Written from my experience as Principal of Westminster Tutors Independent Sixth Form College, where every August we speak to families making this decision under time pressure.
Finding yourself in UCAS Clearing on A level results day is unsettling. A student may have opened results lower than expected, discovered that their firm and insurance universities have both declined them, or simply decided that their original choice is no longer right.
The most important principle is that Clearing is a strategic process, not a panic decision. Students do not have to accept the first university that expresses an interest. They can research courses, contact several institutions, gather multiple informal offers, compare them, and only then enter a choice into UCAS.
For students receiving results on Thursday 13 August 2026, there is a deliberate gap in the morning before a Clearing choice can be added. Eligible applicants can add a Clearing choice on UCAS Hub from 13:00 UK time. Those hours are not dead time. They are the window in which the whole decision gets made properly.
The golden rule: Research first. Contact universities second. Gather offers. Compare them carefully. Enter a Clearing choice into UCAS only when you are ready to accept it.
What Clearing Is and How It Works
Clearing is the official UCAS system that lets universities fill remaining course vacancies while giving students a structured route onto degree programmes.
For the 2026 cycle, Clearing opened on 2 July 2026 for students who already had their final results, reopened fully for A level results on 13 August 2026, and remains open until 19 October 2026.
Who Is Eligible
A student can use Clearing if they:
- Missed the grade conditions for both their firm and insurance conditional offers
- Received no offers, or declined all the offers they received
- Applied to UCAS after the 30 June deadline
- Used the "Decline my place" feature to self-release from a confirmed place
The Six Step Roadmap
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Check status | Log into UCAS Hub on results day morning to see your official position |
| 2. Get your Clearing number | Shown on the Hub dashboard if you are eligible |
| 3. Search vacancies | Use the official UCAS search tool to build a realistic shortlist |
| 4. Call universities | The student speaks to admissions teams and gathers verbal offers |
| 5. Compare offers | Weigh modules, location, accommodation and offer deadlines |
| 6. Add your choice | Enter ONE formal Clearing choice on UCAS Hub after 13:00 |
Three Things Families Get Wrong
An online enquiry is not an offer
Submitting a Clearing enquiry form or using a web chat tool does not mean a place has been offered. A university must explicitly say it is making an offer in principle, sometimes called a verbal or informal offer. Only when a university gives clear permission to add the course should the student enter it on UCAS Hub.
Every year we meet students who added a choice on the strength of an automated "thanks for your interest" email and then found themselves holding nothing.
The student must make the call
Universities want to speak to the applicant, not a parent, teacher or guardian. Admissions tutors are assessing whether the student understands the subject, has genuine motivation, and meets the entry criteria. Parents can manage logistics and notes. The student leads the conversation.
You can hold several informal offers at once
Students can speak to several universities and hold multiple verbal offers simultaneously. But only ONE official Clearing choice can be entered on UCAS Hub at a time. Gather widely, commit once.
Before You Call: The Checklist
Have all of this in one place before the first call:
- 10 digit UCAS Personal ID
- Official UCAS Clearing number
- Exact A level, AS level and GCSE grades, plus total UCAS Tariff points
- Specific course codes and titles being targeted
- Two or three bullet points on why this course, at this university
- Notepad and pen for names, reference numbers and offer deadlines
Keep a simple log for each call: university, course title and code, who you spoke to and when, the outcome, and when any offer expires. By the fourth call, memory alone will not do it.
What to Say on the Call
Stay calm, polite and direct. A workable opening:
"Hello, my name is [full name]. My UCAS Personal ID is [ID] and my Clearing number is [number]. I achieved [grades, for example ABB in Maths, Physics and Chemistry], and I am very interested in your [course name]. I am calling to ask if you would consider me for a place."
Then ask the questions that actually decide things:
- Can you make me an informal offer for this course based on my results?
- If this course is full, do you have related or flexible entry programmes?
- How long will this verbal offer remain valid?
- Does the offer include university managed accommodation for Clearing students?
