Pathways to Birmingham FAQs

You can apply for more than one PTB programme however you can only take part in one. We would encourage you to research which programme would suit you best as they all offer different experiences and often focus on different subjects and topics. Whichever programme you do carries the same benefits for you in terms of eligibility for a reduced offer of study and scholarships and bursaries. 

No, A2B is our Year 13 PTB programme, so doing one in Year 12 means you don’t need to do A2B too. You will get the same benefits from passing your Year 12 programme as an A2B student taking part in that programme in Year 13.

If you receive the grade reduction from PTB this will trump any other grade reduction scheme such as the EPQ. Departmental offers could be made at individual faculty discretion though. This would be one grade reduction on top of your PTB alternative offer. All offers will confirmed through UCAS track.

Yes, applying for and completing a PTB programme does not replace your UCAS application. Taking part in one of these programmes does not guarantee you an offer from the University of Birmingham. You will still need to apply to the University through UCAS like any other applicant, the difference is that if and when you receive an offer of study from UoB you will also receive a second, reduced offer thanks to your participation in PTB.

If you pass a PTB programme, you are able to apply to the university with your PTB status up to 3 times (including your first application in Year 13), so your pass will last for three or four years depending on whether you did a Year 12 or Year 13 programme.

Each time you reapply to the university, you will need to prove you meet the PTB eligibility criteria as it stands for entry that year. This includes the need to be currently studying for at least one A Level or equivalent qualification at the point of application.

We do not allow students to complete a second attempt at any of the PTB programmes. If you have previously failed or not submitted your PTB assignment, you will not be allowed to reapply through PTB.

If you have registered with www.my.password.bham.ac.uk you can reset your password there. Alternatively, you will need to contact IT services to reset your canvas password by ringing them on 0121 414 7171. Please note this service is only available during working hours. You may need your student ID number; your programme lead can provide this.

We can cover your travel expenses for public transport to and from campus for all of our PTB programmes.  You will need to collect an expense form from your programme lead and have proof of your travel expenses (e.g. a receipt, train/bus tickets). Please note this does not include car mileage. 

The events are a vital part of the programme and are often compulsory. Each programme has its own minimum attendance requirements which is detailed on their website page. Failure to meet this minimum attendance could lead to failure on the programme. If you are unable to attend please do contact the programme lead as soon as possible. If there is a genuine reason why you are unable to attend you may have to provide proof of this.

You will find out if you have passed the PTB programme once the final assignment of the programme is complete. Year 12 programmes are usually complete by mid-September, and A2B by mid-August. You will receive an email from your programme lead notifying you of the outcome.

Yes, the reduced offer is applied to any and all offers you received from the University of Birmingham. So, if you apply to three courses, and get offers from two of them, you will receive a reduced offer for both courses. However, when you make your firm and insurance choice on UCAS, you will only keep the reduced offer for your firm choice course and for your insurance choice course you will only have the standard offer remaining.

For example, if you apply for both Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UoB and receive an offer for both, you will have a reduced offer for both appear on your UCAS track alongside the standard offer. Then, if you choose to put Medicine as your firm choice and Biomedical Sciences as your insurance choice, the reduced offer for Biomedical Sciences will be lost, but you’ll still have it for Medicine. 

If you have been accepted onto and/or passed a PTB programme, and received an offer of study from the University, your PTB offer will be automatically applied to your UCAS Track alongside your standard offer. Sometimes, particularly if you are an A2B student, there is a short delay between your standard offer and your PTB offer appearing, so don’t panic if it’s not there straight away.

For example, a PTB student who recieves an offer for Accounting and Finance PTB may see something like this on UCAS Track:

“This offer is subject to you obtaining GCE A level Grades AAB in any order, alternative conditions GCE A level Grades BBB and successful completion of the PTB module.”

Offers will appear on your UCAS Track anytime from October to the end of March in Year 13. 

Your UCAS Track will be updated when the admissions tutor makes a decision. If you completed a Year 12 PTB programme or have submitted an on-time application for A2B, the admissions tutors will be aware you of your PTB status when they receive your UCAS application and will consider your application in that knowledge. For A2B applicants, to ensure this process runs smoothly we recommend you submit your A2B application as close as possible to when you submit your UCAS application.

Your PTB offer will appear alongside your standard offer as one, not as a separate offer. Therefore, when you accept the offer from UoB, you will be automatically accepting the alternative conditions.

If you make any offer from UoB your insurance choice on UCAS, you will no longer be eligible for entry based on your alternative conditions. Instead, you will need to meet the standard offer grades for that course.  

I think I am eligible for the PTB scholarship and/or bursary, how do I apply?

The PTB scholarship and bursary are paid in two instalments, half at the end of January and half at the end of May. These financial awards are paid in addition to any other grant or bursary you may receive. 

Yes, if you successfully pass your PTB programme and achieve the grades of your PTB offer then you will be able to take up your place at the University of Birmingham. 

To ensure you are eligible to take up the PTB offer you must make the University of Birmingham your firm choice when replying to UCAS.

Additionally, your offer is also conditional upon the satisfactory completion of the PTB programme you are taking part in. For Year 12 programmes, successful completion is:

• Completing the pre- and post-programme questionnaire
• Competing and passing the Skills4Uni quiz
• Attending a minimum of 3 on-campus events, or attending a residential
• Completing and passing the reflective assignment

For the A2B programme, successful completion is:

• Attending a Launch event
• Completing and passing the Skills4Uni quiz
• Completing an passing the academic assignment 

In order to guarantee your entry to the University you will need to achieve or exceed the grades of your offer exactly as they appear on your UCAS Track.

Students who achieve grades which are equivalent to their offer grades (such as those listed above, where one subject is a grade higher than the offer and another subject is a grade lower than the offer) will be considered and it is not uncommon for them to be accepted into the university. However, there is no guarantee of this and if you have missed out of your offer grades by a small margin, we recommend you contact the admissions team as soon as possible on A Level results day to explore your options with them. 

You are able to enter the university on deferred entry with your PTB offer providing you apply for deferred entry at the point of application through UCAS.

For example, if are applying through UCAS in Year 13 during academic year 19-20, your default entry year for university would be September 2020. If you wish to defer entry until 2021, you will need to apply in Year 13 through UCAS as a PTB applicant normally and list your year of entry as 2021 (rather than 2020).

If you apply through UCAS with the default entry year and later decide you wish to defer, you should contact the admissions team for the course you have applied to as soon as possible to determine your options regarding whether they will consider your current application for deferred entry or will require you to reapply. Please note, if you are required to reapply, you will need to confirm you meet the PTB eligibility criteria again at the time of reapplication.

It is not possible to apply to University through PTB with achieved grades only. You must be currently studying at least one A Level or equivalent qualification at the point of application through UCAS in order to come through PTB. If you wish to take a gap year before you start at the university then we would encourage you to apply for deferred entry.