Applicants to whom we make an offer will be invited to one of our UCAS days when there will be an opportunity to meet members of staff and attend a full programme of events. This gives candidates the opportunity to get a feel for Bristol and the School of Mathematics.


Standard offers for all applicants

Single honours courses

We use a system of Standard Offers. This enables us to offer places to applicants from a very wide range of educational backgrounds. The University also asks for an English Language qualification. This is usually grade C or better in English Language GCSE. Other alternative qualifications such as IELTS can be found here. Overseas students must take notice of this requirement, as English Language will be an important factor in the admissions process. The most commonly made offers are set out below.

There is only one compulsory subject, which is Mathematics. We demand an A* if an applicant only offers Mathematics or an A if they can also offer an A in Further Mathematics. We have 6 preferred supporting subjects. These are Further Mathematics (by far the most favoured), Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics and Physics. We demand at least 1 of these preferred subject. In recent years, 90% of successful applicants have offered 2 or more.

In response to increased levels of competition, we may express some offers in terms of preferred subjects only, so that an applicant offering (for example) Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Classics may have an offer based on the first 3 subjects only. We have always encouraged the study of STEP or AEA papers. We make all applicants an offer that is STEP-free, but make an additional offer comprising lower A level grades and success in STEP to applicants who take these papers.

  • GCE A level grades A*AA with A* in Maths and at least 1 preferred subject. (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Physics). This offer may be accompanied by A*(Maths)AB plus a grade 2 in any STEP paper
  • GCE A level grades AAA+a with A in Maths and a in Further Maths AS-level. This differs from the previous offer in that we do not demand a preferred subject. We may make an alternative offer of A(Maths)ABa plus a grade 2 in any STEP paper.
  • GCE A level grades AAA including Maths and Further Maths. This offer may be accompanied by AA(Maths and Further Maths)B plus a grade 2 in any STEP paper. This has been our most common offer by far over the past few years.
  • A-level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not included in our offers.
  • SQA: AAAAA plus AB in Advanced Highers (A in Mathematics) or AAABB plus AA in Advanced Highers (A in Mathematics).
  • International Baccalaureate: Overall score of 37 points including 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects which must include Mathematics and at least 1 preferred subject.
  • Cambridge Pre U. We will ask for D3D3D3 in the 3 Principle Subjects, to include Mathemtics and at least one preferred subject. There will be an alternative offer of D3D3M1 plus an appropriate STEP result, and other alternatives should the full Pre U course inclding the Global Perspectives and Independent Study be offered.
  • Many other qualifications are considered.
  • Mature applicants with alternative qualifications, including Access to HE, will be considered according to the specific course content

Please note that not all candidates who meet one of these standards are offered places. They are minimum conditions, and details of what other factors inform our admissions decisions can be found on our advice to applicants page. Successful applicants are usually extended all of the Standard Offers for which they qualify. Thus, if you are taking four A-levels including Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics, we would make you an offer based on getting either A*AA with Maths and Physics or AAA with Maths and Further Maths.

Joint honours

The entry requirements for Joint Honours courses can be found on the websites of our partner departments. We insist on an A grade in Mathematics for admission to all of these courses. Details may be found by following the links below.

Overseas applicants

The University accepts a wide range of international qualifications. Our Admissions Office will advise on the acceptability of your course. UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) application forms can be obtained from your British Council office. Where applicants are studying A levels or the International Baccalaureate, we may restict our offer to Mathematics and preferred supporting subjects. These are Further Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Studies, Economics and Physics. An English Language qualification will also be required. IELTS with 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any section is the most common requirement.

The University of Bristol is proud of its international status as a leading research and teaching university. It has a strong commitment to global undergraduate and postgraduate recruitment.

Receiving your UCAS offer

Home Students

As admission to study Mathematics at Bristol is competitive, we consider all home applications received before the January UCAS deadline on the same footing. We make decisions as soon as we can, but a significant number of offers will not be made until about 2 weeks after the UCAS closing date of 15 January. Students who do not meet our entry criteria are notified at an early stage, as this may allow them to modify their application to UCAS. We do not expect to make any offers before early December. We expect to have completed the process by mid February. Applications made after the January deadline will have a much lower chance of success.

Overseas Students

Overseas students may require more time to confirm funding or to arrange a visit to Bristol. We therefore try to assess overseas applications as they arrive, and make offers to suitable students usually within four weeks of receipt of the application.