A Levels: what happens next on UCAS
12th August 2020
If you’re applying to university through UCAS here is some information about what happens when the results are released.
It's important to remember that UCAS Track won't show your A-level results - you will be sent these from Paston College by email to your college email account. When you log on to UCAS Track after 8am you’ll see one of these results
Unconditional your place on the course has been confirmed. This may be your firm or insurance offer, or both.
Unsuccessful you have not been accepted by your universities and you're now eligible to enter Clearing.
Unconditional Changed Course (UCC) you don't have the necessary grades for your offer, but the university has proposed a similar course requiring lower grades. They may also offer an alternative start date, such as deferred entry. You have five days to decide and can discuss the opportunity with the university directly.
I’ve met my firm offer
Well done! If your status on UCAS Track isn’t updated yet, don’t panic – it can sometimes take a while. If it hasn’t been updated by the end of Monday, ring the university and check everything is ok.
UCAS will send you a confirmation letter (known as an AS12).
Don’t call the university to confirm your offer unless they told you to do this in advance – leave the line free for someone who hasn’t met their offer and is worrying.
I’ve missed my firm offer
Universities have been asked to be flexible this year so don’t worry yet. It is still possible your university will accept you. Check your status on UCAS Track – it may say you have been accepted. If UCAS Track still shows your offer as conditional, phone the university and check whether you have been accepted.
If UCAS Track shows you have not been successful, you can still try to phone to see if your university will accept you. Be ready to talk about why you should be accepted and tell them about any mitigating circumstances.
I’ve met my insurance offer
This is a similar situation to meeting your firm offer – you don’t need to do anything at the moment, just wait until your confirmation letter from UCAS arrives.
One thing you will need to do soon is to use the change of circumstances (CO1) form for your student loan, but it’s best to wait for your AS12 letter before doing this.
I’ve missed my insurance offer
Check your status on UCAS Track to see if you’ve been accepted with lower grades – if not, then ring up the university and ask for their decision. If they don’t accept you, you can enter Clearing.
Clearing
Your eligibility for Clearing will show up on your UCAS Track page, where you will find your Clearing Number (universities will need this so that they can access your application) and the 'Add a Clearing Choice' button.
In Clearing, you can contact universities directly to discuss the courses available and whether they will consider your application. You can contact as many universities as you like, and may receive offers from several. Don't feel that you have to accept the first offer that you receive: remember that you will be spending at least three years studying the course, so make sure that the university or college and course are right for you before you accept a place.
Each university will give you with a course code and institution code. When you have decided which offer you want to take up, you must enter the details on Track.
Here to help
If you have any questions about any of this, or you are unsure of what you need to do next, Paston College's advisers and academic staff available to help you. Please contact us via Live Chat on this website or on 01692 402334.