Undergraduate Performance of Advanced Level and Associate Degree Students: A Comparative Analysis

In the English-speaking Caribbean, the Advanced level qualification is the traditional and preferred route to accessing an education at the University of the West Indies (UWI). However, applicants with nontraditional qualifications—such as the associate degree qualification, teacher certificate, diploma, and mature student status (meaning one who is out of school for five years and over, is over the age of 25 years, has demonstrated academic potential, and has gained academically relevant knowledge and workplace experience)—are also considered for admission into the UWI degree programs. The objective of this study was to establish whether students with the traditional qualification, that is, two Advanced (A) level subjects, are better able to cope with the requirements of undergraduate study than those with an associate degree, which is one of the nontraditional qualifications. The study compared the performance of two groups of students in the University of the West Indies Faculty of Social Sciences three-year bachelor's degree program (University of the West Indies, 1996 University of the West Indies ( 1996 ). [UWI University of the West Indies: Faculty of Social Sciences Entrance List: 1996/97]. Unpublished raw data . [Google Scholar], 1997 University of the West Indies . ( 1997 ). [UWI University of the West Indies: Faculty of Social Sciences Entrance List: 1997/98] Unpublished raw data.  [Google Scholar], 1998 University of the West Indies . ( 1998 ). [UWI University of the West Indies: Faculty of Social Sciences Entrance List: 1998/99] Unpublished raw data.  [Google Scholar]). One group held the Barbados Community College (BCC) associate degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 and the other group consisted of persons entering with two Advanced level subjects from colleges/secondary schools in Barbados. The study compared the performances of 1999, 2000, and 2001 UWI graduates to ascertain whether entry qualifications were related to the type of degree attained. The findings suggested that there is no significant relationship between qualifications at the time of entry and performance.