Our UCAS points calculator will help you see what your A Level grades are converted to in the UCAS system. When comparing university options, you may want to know how many A Level points you will likely receive.
Points are awarded according to the UCAS Tariff. The higher the grade you achieve, the higher the number of UCAS points. Some universities and colleges will make offers based on the total number of points that you earn, others will ask for certain grades
Here we detail some information on this to help you with your choices.
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When seeking admission to a specific degree program, it’s essential to research the entry criteria of the university. Each institution establishes its own prerequisites, including grades and other conditions that applicants must fulfill.
These requirements can vary, but usually come down to A Level qualifications and grades that you must achieve.
If you are wanting to go on to complete a degree after A Levels, you will need to check with the specific University as to what their entry requirements are. These usually show as:-
Please be aware that DDD at BTEC and DDD at A Level are two very different things.
Most Universities require at least four or five Cs or above in GCSE subjects (grade 4 in the new grading structure). These will generally include Maths and English. Others may just require Maths and English at a C grade or above. They will generally also accept Functional Skills in English and Maths as an alternative to GCSE.
You may find that you are in the situation where you have just missed out on the entry requirements for your chosen course. We would recommend that you contact the University immediately to see if they would be willing to still accept you. There is still a chance that they could, especially if you narrowly missed the mark.
Alternatively, you can still apply for a different course through UCAS clearing.
UCAS clearing is a chance to grab a place on a similar course. This could be at the original University you applied to or a different one.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK-based organisation whose main role is to operate the application process for British universities.
The tariff for courses starting in September 2017 has changed so that more qualifications could be included.
The new tariff simply uses a different set of numbers, which some universities use to describe qualifications and grades in their entry requirements.
The new Tariff points are much lower than the original Tariff points. For example, an A Level grade A* gets 56 points under the new tariff, whereas before it got 140. The value of the A Level remains the same, but Universities have just lowered tariff numbers.
It is really important to check the entry requirements with the University/College for the course you’re interested in.
You can find out how many points your A Level or AS Level qualification will be worth by using the UCAS tariff calculator or alternatively we have the table below.
| Grade | A Level | AS Level |
|---|---|---|
| A* | 56 | |
| A | 48 | 20 |
| B | 40 | 16 |
| C | 32 | 12 |
| D | 24 | 10 |
| E | 16 | 6 |
UCAS points are based on the final grade you receive for your A Level. Therefore, if someone received a high B and another person received a low B, it wouldn’t matter as they are both B grades and worth exactly the same amount of UCAS points.
For the Full A Level, an A* would provide 56 points.
For the Full A Level, an A would provide 48 points.
For the Full A Level, a B would provide 40 points.
For the Full A Level, a C would provide 32 points.
For the Full A Level, a D would provide 24 points.
For the Full A Level, an E would provide 16 points.
Applying to more than one university through UCAS can increase your chances of getting accepted. It also allows you to have a backup in case you don’t get the results you want. Some universities will even suggest a second course as a backup to meet your needs. This cannot be easy if you want to study a particular vocation.
Though the location is essential to many people when applying to a university, you might have to be flexible and cast a wider net amongst the universities you want to use. All of this gives you the best chance of entering the course you wish to and achieving your long-term goals.
You can apply to up to five universities. However, it is best to apply to 2 to 3 universities overall; this gives you the time to create a personal application that doesn’t seem like you have copied and pasted everything from one application to another. Your application should be tailored for each university so that they can get a sense of who you are and what you want to do.
The most obvious answer to gaining more UCAS points is to take on more A Levels. You may have chosen to study three A Levels, however some students do take up to five.
If this isn’t possible, there are other options available.
If you need to gain some extra points within a short amount of time it may be worth looking at some level 3 qualifications. For example, our CACHE Health and Social Care Level 3 Course can award up to 28 UCAS points on completion. It can also be completed quite quickly if you have the time to allocate to the course. All work is coursework based and you wouldn’t need to sit exams at the end.
Alternatively, some music, dance and drama courses/exams also award UCAS points
Another way to potentially earn UCAS points is through volunteering. A company called ASDAN offers some qualifications which carry UCAS points and as part of the work, you will need to take on some volunteering. This would also look great on your UCAS application to universities and colleges.
For more information on UCAS references, please see – UCAS References – Don’t leave it too late!