UCAS CLEARING
Who is it for?
How does it work?
Roger Gould
Lancaster University
This information should be used in
addition to the UCAS website information
on Clearing and Extra, and not as a
replacement for it.
AN OVERVIEW OF CLEARING
(and Extra)
for teachers and students
WHAT IS CLEARING?

A system for matching candidates with no place and
HE courses with last-minute vacancies in August

Clearing takes place from the day the Advanced
results are released in August

Clearing can last from a few minutes to a few weeks –
depending on how quickly the places are filled
HOW DO STUDENTS END UP IN CLEARING?


Student has made application to universities via UCAS
Universities have made offers or rejected applicant
If student is made offers, final 2 offers held as:
CF (conditional FIRM)
= 1st choice, or
CI (conditional INSURANCE)
= 2nd choice
HOW DO STUDENTS END UP IN CLEARING?

By definition, it’s harder to get an offer for a
popular course – that’s why the grades are high! You
might not receive an offer

Applicants with NO offers can use UCAS Extra from
March and if this proves unsuccessful, Clearing is
the final option

In addition, applicants with CF & CI offers who do
not achieve the required grades will be able to use
Clearing
WHAT IS CLEARING? Negatives:

A decision is made on the basis of a short phone call

Likelihood of dropping out might be marginally
increased
WHAT IS CLEARING? Positives

Students can feel successful and move o

Little evidence to show a strong relationship
between entry grades and degree outcome for any
student

Universities treat students who arrive through
Clearing exactly the same as any student, once
there
Options before Clearing
If you do not receive any offers you can use UCAS
Extra from March - June
UCAS EXTRA
How does it work?
EXTRA
A system for giving candidates with no offers
additional choices without waiting for Clearing
Candidates are eligible when:

they have used all 5 choices
they hold no offers - rejected or declined by
candidate

Extra starts in March and continues until June

EXTRA
Extra is available from mid-March:

UCAS will put an Extra button on the Track screen if
applicant is eligible.

Extra needs careful consideration, flexibility and
advice!

If original application was for very competitive
courses, now might consider applying for something
less over-subscribed.
HOW DOES EXTRA WORK?
Candidate chooses 1 course from the Course Search list,
using the Extra button on the Track screen
If made a conditional offer, can accept or decline it
If accepted, it effectively becomes CF and Extra
ends. If declined, you get another choice (if there is time)
If candidate then misses grades, Clearing is automatic
EXTRA NEEDS CAREFUL CONSIDERATION,
FLEXIBILITY AND ADVICE!
Many universities are willing to have contact with
candidates before they are made an Extra choice.
Candidates could ask a university to look at a paper copy
of the UCAS application, and to indicate the likelihood of
being made an offer via Extra.
This can speed the process, and save the candidate from
having to wait to be considered by a university which
then rejects them
Once an applicant has an Extra offer, it is CF – so the
place can be confirmed when exam results are
published.
CLEARING: HOW DO CANDIDATES END UP
THERE?
Candidate ends up with no offers (having used Extra)
Candidate declines offers in original cycle


Candidate fails to achieve CF or CI grades
Entry to Clearing is automatic. UCAS will send
CEF (Clearing Entry Form) through the post.
CLEARING: HOW DO CANDIDATES END UP
THERE?

Candidate gets results, assumes rejection, looks on
UCAS or in national newspapers and starts dialling and Clearing hotlines go into meltdown, just
confirming places on the actual grades achieved

Candidate can access decisions on UCAS Track.
Easiest way to confirm Unconditional Firm or
Rejection
CLEARING: HOW DO UNIVERSITIES DECIDE?

Results arrive a few days before publication/school

‘CF’ careful confirmation process happens: course
asks for ABB, but if too few CF candidates achieve
ABB, will the university then confirm candidates
with BBB? BBC?

