passed

[panicmonger]

Do you accept both of them?

This university only admits students who have passed the exam with distinction.
This university only admits students passed the exam with distinction.

 

[Rover_KE]

No.

Only the first makes sense.

Rover

 

[philadelphia]

How about The university only admits students having passed the exam with distinction?

 

[emsr2d2]

How about The university only admits students having passed the exam with distinction?

To me, that sounds like it's the university that has passed the exam! Along the same lines as:

I only go to work having had a shower.
I only speak to people having established their names first.

 

[philadelphia]

To me, that sounds like it's the university that has passed the exam! Along the same lines as:

I only go to work having had a shower.
I only speak to people having established their names first.

I did not think of this ambiguity but prefered the OP's first sentence anyway.

 

[emsr2d2]

I did not think of this ambiguity but preferred the OP's first sentence anyway.

I agree that the original first sentence was correct and sufficient.

 

[panicmonger]

How about The university only admits students having passed the exam with distinction?

Is this acceptable to you?

Only students having passed the exam with distinction are admitted into this university.

Do you feel any wrong with this defining reduced clause?

 

[bhaisahab]

Is this acceptable to you?

Only students having passed the exam with distinction are admitted into this university.

Do you feel any wrong with this defining reduced clause?

That's fine.

 

[philadelphia]

Is this acceptable to you?

Only students having passed the exam with distinction are admitted into this university. Nice try

Do you feel any wrong with this defining reduced clause?

You are quite right, Panicmonger. ;-)

 

[panicmonger]

That's fine.

Thank you, bhaisahab

 

[panicmonger]

You are quite right, Panicmonger. ;-)

Thank you, philadelphia