As competition for higher education places hits unprecedented levels, some top universities now require students to score a string of A grades at 16 as a minimum entry requirement – on top of A-levels.
In many cases, children who fail to gain at least Cs in GCSE English and mathematics are automatically barred.
Teachers warned that the move risked punishing late bloomers and forcing children at make key decisions about their future career at 13 when GCSE options are chosen.
But academics insisted that universities had to look beyond A-level results to pick out the best candidates from record numbers applying for degree courses.
The comments come as 750,000 children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland prepare to receive their GCSE results today.
Grades are expected to reach a record high, with more than a fifth of exams to be awarded an A – almost three times the rate when GCSEs were introduced in 1988.
The think-tank Civitas warned that many schools were inflating results by pushing pupils onto substandard vocational courses.
But figures from examination boards will show that thousands of teenagers are still under-performing.
As many as 37 per cent are expected to fail to gain a C – considered a good pass – in English and almost 43 per cent will miss out in maths.
This could severely undermine their chances of getting onto a string of courses at leading universities two years later – irrespective of performance at A-level.
Imperial College London’s faculty of medicine said applicants needed three As and two Bs in biology, chemistry, English language, mathematics and physics.
Sheffield University’s medical school said students needed six As in GCSEs, including C grades or above in chemistry, mathematics and English.
Martin Stephen, the High Master of St Paul’s School, west London, said some universities rejected students who failed to get a string of elite A*s at GCSE.
“For a number of years now, I have suspected that any candidate with less than six A*s at GCSE is disadvantaged when they apply to the top universities,” he said.
“The A* is being used as a crude, preliminary filter which is hugely regrettable because it simply discriminates against the late developer.”
He added: “There are a significant number of very clever people who didn’t show what they were capable of at the age of 16. Children have to be allowed to make mistakes – it is fundamental part of learning – but our treadmill of an examination system no longer allows this to happen.”
Adrian Prandle, education policy advisor at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “Universities are constantly saying that they need students who can think for themselves and aren’t just robotically trained to pass tests.
“I think there is a great danger that universities could end up contributing to this problem by making pupils feel that they need to simply accumulate more and more GCSEs at 16.”
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, said last year that universities should disregard all qualifications taken before the age of 18 to “remove the straitjacket of examination” for secondary school pupils.
Figures published yesterday showed around a third of people who applied for university this year had so far failed to secure a university place. Up to 187,000 were still searching for a place through clearing – some 46,358 more than last year.
As competition for places grows year-on-year, the Telegraph found widespread evidence that universities were demanding minimum GCSE grades for higher education entry.
Kent said students needed five passes at C or above, including English.
The science facility at St Andrews said students needed the equivalent of B grades in English and maths.
Warwick said all applicants needed a C or above in GCSE English language, as well as maths or a science subject, although many courses demand grades “above this university minimum”.
Leeds said students applying for dentistry needed six GCSEs, including Cs in English and maths, chemistry and biology.
Portsmouth University normally requires a minimum of three C grade GCSEs in subjects “other than those offered at A-level”.
Janet Graham, director of Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), an organisation that advises universities on admissions policies, insisted institutions always checked GCSE or O-level grades but many were now “more explicit” about the precise requirements.
“If you are going to study medicine you will usually do three sciences at A-levels – not English or maths," she said.
"Institutions need to know that candidates have that basic level of English and maths which is why they look at GCSEs. It is important to remind people that Level 2 qualifications [such as GCSEs] are important to universities because they show how well they have done in other qualifications before going on to A-levels or the IB.”
A spokesman for Imperial said: “Imperial College London aims to provide a world class education to the most able students. Its courses are demanding and this is reflected in their entry requirements.
“Entry requirements detailed in Imperial’s prospectus take into account the knowledge and competencies a student will need to progress on their course. In addition to A-level requirements, a number of courses stipulate a certain level of attainment at GCSE level as an indicator of academic ability in relevant subjects.”
--By Graeme Paton, 23 Aug 2010