Open College
UCAS Clearing

Put simply, UCAS clearing is a way for students who don’t have an offer of a place or who didn’t get the grades they needed for a place to still go to Uni. Once all results are released, students will know whether or not their place at University is secured, if they don’t have sufficient UCAS points from their A-Level grades, then they will enter clearing.

Universities use clearing as a way to fill places on Degree courses, so there is usually a wide range of both subjects and available universities for students to apply to. The UCAS clearing system is available from July until October, so there is plenty of time for students to browse through all the available places and make informed decisions on where they would like to study.

Is getting on a Degree Course through UCAS Clearing bad?

It may feel like you have failed not getting the grades you needed. But failing to achieve your grades for your first choice of course may not be a bad thing. Opting to study an alternate Degree found through clearing can sometimes work out amazingly! Often students are surprised at the options available and find themselves enjoying their new Degree course far more than their initial choices.

What do I do if I can’t find a Degree I like through Clearing?

The most important thing is to not panic. If you can’t find an alternate Degree to go on and study, it’s not the end of the world. You just need to have a think about your next steps forward. For some it will be the case of retaking their A-Levels to get better grades and then progress on to Uni later on. For others, it will be a case of entering the workplace or even joining an Apprenticeship.

What Other Options are there?

OK, so if you have had a looking at Clearing and nothing appeals to you, it’s still not the end of the world. You just need to make a plan and stick to it. First, decide if you have had enough of education and want to go out into the professional world. Or if you want to give it another go and retake your A Levels.

Once you have the plan, it’s time to start working out what you need to do to get to your end goal. For example, let’s say you wanted to do Medicine, but didn’t get the grades. But you love the idea of working in Healthcare still. So what are your options?

  • Paramedic
  • Care Assistant
  • Nurse
  • Midwife

All of the above careers can be accessed through professional qualifications. The CACHE Level 3 Award in Health and Social Care is an example of an accepted qualification.

Or if you want to stick with A Levels, then the options are to re-sit or take additional ones. This option is the more lengthy one, but can still be done. Contrary to popular belief, you can re-sit any A Level subject, including:

Does Retaking A Levels take 2 Years?

Thankfully, no. If going through the UCAS Clearing process isn’t an option or doesn’t appeal to you, then you can retake your A Levels instead. Rather than taking a full two years, you can fast track your A Levels and get them done in a year (or less).

So for example, if you get your results inn August and they weren’t want you wanted. Then you can enrol with a learning provider (like Open College) and retake your A Levels in the next examination period. Examinations for A Levels are held in the May/June of each year. So with you already having covered the syllabus, retaking the subject is more than doable in that time frame.

Ready to Retake your A Levels?