This institution of higher education had no such concept as mercy.
― Marina Dyachenko, Vita Nostra
Have you read that story? A super-student meets a stranger while on holiday and, after performing a series of strange tasks, receives a stack of gold coins to study in their university. She doesn't want to enrol in that school but she has to, because that's the bargain she struck.
Fortunately, UK students are under no obligation to perform extracurricular tasks to qualify for university. They only need to register with the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). They must sit A-Level exams and then, wait for their results. That period gives them time to explore:
- reasons they might have for choosing their uni courses through Clearing
- the possibilities Clearing Plus offers
- the requirements to register for Clearing
- the Clearing application process
When Is UCAS Clearing: Important Dates
30 June 2025
Applications received after 18:00 (UK time) are automatically entered into Clearing
4 July 2025
Last day for applicants to add an Extra choice in their application
5 July 2025
Clearing opens; vacancies are displayed in the UCAS search tool
5 August 2025
SQA results day; eligible applicants can add a Clearing choice from 10:00 (UK time)
14 August 2025
A-level results day; eligible applicants can add a Clearing choice from 13:00 (UK time)
20 October 2025
Final date to add a Clearing choice in your application.
🤷🏻♂️Why Would Anyone Apply for Clearing?
Students generally fall into one of two categories. We'll call the first category the Neil DeGrasse Tysons. This American astrophysicist knew from age seven that physics was his calling. He did everything possible to pursue that path.
Stephen Hawking represents the second student category. Not necessarily good pupils, not sure of their path forward. Sir Hawking found his direction by chance, with his maths teacher's guidance.
He only 'fell' into physics because of parental pressure. His father insisted there was no future in maths studies. Besides, Hawking Sr wanted his son enrolled in his alma mater - Oxford, which did not offer maths degrees at the time. Thus, young Stephen settled on a degree in physics.
Whether you're a Tyson or a Hawking, there is no wrong path forward.
With this bit of academic snobbery neutralised, we can discuss why UCAS Clearing courses should be a part of any sound A-Level strategy. The main reason, of course, is that doing so means taking charge of your life.
Parental pressure, the kind Sir Hawking faced, is a major obstacle to figuring out your preferences. You may not be able to escape it, but you can compromise. Should your mum or dad insist you attend their alma matter, you can agree to enrol there only if you get to choose your degree plan.
Neither Sir Hawking's alma mater, Oxford, nor Cambridge offers Clearing options.
Even if your parents don't insist on a particular school, they might be heavy-handed in helping choose your major. Again, Clearing offers room for compromise. You can search for related degree plans at schools you're interested in attending.
You might not have any family pressure to deal with. If you're not a 'Tyson', you might struggle to find courses that pique your interest. In that case, UCAS Clearing courses offer a broad range of subjects for study.
UCAS is generally firm about its deadlines. Going through Clearing can't happen until universities know where they have any places left. That means you'll have two extra months to decide on a course of study.
The Downsides of UCAS Clearing
We could hardly sing the virtues of UCAS Clearing without also mentioning its downsides. The first, biggest one must be 'first come, first serve'. When you find an interesting degree plan, apply for it as soon as possible. That way, you stand a chance of getting a spot you want, rather than picking over what's left.
That's the second-biggest downside of UCAS Clearing courses. Leftovers are seldom appealing, and there must be some reason why those courses aren't already full. Still, don't discount these offerings too quickly. You may find a gem among them.
Housing is the last UCAS Clearing downside to watch for. Student accommodations fill up quickly; you may only have limited options - or have to find something on your own. You must discuss this during your Clearing call.
💡What is Clearing Plus?
We are used to instant gratification. We press the microphone icon on the Google search bar to ask - not type, our questions, and expect immediate results. That's one reason why waiting for A-Level results is so agonising.
Back to Google, now. We scroll through our results quickly, looking for just the right headers to explore. We grow frustrated if the answer we want isn't among the top few.
UCAS Clearing is onto us. Those administrators know we prefer quick solutions to long looks through their catalogues. Thus, they devised Clearing Plus.
Clearing collects and presents all the 'leftover' open slots UK universities have to offer. Clearing Plus suggests possible course matches, based on students' applications.
Essentially, Clearing Plus does what we expect Google to do. Instead of conducting a manual search for possible courses, the system delivers results we might want. It works the same way as search engines do: by presenting selections based on the information it has about us.
Clearing Plus also factors in the universities' criteria. Such includes the courses they plan to list in Clearing, their entry requirements, and the degree of flexibility they might offer. For instance, if a student is just shy of the grade cut-off, the school might accept them through Clearing if they can justify their marks.
Only first-time applicants will have access to Clearing Plus. Likewise, students whose first application was unsuccessful will have a 'See matches' button on their account.
Students with access to Clearing Plus may also look through UCAS Clearing courses the traditional way. The most important aspect of this exercise is to register your interest. Note courses that appeal to you. You can decide later which offer to accept.
📃What You Need for Clearing
If you followed the standard template, you've already registered with UCAS. At that time, you filled in your personal details and educational history. You may have already known you were planning on resitting at least one of your A-Levels, and recorded that, too.
You likely selected a few courses; UCAS allows you to choose up to five. And then, come your results. If you received a confirmed placement - and you're satisfied with it, you've no need for Clearing.
Should you not be happy with your placement(s), it's time to consider Clearing. Likewise, if you received a conditional offer, or if you're slotted into Clearing. In all these cases, it's time to get busy - the sooner, the better.
A-Level guides for students typically recommend browsing through the course catalogue well before you receive your exam results. Make note of courses that interest you. Jot down the course title, admissions number and grade boundaries.
With all that, you're ready to swing into action the minute your grades publish. Once they do, if you don't receive any offers - or if you applied late, you'll find your place in Clearing. Should you decide to reject your offers, you must self-release before applying for Clearing.
It means you release yourself from any UCAS offers. To do so, log in to your UCAS hub and follow the instructions to decline the offer.
🔎How to Apply for Clearing
However you landed in Clearing, you must work fast to get the most out of this system. As you were clever about combing through the Clearing catalogue while waiting for your grades, you can start calling your target schools immediately.
Unfortunately, you cannot register your preferences through the UCAS hub. You must contact the universities in question. To streamline the conversation, have your statistics ready to cite. Also, make sure you have all the course information handy.
Your Clearing and personal identification numbers, your grades, and other educational information.
You may have to make a few such calls. Once you receive a verbal offer, you must enter it in UCAS. Log in to the UCAS hub, load the 'Your Choices' page, click on 'Add Choice', and enter the course information. Be sure to save your inputs!
Note: you're not slotted until the university confirms your place in UCAS. Furthermore, you may add only one Choice at a time. If a university takes too long to confirm you, you may have to start over with another school. You must also beware of how quickly things will move.
What feels like a long stretch after your A-Levels 2025 is actually just a blink, when you consider all you must do. You only have until October 21 to find your place in a UK university. Still, not all is lost if you miss the deadline. That's the perfect time to explore gap year or employment opportunities!
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