‘CI’ institutions notified of results and they confirm
to UCAS if possible – same deadline for decisions
CLEARING: HOW DO UNIVERSITIES DECIDE?
Applicant sees results, assumes rejection from CF and
probably from CI and starts dialling…
Applicant can access decisions on Track. Easiest way
to confirm UF or R
WHAT CAUSES DELAYS IN DECISION-MAKING?

Waiting for a result e.g. GCSE or a grade from exam
board

Combined offers: grades are good for one half but
not the other (e.g. Business + French = ABB. You got
BCC. French might take you; Business won’t.)

‘CF’ (or ‘CI’) might make a changed course offer
(e.g. Single Hons French, which asks for BBC but will
look in Clearing for BCC applicants)
WHAT CAUSES DELAYS IN DECISION-MAKING?

Institutions understand it is a stressful time and try
to move quickly – but by definition the problem
cases take longer to resolve.

While applicant is still being considered, there’s
hope.
WHY WON’T THE CF UNIVERSITY REJECT
APPLICANT SO THEY CAN GO TO THE CI CHOICE?
-
the ‘CF’ institution is entirely in the driving seat: may
be reluctant to reject a good candidate who just missed
the grades
-
better to choose 10 missed-grade ‘CFs’ (who made you
1st choice) or ‘CIs’ than take 10 Clearing applicants who
put you neither 1st nor 2nd
- we know ‘CF’ applicant would like to come to us!
CHOOSING: SOME CAUSES OF DELAYS
‘CI’: will make its decision on academic basis but this
won’t be communicated to applicant unless/until
‘CF’ rejects

Candidate telephone frustration: “but they’ve told
me I’ve definitely been rejected by my ‘CF’ !”

(Have they looked at Track? Might show ‘CF’ / ’UI’)

Updated by UCAS mid-morning – keep checking
CHOOSING: SOME CAUSES OF DELAYS

University says ‘you can hold a provisional offer
from us but we cannot confirm in writing’ until:

the applicant’s UCAS form arrives from UCAS (on
screen)

the applicant’s ‘CEF’ arrives (original not a copy)
from applicant
CLEARING: WHEN SHOULD TEACHER INTERVENE?

Candidate is too distraught to ring

You have useful (new) 3rd party knowledge e.g.
domestic

You have knowledge of candidate’s strengths

You have a good relationship with university/course

There is a special case to be argued
CLEARING: WHEN SHOULD TEACHER INTERVENE?
But:
University quite likely to ask for details in writing
Might not speed up process much - but could pacify
parents!
Can be useful to develop a relationship with
Admissions Tutor beforehand, to avoid Clearing
hotlines where possible
SO YOU’RE GOING TO
NEED CLEARING…
Q&A for students
and basic advice
USING THE CLEARING SYSTEM: THE DON’T
PANIC! GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME…
Clearing is a system that starts when your results are
published. It aims to let universities fill last-minute
vacancies with students who might have missed the
grades or points required by their CF/CI choices.
ADVICE: The only guaranteed way of getting your
place on the course you’ve chosen, at the university
you most want to attend – and, in fact, the easiest
way, is to attain the grades you’ve been asked to
get.
USING THE CLEARING SYSTEM: THE DON’T
PANIC! GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME…

Clearing is a stressful and potentially unreliable
method for finding a course to study – and if you can
avoid Clearing by doing the work to get the grades,
you should!

ADVICE: Clearing lasts about one week – but many
universities are out of clearing within hours or a day
or so – as soon as they have filled their vacancies.
You will need to be well-organised to be successful
in Clearing.
WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING?

Universities make their decisions about who to
accept and who to reject when viewing the August
results. They will post their decisions on each
candidate’s Track space on www.ucas.com - look
there first.

UF means you have got your first- choice place;

UI means your insurance choice will accept you.
WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING?
If you get the grades required by your CF
institution, they will accept you.
If you miss the grades, they are likely to reject you,
in which case your CI will accept you, unless your
final results are too far below this institution’s
requirements too.
WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING?

Universities need to fill their places.

