UCAS Undergraduate entry requirements

UCAS Undergraduate entry requirements

Each university sets its own entrance requirements for higher education courses, and these vary widely depending on the subject, the specific course, and the course provider. These requirements include:

• Subjects, and exam grades – usually A levels or equivalent-level qualifications, which are converted into UCAS Tariff points. Most courses will also expect you to have some pre-16 qualifications, such as GCSE English and Maths.
• Your suitability – this includes skills, interests, or experience and can be competitive
• Admissions tests – less common, but check the course requirements to see if you’ll need to sit one.
• An interview – if you’re invited to an interview, UCAS will let you know via Track after you’ve applied, but it might be worth doing some early preparation or putting together a portfolio if required

Understanding qualification, subject, and grade requirements

Many universities and colleges set a combination of entry requirements. Some universities and colleges use UCAS Tariff points in their entry requirements. This is a points total achieved by converting qualifications such as A levels (and many others) into points, making it easier for course providers to compare applicants. You can check these requirements on this link:

What if I don’t have the right qualifications?

Don’t worry – if you do not have these qualifications, relevant experience, skills, and aptitudes may still be considered. Just ask your chosen universities and colleges whether you can meet the entry requirements in a different way.

You could get accreditation for life and work experience:

• Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is essentially credit awarded for wider learning evidenced from self-directed study, work, or training.
• Accreditation Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) is an extension of APL that includes assessed learning gained from life and work experience.