Premenstrual syndrome and risk aversion disadvantage female Oxbridge students, report finds

Assessment systems at Oxford and Cambridge may disadvantage female students who are more risk averse and can suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a report has suggested.

The research, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), found that female students are less likely to achieve first-class degrees at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge than their male counterparts.

A combination of the universities’ histories, structures, and examination procedures  “produce a system which favours men at the highest degree classification”, according to the report written by Parliamentary Researcher and Cambridge graduate Famke Veenstra-Ashmore.

In the 2022/23 academic year, 22.4% of female students at Cambridge obtained first-class undergraduate degrees – 8.3% lower than male students. Similarly, the gender attainment gap for first-class degrees at Oxford is around 8.5%.

Female students are ‘less likely to take risks’ and more likely to perform highly in coursework than male students

The emphasis on final exams in determining overall grades at Oxbridge could be disadvantaging female students, according to the report. Female students are “less likely to take risks” and more likely to perform highly in coursework than male students. Female students can also suffer from PMS, which can impact their performance.

PMS can cause depression, insomnia, and mood swings in women around two weeks before they experience their periods. Exam-heavy degrees favoured by Oxbridge, therefore, disadvantage students who suffer from these symptoms.

The report found: “The 100% weighting [towards final exams] favours those more likely to postpone serious study to the end of their degree – a risk that men are more likely to take, as women tend to work more evenly across the three years of study.”

Many courses with significant awarding gaps also have a gender imbalance in both the student cohort and the teaching staff. The problem of representation is thought to have a knock-on effect on results as “role models are important for building confidence and encouraging aspiration”.

Our findings so far suggest that there is no single cause and, while there are some examples of progress in some parts of the university, more remains to be done

Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, University of Cambridge

Similarly, the teaching style and supervision system at Oxford and Cambridge has been described as “combative and confrontational”, which is thought to disadvantage certain students and impact on exam performance. A study from 2020 reported that female participants found their efforts to contribute to discussions were “sometimes undermined by male students”.

Among suggestions to readdress the gender gap in degree classifications is extending exam periods and spreading classification weighting across the academic year. The HEPI study found that this could benefit women in particular, as menstruation and PMS “can exacerbate the challenges of tight exam periods”.

Both universities have reacted to the report and its suggestions, adding that progress needs to be – and will be – made at their institutions. Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at Cambridge, said: “The university is investigating possible causes for the awarding gap in first-class degrees. Our findings so far suggest that there is no single cause and, while there are some examples of progress in some parts of the university, more remains to be done.”

Professor Vira’s counterpart at Oxford, Professor Martin Williams, similarly added that the university has “set a target to eliminate the current gap between our male and female undergraduates by 2030” and that Oxford “are working hard to understand this issue through extensive engagement with students.”