So, for example, if a particular subject asks for BBB they
may find that not enough applicants attained BBB to fill
every place.

They may decide to accept some applicants with BBC
grades in order to fill the last few places, rather than go
into Clearing.

If they still have places after all their BBC students have
been accepted, they may look at applicants who have
BCC – or they may choose to put those final places into
Clearing, in the hope of finding candidates with BBB
grades.
WHY DO UNIVERSITIES NEED CLEARING?
ADVICE

Don’t rely on a subject accepting you if your
grades are close to, but below the offer
you’re holding.

Universities are generally good at making the
right number of offers for the number of
students they wish to admit.
HOW DO I END UP IN CLEARING?

By your grades or points being too far below the
offers you have been made, and by being rejected
by both your CF and your CI institutions.

If you have been rejected through the UCAS system,
you will automatically enter Clearing.
HOW WILL I KNOW?
By looking at UCAS Track.
Universities pass their decisions electronically to
UCAS, and UCAS posts them on its
website.
ADVICE: The UCAS website is updated from midmorning every day, so if Track is not complete it will be
because a university has not yet made its decision on
you. Keep checking.
HOW WILL I KNOW?
Once both institutions have rejected you, you are in
Clearing and will be sent a Clearing Entry Form (CEF)
by post from UCAS.
ADVICE: You will need your CEF later, but you should
not wait for it to arrive before finding a place through
Clearing.
IF I DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR DECISION TO
REJECT ME, CAN I APPEAL TO AN INSTITUTION
TO THINK AGAIN?
Admissions staff think very carefully about each
decision – they will only reject you if they are
definitely unable to accept your grades.
Realistically, it is very unlikely that a department
will change its decision (and it might already have
considered offering you an alternative course and
decided not to). The chances are, it’s full anyway.
IF I DON’T AGREE WITH THEIR DECISION TO
REJECT ME, CAN I APPEAL TO AN INSTITUTION TO
THINK AGAIN?
Any new and different information you have for
them to consider should have been forwarded
before results come out.
Ask yourself if your time is not better spent trying
to find a suitable Clearing place.
SO DO I NEED TO RING TO CONFIRM THAT I’M
ACCEPTED AT MY CF OR CI?
No!
Clearing is for students who know that they have
been rejected! Don’t assume you’ve been
rejected, whatever grades you get. The UCAS Track
confirmation is the way to see decisions on you, and
to avoid frustrating hours on the phone…
IF I AM OFFERED AN ALTERNATIVE COURSE AT A
UNIVERSITY I APPLIED TO, DO I HAVE TO ACCEPT
IT?

No. It is up to you to decide whether a changed
course offer is acceptable.

Remember to look at their prospectus again.

Some institutions are very flexible about how you
can combine subjects once at university – but don’t
bank on this without doing the essential research:
other universities are absolutely rigid in their
courses.
WHAT IF I’M APPEALING AGAINST ONE OF MY
RESULTS OR HAVING A PAPER RE-MARKED?

Universities can only make their decisions on the
basis of the results you hold when they are
published.

Waiting until an appeal has gone through or a paper
re-marked is only possible if you pay for the very
fast remark service – your examination board will
have details.
WHAT IF I WAS ILL DURING ONE OF MY EXAMS?

Schools and colleges are asked to notify universities
of any applicant who suffered from any
circumstance that might affect the outcome of their
examinations, so this paperwork should be with the
university before results are published and it will
have been taken into account before making their
decision.

However, your teacher should know of anything that
might have affected your grade during exams, and
will know how to act on your behalf directly.
HOW DOES CLEARING WORK?

Once you know for certain you have been rejected by
both your CF and your CI, you should look at UCAS, The
Independent or the Daily Mirror, or individual
universities’ websites to see which courses are
available in Clearing.

Some universities will tell you the grades they require,
or any conditions e.g. you must have a foreign
language at grade C, or Maths, or a particular GCSE
grade in addition to their general Clearing
requirements. Others might simply list subject areas
where they have vacancies, and will discuss grades
when you ring.
HOW DOES CLEARING WORK?

