Every student, even the most confident, who has sat A levels is nervous about A level results day. It is one of those red (or black) letter days, which you’ll remember for the rest of your life as being either one of the happiest or one of the worst. A level results day – everything you need to know.
A level results day – everything you need to know
Times and Dates
This year A level results day is Thursday 17th August. Results can be released by the school at 8am and most schools will be open from this time for students to collect their results, however there is some difference. Some students will have arranged in advance to receive their results via email from the school.
UCAS track
UCAS track will be frozen in the few days leading up to A level results day and will then be updated at 8.15am on A level results day. Your UCAS track will let you know whether you have been successful or not on your firm and insurance offers and will give you one of the following messages:
- Congratulations – you’ve been placed at your firm choice followed by more details. This means that you have got everything that is required for your firm choice offer.
- Congratulations – you’ve been placed at your insurance choice followed by more details. This means that you have got everything required for your insurance offer but not your firm offer.
- You’ve not been placed at your firm or insurance choices. You are now in clearing. This means that you haven’t got the requirements for either your firm or insurance choices and have been placed in clearing.
- Waiting for confirmation. You’re waiting for confirmation of your choices followed by more information. This means that there is a delay to see whether your firm or insurance choices are going to accept you. Perhaps you have dropped a grade or there is technical issue.
- You’ve been offered a place for a different course at your firm choice followed by more information. This means that you haven’t met the requirements for your firm choice but have been offered an alternative course.
- You’ve been offered a place for a different course at your insurance choice followed by more information. This means that you haven’t met the requirements for your firm choice or your insurance choice but have been offered an alternative course at your insurance choice.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER!
You will have to accept or decline your offer. If you want to accept, you have five days to do it. If you want to decline your offer, you might want to look at what is available in clearing first.
Clearing
Clearing is how universities fill their available places. The best analogy I can think of is Boxing Day sales – it can be frantic and stressful but you can also find a gem of a place. If you do your research in advance, it is possible to find exactly what you are looking for. Every year thousands of students find the perfect course for them through clearing. It is available for:
- Students who have missed out on their firm or insurance offer.
- Students who did not receive an offer in their first five choices.
- Students who have changed their mind about which course or university to apply for.
- Students who have achieved higher grades than their offer and wish to change courses.
- Students who applied after the June 30th deadline
For the technical details of how clearing works look up www.ucas.com.
How to prepare for Clearing
- Everyone should have a Plan B. Even the most confident student should have a plan B just to make certain that they want the course they have applied for, or in case they miss out by a grade.
- Take a look in advance at what courses are available already in clearing. Clearing has been open since the beginning of July.
- Make a shortlist of where you would like to contact with phone numbers, and for what courses.
- Get your A level results nice and early so you are ready.
- Have your UCAS ID number ready and the course codes.
- Get some support in the form of your family members or school to help you with phoning universities. Schools do vary considerably in how much support they give their students with clearing. Many are excellent.
- Keep persevering – some universities will take several attempts to get through to .
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER!
- Don’t rush into making a decision. You will not have to accept an offer straightaway. Take a few days to consider your options. You might even want to visit a university.
- Have written confirmation of a place or offer before you decline any place you have received already.
If you are put in Clearing, it can seem like ‘the end of the world’, especially when you had all your expectations on a different university and course. However, every year, thousands of students find the perfect course for them on it, and often it can work out much better.
Thank you for reading our blog, “A level results day – everything you need to know!” Here at www.studentnavigator.co.uk we do offer support for students on A level results day. If you have any questions or require some advice or support please do not hesitate to contact us.