Ucas Clearing 2024: How it works and what to do if you don’t get A-level grades you wanted

Hundreds of thousands of students will get their A-level results today, finding out their final grades after two years of hard work.

For those students who have applied for university, these results will determine whether they will secure their preferred university choice, the insurance choice or if they have unfortunately missed out on them.

If this is the case, there are many options still available. The most important to know is clearing: the process by which students can still get themselves onto a great university course at short notice.

There are over 30,000 courses available through clearing, giving around 74,000 students a space to study last year alone. These courses span across the UK, include many subjects and are available at both Russell Group and non-Russell Group universities.

Clearing is available to students who do not meet the conditions of their offer on A-level results day, as well as those who did not receive any offers. Students who have changed their minds about what or where they wish to study can also use clearing.

Here’s everything you need to know about clearing ahead of results day:

A-level results day for this year will be on Thursday 15 August.

Results can be picked up from schools and further education colleges any time after 8am on results day.

However, you'll need to find out the exact times from your school as these may vary.

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Ucas has said if the grades you received are not what you had in mind, there are plenty of options available for you.

The first thing students are advised to do is to speak to a teacher or adviser who will be able to assist with exploring options and next steps.

Here are a few other options according to Ucas:

According to the official Ucas website, clearing matches applicants to university spots that have not been filled yet and is available to anyone who has applied via the Ucas Undergraduate application and does not yet have any offers.

“Courses in Clearing aren’t just the ones nobody wants – there are many reasons why courses are still available. It’s an opportunity for those who have missed their conditions, or had a last-minute change of heart about the university or course they want to study,” Ucas says.

The best place to start would be to check if there are any vacancies available via the Ucas website. In the search tab, you can enter the course of your choice, study level and entry year.

After you have found the course you want to apply to, you should give the university of your choice a call to see if you meet its entry requirement and if there are still spots available.

If the university gives you an offer and you wish to accept it, you can add the clearing choice to your application. This can be done by clicking ‘Add Clearing Choice’ and filling in the course details by the date the university gave you on the phone.

Applicants can only add one choice at a time, but the Ucas website has said “If the university/college doesn’t confirm your place, you’ll be able to add another.”

Students that only applied for one choice in their original application will need to pay an additional £4.50 to go through Clearing.

Guidance from the University of Sussex (UoS) shines some light on the best way students can approach universities when looking for a clearing space:

Prepare what you can in advance: Students should have a shortlist and alternatives when browsing university clearing sites. “If you have a shortlist of alternative universities to contact, it may help you save time on the day,” UoS says.

Check entry requirements: For all universities, you should check if you meet the entry requirements. This can be found on each institutions website.

Make sure you have important information at hand: You will need your Ucas ID number as it will be the first thing you might be asked for when contacting universities.  UoS says you should also “say the course or subject area you are interested in (if you have the course code, that’s even better) and the grades you have achieved. If you’re an international student, you may also need your English language qualification.”

You will also need to provide your name, date of birth and potentially your email address and phone number.

Take notes: It is important to write down any important information given to you. If given an offer, applicants will receive an email that will explain when the offer should be accepted.

Be positive: It’s important to keep a positive mindset during this process. “Try to stay calm so that you can listen carefully to what you are being told. If you are feeling upset about your grades, it may be better to wait until you are ready to talk,” UoS says.