About UCAS Points

UCAS Points (also known as the UCAS Tariff) are a way of measuring the relative value of all post-16 qualifications in the UK.

Points are awarded according to the UCAS Tariff, which assigns a numerical score to the possible grades that be can achieved in each type of qualification. As you would expect, the higher the grade you achieve, the higher the number of points.

Why are UCAS Points important?

Some universities and courses will make offers based on the total number of points that you earn.

According to UCAS, two thirds of university courses don't use the Tariff to advertise course requirements, but for those do, it allows greater flexibility over the grade combination needed to meet the requirements.

For example, while a grade-based offer (e.g. ABB) means a student must achieve a certain combination of grades, an offer based on UCAS Points (e.g. 120) allows a student to use any combination of grades to meet the threshold.

How many UCAS Points do I have?

Use the following to calculate how your AS and A Level grades are converted into UCAS Points:

Use the following to calculate how your International Baccalaureate is converted into UCAS Points:

Finally, although there are many different types of BTEC, among the most popular is the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma. Use the following to calculate how this qualification converts into UCAS Points (for a full list of how BTECs convert into UCAS Points, please visit the UCAS website):

Why are the UCAS Points scores in the league tables so high?

The Entry Standards column on our league tables is not a measure of the number of UCAS Points required to get into a university – it is the average of the total number of points held by new undergraduate students at that institution (including any recognised qualifications that students may hold but weren’t needed for entry, such as General Studies A Level, or AS Levels in other subjects).

This method is more telling than simply comparing the average entry requirements, as although two universities may have similar entry requirements, the academic standard of students enrolling may be different.

For example, while Course X at University Y may list grades to the value of 128 points in the entry requirements, many students may exceed this score. The average score of successful applicants to Course X may end up being 140 UCAS Points, but that doesn't change the fact that a student required at least 128 points to apply for the course.

Note:

• Not all qualifications gain tariff points; this does not necessarily mean that a university will not consider your application.
• Not all universities or courses use tariff points. 
• Tariff points only count for the highest level of qualification. This means that the AS score and A2 score for a single subject cannot be combined. The same applies for other types of qualification e.g. Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers.
• Use of tariff points varies between institutions and courses. Some will make offers based on grade and simply reference tariff points, others will make offers based on your tariff point score and students may use any combination of grades to achieve the desired score.
• You must understand the entry requirements for your chosen institution(s) and course(s). If in any doubt, contact the university and ask.

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