UCAS Clearing is the system that matches students without a confirmed university place to courses still recruiting, running from July and peaking on and after A-level results day in August. Students become eligible if they missed offer grades, applied late, or hold no offers, and apply by phoning universities directly to secure a place, then adding it in the UCAS Hub.
What is Clearing and who can use it?
Clearing is UCAS's matching service for unfilled degree places. It opens in early July each year and runs through to mid-October, but the vast majority of activity happens in the days immediately around A-level and BTEC results day, typically the second Thursday in August.
You can use Clearing if any of the following apply:
- You did not receive any offers from the five choices on your original UCAS application
- You did not meet the conditions of your firm or insurance offer (missed grades)
- You applied to UCAS after 30 June in the application cycle
- You declined all your offers, or paid the multiple-choice application fee but did not use all your choices
- You want to start afresh and apply to a different course through Clearing (this always means giving up any existing firm/insurance offers first)
Universities and colleges list vacant places on the UCAS website's Clearing search tool once results are released, updated in real time.
Step-by-step: how Clearing works on results day
- Get your results and check UCAS Track (Hub) first. Log in to see automatically whether your firm or insurance place has been confirmed. If either has, you are not in Clearing and do not need to do anything else.
- If you're eligible, your status will show "You are in Clearing." This appears in the UCAS Hub, usually within a few hours of results being released.
- Research courses before calling. Use the UCAS Clearing search tool (live from results day) to find vacancies matching your grades and interests. Shortlist several universities and courses, not just one, in case your first choice fills up.
- Call universities directly — do not wait for them to contact you. Phone the admissions or Clearing hotline for each course you're interested in. Have your UCAS ID, Clerk of results (grades), and a short pitch ready: why that course, what you've achieved, and any relevant experience.
- Get a verbal offer. If the university wants to offer you a place, they'll usually give a informal verbal yes on the call, sometimes provisional on final grade checks.
- Add the Clearing choice yourself in the UCAS Hub. The university does not add it for you — you must enter the course details in Track/Hub. Only add one at a time; adding a choice is treated as accepting it.
- Wait for confirmation. The university confirms your place, usually within 24 hours, and it appears in your UCAS Hub as your confirmed place.
Adjustment vs Clearing: what's the difference?
Adjustment and Clearing are opposite routes and are often confused.
| Feature | Clearing | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Students who missed or have no offers | Students who beat their firm offer's conditions |
| Purpose | Find any available place | "Trade up" to a more competitive course/university |
| Registration | Automatic if eligible | Must opt in yourself, and only if you exceeded conditions |
| Time window | From results day to mid-October | 5 days from when your firm place is confirmed |
| Risk | None to your existing offers (you have none) | You keep your original firm place unless you accept somewhere new |
If you achieved grades better than your firm offer required (for example, AAA when the offer was ABB), you're eligible for Adjustment, not Clearing. Adjustment lets you explore whether a more selective course has space, while your original firm place stays safe as a fallback until the five-day window closes or you formally accept elsewhere.
Preparing before results day
- List back-up courses in advance. Many students research a shortlist of Clearing-friendly universities and courses the week before results, based on their predicted or likely grades.
- Know your UCAS ID and Clearing number. These are needed for every call and are shown in the UCAS Hub.
- Prepare a 30-second pitch. Universities are assessing suitability quickly on the phone; have your grades, subjects, and reasons for interest ready.
- Check student finance implications. If you switch course or university through Clearing or Adjustment, contact Student Finance England (or your relevant nation's body) to update your application, since funding is tied to a specific course and provider.
- Have a parent or teacher on standby. Phone lines get busy on results morning; a second person can help call multiple universities in parallel.
What happens if you don't find a place?
If no Clearing vacancy suits you, you can reapply the following year, consider a foundation year, look at apprenticeships via the National Careers Service, or take a gap year to reapply with a stronger application or resit grades. Clearing places remain listed into October, so it's worth checking back over several days rather than giving up after one difficult call.
Frequently asked questions
How does UCAS Clearing work if I miss my grades?
If you don't meet your firm or insurance offer's conditions, your UCAS Hub status changes to show you're in Clearing, usually within hours of results being released. You then search the Clearing vacancy list, call universities directly to secure a verbal offer, and add the choice yourself in the Hub — the university won't add it on your behalf.
What is Adjustment vs Clearing?
Clearing is for students who missed offers or hold none; Adjustment is for students who exceeded their firm offer's grade requirements and want to explore a more competitive course while keeping their original place safe. Adjustment has a strict five-day window from confirmation; Clearing runs from results day into October.
Can I use Clearing if I already have a confirmed place?
No — Clearing is only available if you don't have a confirmed firm or insurance place. If you want to change course despite already holding a confirmed place, you'd need to withdraw from your existing offer first via UCAS, which is a significant decision and should be discussed with a university admissions adviser beforehand.
When does Clearing results day activity peak?
The busiest period is the morning of A-level results day (the second Thursday of August) through to the following week, when most vacancies are filled. Some places remain available into September and even October, particularly on less oversubscribed courses.
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