Results Day
Clearing Points Checker
Did you get in — and if not, what do your points reach? Enter your grades and what your firm and insurance offers asked for. You get an outcome, the points gap if there is one, and an honest picture of the Clearing band you are in.
This compares points, and most offers are written in grades. ABB usually means those grades, not merely 128 points. Treat the result as where you stand, then ring the university — in Clearing the phone call decides, not the arithmetic.
112 UCAS points
You have met your insurance offer
You missed the firm choice but hold the insurance. That is a confirmed place, not Clearing. Ring the firm choice anyway if it was close — universities confirm near-misses more often than students expect.
What 112 points reaches: Middle
Roughly equivalent to BCC to BBB
The most heavily stocked part of Clearing. Almost every subject is available somewhere, and courses that asked for more in the spring frequently accept here in August.
Clearing stock changes by the hour and only the official UCAS search shows what is genuinely open. Use this to know where you stand before you dial, not instead of the search.
The full points bands
| Points | Grades | Band |
|---|---|---|
| 152+ | A*AA and above | Highest tariff |
| 136–151 | AAB to A*AB | High tariff |
| 120–135 | BBB to ABB | Upper middle |
| 104–119 | BCC to BBB | Middle |
| 80–103 | CCD to CCC | Lower middle |
| 0–79 | Below CCD | Foundation and alternative routes |
Thinking about a resit year?
We will email you an honest comparison of resitting, a foundation year and taking the Clearing place — with what each costs in time and money.
We never sell your details, and we do not send marketing to students.
Missing your firm offer is not the same as being in Clearing
This is the mistake that sends students into a panicked Clearing search while they still hold a place. The order is fixed: your firm choice is considered first, your insurance second, and only if both are missed do you enter Clearing. The checker above follows that order rather than jumping to Clearing on a missed firm.
It is also worth waiting. Universities confirm places for students who narrowly missed far more often than results-day coverage suggests, and UCAS Hub shows the decision within hours. Ring the firm choice before you give up on it.
What the points bands actually mean
112 points — BBC — sits in the most heavily stocked part of Clearing, where almost every subject is available somewhere. Between 120 and 136 most established universities list something, and courses that asked for more in the spring routinely accept less in August. Above 152, high-tariff providers do enter Clearing but with few places that go within hours.
Below 80 points the honest answer is a degree with an integrated foundation year, which leads to exactly the same degree with nothing on the certificate to distinguish it — or a degree apprenticeship, which is paid. Neither is a consolation prize.
Before results day
If you are reading this before August, the useful version of this tool is the UCAS points calculator, which covers all thirteen qualification types rather than A levels alone, and the study planner for closing a gap while there is still time to close it. A grade is far cheaper to gain in March than to argue for in August.
Frequently asked questions
How many UCAS points do I need for Clearing?
There is no single number — Clearing requirements are set course by course and change through the day as places fill. As a guide, 112 points (BBC) opens the widest part of Clearing, 120 to 136 (BBB to AAB) reaches most established universities, and below 80 the usual route is a degree with an integrated foundation year. Always check the live UCAS search for what is actually open right now.
I missed my firm offer. Am I automatically in Clearing?
No. Your insurance choice is considered next, and if you meet its requirement you are placed there. You only enter Clearing if both are missed. It is also worth waiting a few hours before assuming anything — universities frequently confirm places for students who narrowly missed, and UCAS Hub will show the decision.
Do universities accept UCAS points instead of specific grades?
Some do, many do not. A course asking for ABB usually means those grades, not merely 128 points — BBB plus an EPQ can total the same and still be refused. Points are a good way to compare where you stand; the course's own wording is what decides. If your points match but your grades do not, ring and ask, because in Clearing the answer is often yes.
Should I ring the university or apply online?
Ring, on results day, yourself. Clearing places are offered on the phone and the person on the line has discretion that the online form does not. Have your UCAS ID, your grades and two or three course choices ready before you dial. A parent ringing on a student's behalf is usually not permitted to accept a place.
Is a foundation year a worse degree?
No. An integrated foundation year adds a year at the start and leads to exactly the same degree, awarded identically, with nothing on the certificate to distinguish it. It is a common route for students who missed grades or changed subject late, and it is often available at universities whose direct entry you missed.
Can I go through Clearing if I want to change my mind, not because I missed grades?
Yes. If you have met your offer but want a different course you can release yourself into Clearing from UCAS Hub — but do it only once you have a verbal offer elsewhere, because releasing gives up the place you hold and it cannot be taken back.
Resitting, or starting a foundation year?
Our A-Level tutors work with resit students on the specific papers that cost them the grade. Book a free trial to talk through what is realistic.
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