Clearing is the process through which universities fill any remaining places on their courses after A-level results day in August. It is used by students who did not receive any offers, those whose grades were better than expected (who may use Adjustment first), and those who chose to decline their offers.
When Clearing opens
Clearing opens in early July each year but the vast majority of places become available on A-level results day, which falls on the third Thursday of August. UCAS publishes the exact date for each year on its website. You need results in hand before you can be registered in Clearing.
How to enter Clearing
You are automatically entered into Clearing if you applied through UCAS and are not holding any offers. You can also voluntarily enter Clearing if you wish to look for a different course. Log into your UCAS Hub on results day - you will see a Clearing number which you give to universities when you call them.
Calling universities
Look up courses that still have vacancies on the UCAS search tool, which is updated continuously on results day. When you find a course you want, call the university's Clearing hotline directly. Have your:
- UCAS personal ID number and Clearing number ready.
- Qualification results in front of you.
- One or two questions prepared about the course.
The admissions tutor will decide whether to make you a verbal offer. If you accept, you add it to your UCAS Hub as your Clearing choice.
Tip: Do not accept the first offer out of panic. You can make multiple calls and hold a verbal offer while you do more research. Once you add a course to your UCAS Hub, that choice is binding - so take fifteen minutes to check CourseMap for the course's outcomes data before confirming.
Adjustment: for students who exceeded their offer
If your results are better than your conditional offer required, you can use UCAS Adjustment to look for an alternative course at a more selective university. Adjustment runs for five days from results day. You keep your original confirmed place while you look, so there is no risk.
Making a good decision under pressure
Results day is emotional and fast-moving. Set a decision criterion before the day - if a course has fewer than X points median entry and fewer than Y% of graduates in professional employment, it is not right for me. Having that filter ready makes it easier to evaluate offers calmly when the phone is ringing.