You will also see listed the Clearing phone numbers
for each institution. These are the only numbers
through to each university’s Clearing system. If you
ring others you’ll just be referred back (but not put
through) to the official Clearing lines.
ADVICE: Don’t start ringing round until you have
checked on the UCAS website to be certain you have
been rejected by both your CF AND your CI.
Universities will ask you if you know you are in
Clearing before they discuss any courses with you.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO BEFORE I RING?

You should think carefully about the subject you
wish to study at university. Just because you might
have the grades required in Clearing, it doesn’t
make it is the right course for you. And even if the
subject is right, is the university?

These are such important decisions, affecting the
next 3 or 4 years of your life (at least!) that you
should do some careful (but quick) thinking and
planning ahead of telephoning. You should also talk
through your situation with staff in your school or
college, if possible.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO BEFORE I RING?

ADVICE: find the relevant up-to-date prospectus. If
the university is one you don’t know, skim through
the general information to see if you would fit in,
that it’s in the right location etc. Then read
carefully the detailed information about the subject
or course you are interested in. Does it appeal to
you? Remember – course content can vary from uni
to uni, even when the course titles are identical!

Recent research shows that the biggest single reason
students drop out of higher education is choosing
the wrong course. The second biggest is choosing
the wrong institution.
WHAT INFORMATION WILL I BE ASKED FOR
WHEN I RING?

Before you ring, you should have your UCAS number
to hand so that the person dealing with you can call
up your application on a computer screen. They
will see where else you have applied to and for
what. It is also useful to have your results slip to
hand.

You are also likely to be asked to provide a piece of
evidence to prove that you are who you say you are,
so expect to give some personal details that you’ve
provided in your UCAS application.
WILL THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS THE PHONE
KNOW ABOUT MY APPLICATION?
No.
Each university organises how it handles Clearing
enquiries, so you might get to talk directly to an
Admissions Tutor, or a member of the general
administrative staff, or possibly even a current
student. They will be trained in dealing with you,
and will have a series of questions to ask you.
Every university will treat your call in the same way
as every other enquirer’s.
WILL THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW I MESSED UP MY
EXAMS (OR WHY IT’S NOT MY FAULT)?

No! The conversation will be about what subject
you’re interested in, what Advanced subjects you
have taken, and the grades or points you achieved.

If you are in Clearing and you have the grades /
points required for the place you are interested in,
you can be made an offer on the basis of the
information you’ve provided on the phone. This will
be held for you while you send your Clearing Entry
Form (CEF) to that university. They will want the
original form.

ADVICE: If the university is relatively local, you
could ask if you can take your CEF personally, rather
than use the post.
WHAT IF I CAN’T GET THROUGH ON THE PHONE – IF
IT’S ALWAYS ENGAGED?


Keep trying and be patient!
Universities deal with each enquiry as quickly as
possible, and they are aware that there are lots of
people trying to get through – so it’s important that
you are well prepared before you ring and that you
keep your cool when you finally get through.
WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER IF ONE OF MY PARENTS
RANG? OR MY TEACHER?

No! The university wants to talk to you e.g. if the
course you want is already full, they may be able to
offer you an alternative – you need to take your own
decision about your future.

If there is a specific reason why your teacher or
careers adviser should talk to a university on your
behalf – in your presence – then you will be advised
of this in your school or college.

ADVICE: It is important that you do not go on
holiday on results day – your future will depend on
you!
WHAT IF THE UCAS SITE SHOWS THAT MY CI
INSTITUTION IS STILL CONSIDERING ME, BUT I
KNOW I DON’T REALLY WANT TO GO THERE?

CAN I RING SOMEWHERE ELSE?

