Ucas will reframe the personal statement into a series of questions from next year, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service has announced.
Questions are expected to focus on areas such as an applicant’s motivation for the course they are applying for, as well as their preferred approaches to learning.
Ucas intends to introduce the changes in 2024 for 2025 entry, after consulting with students, teachers, advisers, universities and colleges.
And a union leader has said that the move “feels to be a step towards a simplified, fairer application process”.
Six key areas have been identified for the focus of the questions so far: motivation for the course; preparedness for the course; preparation through other experiences; extenuating circumstances; preparedness for study; preferred learning style.
Over the past year, Ucas said it has “consulted with 1,200 domestic and international students, over 170 teachers and advisers and over 100 universities and colleges as well as engaging with governments, regulators and the charity sector across the UK”.
And it says it will continue to engage with the sector to help shape the delivery of the reforms “as we continue to test and validate our proposed questions”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that, currently, “it can feel as if personal statements favour more advantaged students whose parents have been through the university system, and are therefore better equipped to help their children write it and provide a wide range of experiences that they can cite within it”.
Mr Barton said that the existing system is “badly in need of reform” but warned that “changes will need to balance the need to establish a consistent format with allowing students to express themselves”.
“Breaking down the personal statement into specific questions feels to be a step towards a simplified, fairer application process,” he said. “We will consider the proposals in detail and consult with members before providing feedback.”
A 2022 Ucas survey found that 72 per cent of applicants felt positive about the personal statement, but 83 per cent reported that “the process of writing a personal statement is stressful”, with 79 per cent agreeing that the statement is “difficult to complete without support”.
Ucas has also announced today that it will bring in changes to the academic reference element of the application.
Under the changes, the free text approach will be replaced with three structured questions that will act as a “built-in guide for referees keeping their focus firmly in the areas that providers want to know more about”.
Lee Elliot Major, a professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said it was “hugely positive” to see Ucas confirming the move to structured questions.
He added: “No one should underestimate how important this reform will be in helping to level the playing field in university admissions. I’ve been calling for reform as statements currently add further advantage for middle-class applicants who are often given help in filling in their submissions.
“As we enter an era of increasing competition for the most selective university degree courses, we need more structured and transparent university admissions that are fair and fit for purpose for all.”
A report published last November by the Higher Education Policy Institute recommended that the personal statement be replaced with a series of short-response questions to address the “unnecessary burden” of the task, which was “contributing to inequalities in higher education access”.
