For students and parents · July to October
Clearing: how it works
Clearing is how universities fill the places they still have after the main application round. It opens in early July and is busiest on A level results day in August, and it is open to anyone who applied after the end of June, holds no offers, missed the conditions of their offers, or has released themselves from their place. You find a course, contact the university, and add it in UCAS only once the university has agreed.
Who can use Clearing?
UCAS lists four ways in: applying after the last date for applications to be sent to universities (30 June for 2027 entry), holding no offers or none you want, missing the conditions of your offers on results day, or releasing yourself from the place you hold.
That last one is for students who did better than expected. Adjustment, which used to let them look for a place elsewhere while keeping their own, ended with 2022 entry. Now somebody holding an unconditional firm place who wants to try for a different course uses the "decline my place" button in UCAS, which puts them into Clearing, so it is worth speaking to the university they want first, since declining gives up the place they already have.
How does Clearing work on the day?
Search the Clearing vacancies on UCAS for courses with places, then contact each university you are interested in, usually by phone, with your Clearing number and Personal ID from UCAS. The university may ask about your results and why you want the course, and if it offers you a place it will tell you to add it as your Clearing choice. Add it in UCAS only after they have agreed, because adding a course the university has not accepted you for does not get you a place.
UCAS also shows a list of matches picked for each applicant, called My matches, and universities can contact the students they have been matched with, so it is worth looking there as well as searching.
Results come out before most universities open their phone lines, so the results day guide is worth reading alongside this one for what happens first thing in the morning.
What to have ready
Have the results, the Clearing number and Personal ID, a short list of courses already looked at, and a phone that is charged. It is best if the student makes the calls, since the application is theirs and the university may want to ask them questions; a parent can help most by keeping the list and noting who said what.
Applicants to UCAS Conservatoires cannot use Clearing, so a music, dance or drama applicant through that route needs to speak to the conservatoires directly.
Where to check
Checked against these on . The rules change from year to year, so the pages above are the ones to trust if anything here disagrees with them.
Common questions
When does Clearing open?
In early July, on 2 July for 2027 entry, and it runs into the autumn. It is busiest on A level results day in August.
Can I use Clearing if I got better grades than expected?
Yes. Adjustment no longer exists, so a student with an unconditional firm place releases themselves into Clearing with the "decline my place" button in UCAS. Speak to the university you want first, because declining gives up your current place.
Do I need to call the university in Clearing?
Yes. Contact the university first, and add the course in UCAS only after it has agreed to offer you a place.
What do I need before calling a university in Clearing?
Your results, your Clearing number and your Personal ID from UCAS, and a few notes on why you want the course, since the university may ask.
Can conservatoire applicants use Clearing?
No. UCAS Conservatoires does not use Clearing, so contact the conservatoires directly.