No-one can stop you ringing speculatively, but you
must remember that a university cannot make you a
formal offer through Clearing until you have been
rejected by BOTH your CF AND your CI and you have
sent your CEF to them.
EVEN IF I’VE ALREADY BEEN TOLD OVER THE
TELEPHONE THAT MY CI IS REJECTING ME?

If you have been told this, then their decision will
be amended on UCAS Track at the next update and
you’ll be eligible for Clearing and any offers.
BUT I’LL BE MISSING OUT ON CLEARING PLACES…

If you ring institutions while you are still technically
holding a UCAS offer elsewhere, you cannot also
hold Clearing offers. However, a Clearing place can
sometimes be held provisionally upon your being
rejected elsewhere and actually going into Clearing.
It is only yours when the University has your CEF.

ADVICE: You can ask your CF or CI institution to
release you, but this is not automatic. Provisional
Clearing offers remain available for a limited time.
WHAT’S TO STOP ME HOLDING SEVERAL CLEARING
PLACES AND PICKING THE BEST ONE LATER?

It is possible to do this, but think carefully – it
suggests you haven’t done the necessary research to
be sure the offer you are holding is the RIGHT one
for you – this is not a sensible way of making such a
critical decision, and such insecurity means you
need to think again about what you really want.

Also you might be making it difficult for others to be
made offers for places that you know you will not
take up. How would you feel if this happened to
you?

Limit the offers you provisionally hold to only ones
you are seriously likely to accept
WHY CAN’T I JUST TELL THEM I’VE GOT 3 Es, AND
CHOOSE FROM WHAT THEY’VE GOT ON OFFER FOR
THOSE GRADES?

Clearing is not a form of bargain-hunt! You should
be looking for the same or a similar subject area
you initially applied for, or a “cognate” one – in
other words, a related course using largely the same
skills and abilities and background you have.

Without this, how do you know that you are able to
sustain degree level study?

Or that you will enjoy it?
WHAT’S TO STOP ME HOLDING SEVERAL CLEARING
PLACES AND PICKING THE BEST ONE LATER?

It is possible to do this, but think carefully – it
suggests you haven’t done the necessary research to
be sure the offer you are holding is the RIGHT one
for you.

Also you might be making it difficult for others to be
made offers for places that you know you will not
take up. How would you feel if this happened to
you?

Limit the offers you provisionally hold to only ones
you are seriously likely to accept
WHAT ABOUT “TRADING UP” IF MY RESULTS ARE
BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED?

Again, you need to think about the risks. You are
expected to attend the CF or CI you have accepted
offers from – the UCAS process forms the basis of a
contract. You shouldn’t expect a university
automatically to release without asking serious
questions.

For gaining a handful of extra points or a couple of
grades, you are considering putting aside the
universities you have researched over several
months, visited, met students and staff, seen halls
of residence and replacing this with a course you
perhaps know little about, in a place you’ve never
seen.

All on the basis of a 3-minute phone call…
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY CF IS RECEIVED?
You’ll get formal confirmation of your place, and
detailed instructions about joining the university.
There will be paperwork to complete, and
information about accommodation, booklists,
starting dates, and so on…
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY CF IS RECEIVED?

You’ll get formal confirmation of your place, and
detailed instructions about joining the university.

There will be paperwork to complete, and
information about accommodation, booklists,
starting dates, and so on…
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS…

If you get your place through the Clearing system,
you’ll be a legitimate member of that university,
studying on the same course as people who applied
for it and got there in the traditional way. You
won’t be seen as “different” or less capable – and
no-one will be interested in the grades you got (or
didn’t get!), or the reasons why, or the route you
used to get into that university, once you’re there.

More importantly, you’ll have exactly the same
opportunity as every other 1st year. Over 35,000
students now in Higher Education gained their
places through Clearing last year.
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS…

FINAL ADVICE

The outcome of your degree will be entirely based
on what you do while you’re at university, so do the
best work you can, have a great university
experience, and be confident that you can achieve
a good degree.
Good luck in your exams,
with your results in August
and in your Higher education course!