A-Level Results Day and Clearing — Everything You Need to Know

With A-Level results about to come in, here’s what you need to know about what to do the day before, and on the day when you get your results. Results day is a stressful time for everyone, but there are ways you can help minimise fretting beforehand and on the day itself.

Be Prepared – The Day Before

Results day is busy enough without having to scrabble around for information at the last minute. Make sure you prepare ahead of time, in case you miss your offers and have to use Clearing.

If you are not in the UK on the results day, check that you are able to make calls to UK landlines and that your calls will go through.

Prepare a Clearing document with the following information before results day, so that you are ready should you have to use Clearing:

• Your UCAS ID (this will be stated on your UCAS application and on the UCAS Hub). Your Clearing ID, which you will also find on your UCAS Hub page, if you are placed into Clearing.
• a list of your preferred courses and universities available on UCAS Clearing. It is a good idea to consider different, but related subjects and regularly check the list to see if any more courses become available. You can also apply to courses that you have previously declined through UCAS.
• Contact numbers for the universities you have applied to and any that you might consider for Clearing as per your list above. Use this link for all of the UK clearing numbers for 2023.
• Your personal statement. Should you go through to Clearing, you may be asked questions about this by the universities you are speaking with.
• GCSE results (or any other exam results such as IELTS).
• A level results – add these to your Clearing document on the results day.

A-level Results Day

A-Level Results Day 2023 is Thursday 17th August. This is the day you will find out your exam results, and find out if you have been accepted onto one of your chosen courses at university.

You school will email your results early in the morning. Check your email from 8:00am.

Your UCAS Hub will update at around 8:15am. Your university choices will have been updated and you will see one of the following messages:

• Unconditional/Place Confirmed

• Unconditional change course (the university has offered you a similar course requiring lower entry grades)

• Unsuccessful (you have not been accepted by your firm choice)

If successful – congratulations! It is now time to start getting yourself ready for the move-in day.

Results Not What You’d Hoped?

Don’t panic! There is lots you can do if results are not what you expect. Consult with your teachers at this stage, they will know what the best courses of action are to take at this point. Options include appealing your grades or taking a gap year to reapply for the following year.

If you decide to appeal your grades, you must inform the university which is your Firm choice. The university might decide to keep your offer open until the result of your appeal and award you the place if you meet your offer conditions as a result of your appeal.

If you are determined that you want to pursue university for the coming academic year, however, you will have to go through Clearing.

Applying Through Clearing

Clearing allows you to apply to courses and/or universities that you might not have considered yet, if you don’t hold any offers from your firm or secondary choice universities. Before contacting universities through Clearing, have your Clearing document and pen and paper ready so that you can make notes.

• Call the universities on your Clearing document. They will want your UCAS Personal ID and Clearing number.
• Ask them if they would accept you with the grades you have achieved. They will read your UCAS application and might interview you about your reasons for choosing a specific course and university.
• They might give you an informal offer over the phone. You can also ask them about the course and anything else you would need to know to study there, such as accommodation choices.
• You can contact several universities for clearing spaces before deciding which you would like to accept.
• Any offers you receive will usually be held for you only for 24 hours.
• Once you have permission from the university you have spoken to, you can add them as a Clearing option in your UCAS application. Only do this when you have permission from the university. You can only add one clearing option at a time.
• The university will then make your Clearing offer unconditional.

• But remember, don’t rush into anything. If there isn’t a course available that interests you, then that’s fine. It’s better to be entirely certain you’re going into something you truly want to do – as mentioned before: reapplying next year is always an option.

Results day is stressful, but as long as you are well-prepared in advance you should soon be ready to set out on the next step in your academic journey studying a course you will love. Stay calm, support each other, and you will be in the best place possible to look forward to your future in higher education.

Good luck!