If your results aren’t what you expected, you may find yourself in Clearing. It can feel stressful – but a little preparation goes a long way. Here’s how Clearing works today, and how MyUniChoices can help you prepare for whatever results day brings.
If you haven’t got the grades you needed for your firm or insurance offer, don’t panic – you won’t be alone. Tens of thousands of students find a university place through UCAS Clearing every year, and many go on to a course they love.
What Clearing is (and what it isn’t)
Clearing is how universities fill their remaining places. It opens in early July and runs until October, but most activity happens on and after results day in August. You’ll use Clearing if you didn’t receive any offers, your offers weren’t confirmed, or you applied after 30 June.
One important change: the old “Adjustment” process (which let students who did better than expected trade up) no longer exists – it was withdrawn from the 2022 cycle. If your results are better than expected and you want to look elsewhere, you can release yourself from your confirmed place in your UCAS Hub (“decline my place”) and enter Clearing. Think carefully first, because you can’t get your original place back.
On results day, check your UCAS Hub (this replaced the old UCAS Track) even if you missed your grades – some universities will still confirm your place. It’s also worth phoning the university to ask, as decisions can change.
Prepare for Clearing before results day
The best way to prepare is to have a plan before results day. Think about which other universities you might like to study at – universities you considered when you applied, or others with different entry requirements. Focus on the same or similar courses to the ones you applied for, although related courses are worth exploring too.
Using MyUniChoices, this kind of research is quick. You can see which universities offer specific courses, filter by the entry grades they ask for, and shortlist the courses you’d like to keep in reserve for results day. If your predicted grades change, update them and MyUniChoices will refresh your matches.
Remember that you’re still making a decision about the next three or more years of your life. Be confident you’re choosing a course you’ll enjoy at a university that’s right for you – don’t pile dozens of unsuitable options onto your shortlist.
Rank your shortlist by the criteria that matter to you. In MyUniChoices you can give each course and university your own ratings and notes, so you end up with a ranked list that becomes your Clearing contact list.
Have your documents ready: your UCAS Personal ID and Clearing number (shown in your Hub once you’re eligible), your results, and a note of the courses you want to ask about. Most Clearing conversations still happen by phone, so be ready to ring several universities – most run dedicated Clearing lines.
On the day
Stay calm and work methodically through the list you prepared. UCAS publishes the courses with places available, and the Hub’s Clearing Plus tool suggests matches based on your application – cross-reference these against your own shortlist so you only spend time on courses that suit you.
The important thing to bear in mind on Clearing day is to stay calm.
Every university asks different questions. Some simply want your grades; others will ask why you’re interested in the course, a little like an interview. Be ready to answer.
Once you’ve been given a verbal offer you’re happy with, add it as your Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub – you can only add one at a time, and only after the university has agreed to accept you. You can talk to several universities first, so don’t rush into the first offer you receive.
Being prepared is the easiest way to make sure you’re ready for Clearing. MyUniChoices helps you research your higher education options and keep a ranked shortlist ready for results day. To get started, visit MyUniChoices. For the official process and dates, see UCAS: results, Confirmation and Clearing.