What Is UCAS Clearing and How Do You Apply?

Every year, thousands of students who have not received the university places they hoped for find themselves with an unexpected decision to make on results day. UCAS Clearing is the official mechanism that connects these students to universities that still have places available — and used well, it can lead to outcomes that are every bit as strong as the original plan.

This guide explains what Clearing is, who it is for, and what families need to know to navigate it well.

What Is UCAS Clearing?

Clearing is an annual period, typically running from mid-July to late September, during which universities and colleges advertise remaining vacancies for that academic year. It opens formally on results day in August — the date when A-level and Scottish Higher results are released — and effectively closes when places run out or the academic year begins.

Clearing is not a consolation process. It exists because universities plan for a proportion of offer-holders to decline places or miss their grade conditions, and because student demand across courses shifts every year. In 2025, more than 70,000 students placed through Clearing — including many who had received their predicted grades but had changed their mind about their original choice.

How Does Clearing Work?

Once a student is eligible for Clearing, their UCAS Track account shows a Clearing number — a unique code they give to universities when they call. From that point, the process is direct: the student contacts universities by telephone and, if they are offered a place, they can add it to their UCAS application online.

The key sequence of events is as follows.

Step 1 — Confirm eligibility

Log in to UCAS Track. If Clearing is available to you, you will see a button to add a Clearing choice. Your Clearing number appears on the same screen. Do not contact universities until you have this number.

Step 2 — Research available courses

UCAS publishes a live Clearing vacancy search. University websites also list available courses directly. Be specific about what you are looking for — read entry requirements carefully, since universities may have raised or lowered grade requirements for vacancies compared with their standard offers.

Clearing is a phone-first process. Universities receive hundreds of calls on results day morning. Be prepared, be specific about your grades and your reasons, and make notes after every call.

— Echos Education Admissions Team

Step 3 — Call the admissions team

Call the admissions team for the course directly — not the general university switchboard. Have your UCAS Clearing number, your grades, and a clear sense of why you want that course ready before you dial. Universities make decisions quickly on results day, and the quality of that first call matters.

Step 4 — Receive a verbal offer

If the admissions team is willing to make you an offer, they will do so verbally on the call. Ask them to confirm the course name, the UCAS course code, and the institution code. Write these down — you will need them to add the choice in UCAS Track.

Step 5 — Add your Clearing choice in UCAS Track

Once you have a verbal offer, add the course as your Clearing choice in Track. The university then confirms the offer electronically. Until they do, the offer is not binding. Do not decline other options or stop calling other universities until the offer is confirmed in Track.

Common Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them

Families often approach Clearing with two opposite instincts: either to dismiss it as a second-rate route, or to accept any place quickly to end the uncertainty. Both approaches carry risk.

The most common mistakes are: accepting the first offer without checking whether the course is a reasonable fit; failing to call enough universities before committing; and not understanding that a Clearing place can be at a genuinely strong university — Clearing vacancies exist across the full range of institutions, not only those lower in the rankings.

Equally, students sometimes miss Clearing places by waiting too long. The best courses and universities fill rapidly on results morning. Preparation — knowing which courses you would be happy to study, and identifying universities with a realistic chance of making an offer — should happen before results day, not after.

Clearing Adjustment

A separate but related mechanism, called Adjustment, allows students who have exceeded the conditions of their firm choice to explore other options for up to five days from results day. If you achieved significantly better than expected, it may be worth calling universities whose requirements you now meet — while keeping your original firm choice as a fallback until an Adjustment offer is confirmed.

Adjustment places are limited and the window is narrow. It is worth exploring only if the alternative course is a genuine improvement on your current offer, not simply a more prestigious name.

Our View

Clearing works best when a student enters it knowing what they want, with a clear head and a short list of realistic options. The process is not a sign that something has gone wrong — it is a legitimate part of the application cycle, used by a large number of students each year. Done well, it leads to strong outcomes. Done in a panic, it leads to decisions that families sometimes regret.

If you are approaching results day and Clearing is a realistic possibility, use the weeks before to prepare: identify courses you would genuinely be happy to study, check entry requirements, and plan how you will spend results morning. The students who do best in Clearing are usually the ones who treated it as a plan, not a fallback.