A*s at Oxford

Whilst other elite institutions such as Cambridge, Warwick and Imperial introduced the A* grade into their offers last year, Oxford held off, waiting until the A* had been tried and tested.

Now the university has announced that 2011 applicants in some subjects, such as Maths, Science and Engineering, will need an A* grade amid their clutch of As at A level. Applicants for Mathematics and Mathematics combination courses may even require two A*s at A level.