That last question matters more than students expect. A place without accommodation in a city you do not know is a different proposition from the one you thought you were accepting.
Key Dates for 2026
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2 July 2026 | Clearing opens for applicants who already hold final results |
| 13 August 2026, 08:00 | A level results day. UCAS Hub shows firm and insurance decisions |
| 13 August 2026, 13:00 | Eligible applicants can start adding a Clearing choice |
| 19 October 2026 | Final deadline to add a Clearing choice for 2026 entry |
Our fuller A level results day 2026 guide covers the rest of the morning, including what the Hub is telling you before you have your grade breakdown.
Awkward Situations
The phone lines are engaged
Admissions lines peak between 08:00 and 11:00. Keep redialling while working through alternatives, or use online Clearing portals where they exist. Do not abandon a preferred choice simply because a different university answered first.
You are waiting on a priority review of marking
If you have requested a priority review through the post-results services run by the exam boards, tell your firm and insurance universities immediately. Universities are not obliged to hold places while a review is processed. Secure informal Clearing offers as a backup while you wait.
You want to release yourself from a confirmed place
If you hold an unconditional firm place but want to change universities, "Decline my place" on UCAS Hub will release you.
This is irreversible. It cancels the place, the accommodation and the funding arrangements in one action. Only use it when an alternative offer is already secured.
Five Mistakes to Avoid on the Day
- Confusing an online contact form with an actual offer
- Letting a parent or teacher speak on the phone instead of the student
- Adding a Clearing choice before receiving explicit permission
- Rushing to accept the first offer without comparing alternatives
- Using "Decline my place" speculatively, before anything else is secured
What Parents Should Actually Do
The most useful parents on results day are doing background work, not decision making.
- Research and admin: search the UCAS vacancy list, track alternative course codes
- Records: maintain the call log, write down names and offer deadlines
- Logistics: look up accommodation, travel links and campus locations
- Wellbeing: make sure they eat, take breaks, and do not decide anything at speed
The framework in our parent's guide to choosing a sixth form transfers well to a results morning: your job is to widen the options and slow the decision down.
When None of the Options Are Right
Accepting a compromise degree through Clearing is not always the best long term choice, and I would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise.
If the grades genuinely do not reflect what a student is capable of, and the courses available in Clearing require giving up the subject or the career they actually want, retaking is a legitimate strategy rather than a failure. A year at a private sixth form college or tutorial college allows a student to address specific gaps, apply with results in hand rather than predictions, and target the universities they were originally aiming at.
It is not the right answer for everyone. It costs a year and it costs fees. But a rushed Clearing decision made at 09:15 on a Thursday morning can cost three.
If you want to understand that route properly before ruling it either way, start with our guide to A level retakes, or the London specific overview if you are in the capital. You can also browse colleges or compare them side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many choices can I enter into Clearing at once?
One. Once entered, the university must accept or decline it before you can add a different one.
Can I accept more than one Clearing offer?
You can collect multiple informal offers by phone, but you can only formally accept one by entering it on UCAS Hub.
Are entry requirements lower in Clearing?
Often, yes. Many universities reduce published grade requirements to fill remaining places. It varies by course demand, so treat any published figure as a starting point rather than a promise.
My UCAS Hub still says "conditional". Have I been rejected?
No. A delay usually means the university is still reviewing applications or waiting on exam board confirmation. Call their admissions team before assuming anything and before entering Clearing.
What if I am unhappy with every Clearing option?
You do not have to accept an unsuitable place. If the available options mean compromising on course quality or career direction, a year retaking and reapplying with results in hand is a defensible choice, not a fallback.
Where is the official guidance?
UCAS publishes the vacancy search and the full mechanics on its official Clearing page. Priority reviews of marking are handled through your school or college under the exam boards' post-results services.
The Short Version
Clearing rewards students who treat it as a research exercise with a deadline, rather than a race that starts at 08:00. Use the morning. Make the calls yourself. Gather more than one offer. Add a choice only when you are ready to accept it.
And if nothing on the list is right, say so out loud before 13:00 rather than after.
