The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) runs a clearing process matching students with university and college courses which still have spaces., external
Students can use it if they:
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Fail to achieve the grades for their conditional offer
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Fail to receive any offers they want to accept
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Decide after 30 June to apply for university
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Achieve better grades than expected and want to change universities
Clearing opened on 2 July and closes on 19 October.
Universities make an offer to a student to join a course based on qualifications and grades or the Ucas tariff points system., external
Each A-level grade is worth a certain number of Ucas points. For example, an A* is worth 56 points and a D is worth 24 points.
Many students decide not to go to university and start an apprenticeship or go straight into work.
Others take a gap year, external so they have more time to decide what to do next.