Getting Hired 7 min read Updated 2026-08-06

Clearing Explained: A Practical Guide for Results Day

Results day is here, and you're about to find out whether you've got into your chosen university. If things have gone to plan, great. If they haven't - or if you've changed your mind about what you want to study - there's a process that sounds complicated but actually isn't: Clearing.

Clearing is a way universities fill remaining places on their courses, giving students without offers a second chance to pursue higher education. This guide walks you through exactly how it works and what you need to do on the day.

What Clearing Actually Is

Clearing isn't a backup plan for failures. It's part of the normal university application process. In 2025, over 77,000 students secured their university places through UCAS Clearing. That's not a small number - it's a legitimate route that thousands of people use every year.

Here's what happens: Universities use Clearing as a means of filling remaining places on their courses. These places exist because:

You're not scraping the bottom of the barrel. You're filling spaces that exist.

Who Can Use Clearing?

Clearing is available if you didn't receive any offers, missed your required grades, or applied after 30 June 2026. But there's a fourth category: students who did get offers but want something different. If you get better grades than expected, you can try and find a better course through Clearing.

If you have a firm offer: You're not automatically in Clearing. You need to decide if you want to keep that place or try for something else. Only decline your offer if you've already got a verbal offer from another university (not just interest - a proper offer).

If you have an insurance offer: Similar situation. Your insurance university might accept you with lower grades than expected, which puts you in Clearing if they do.

If you didn't apply yet: Clearing is available if you applied after 30 June 2026. If you're applying to university for the first time through Clearing, you'll follow the same process but start later than other applicants.

Key Dates You Need to Know

Get these in your calendar now:

The important thing: Once A-level results have been released, Clearing spaces at universities can be expected to fill up quickly. The best courses go fast. You need to be ready to move on the day.

What Happens on Results Day - Step by Step

8:00 AM

Schools and colleges will normally release results around 8:00 am, though this varies by institution. Get your results from your school. Collect the actual grades document - you'll need it.

At the same time, UCAS receives your A-level results directly and will update UCAS Hub accordingly - typically around 8am. Log into your UCAS Hub to see if your firm or insurance choice has accepted you, but don't expect it to be instant - the system will be busy.

9:00 AM onwards

This is when universities' phone lines open. As soon as you get your A-level results, you can start contacting universities about Clearing courses that interest you. While you can only receive a verbal course offer at this point, as your choice can't be added until 1pm, being proactive can pay off in the long run.

1:00 PM

You can add a Clearing choice using UCAS Hub from 1pm. This is when your verbal offer becomes officially registered in the system.

How to Actually Get a Place Through Clearing

Here's the practical bit. This is what you do:

Step 1: Know Your Clearing Number

You can find your Clearing number in UCAS Hub. Have it written down or on your phone.

Step 2: Search for Courses

Vacancies are displayed in UCAS's search tool, with the majority added on results day. Go to the UCAS search tool and look for courses that interest you. Filter by subject, location, anything that matters to you.

Make a shortlist of 5-10 universities you'd actually like to attend. Having options matters because you might not get through to your first choice.

Step 3: Call the University

Phoning a uni is the most common way to get a Clearing place. Find the university's Clearing hotline number (they publish this on results day) and call.

Always phone the university yourself – you're unlikely to be offered a place if you can't speak for yourself (unless you have a disability that prevents this, of course). This isn't a formality - they want to hear from you, not your parents.

Step 4: Prepare for the Call

Have a few (working) pens and paper next to you, to write down names, phone numbers and times to call back. Keep your notes with what you want to say and your list of numbers nearby.

Have these things ready:

Step 5: What the Call Will Be Like

They'll ask for key stuff such as your UCAS ID, your results and any other qualifications. The uni representative will also check the current status of your UCAS application to make sure you're eligible for Clearing.

They'll ask why you want to study this course, what you've done that's relevant, and basic questions about you. It's not an interview - it's a conversation. They want to know you're genuinely interested and will actually turn up and work.

Step 6: Get a Verbal Offer

If they have a space and think you're a match, they'll offer you a place over the phone. They'll tell you any conditions (usually just "meet your exam results" or "provide qualifications by X date").

By contacting universities earlier in the day, you can arrange an invitation to add a course, so everything is in place when UCAS updates its Clearing option. Remember, you should accept only one verbal offer over the phone.

Step 7: Add to UCAS Hub

Once you have permission from 1pm onwards, log into UCAS Hub and formally add this as your Clearing choice. This makes it official.

Practical Tips That Actually Work

Start early

Places will fill up quickly, so you might want to note this day in your diary and call up universities then. The best courses go in the morning and early afternoon. Don't wait until later in the day hoping for better options.

Have a backup list

You might not get through on your first call, or they might not have your course. Have 5-10 universities ready so you're not scrambling. If you can't get through on the phone, try, try, try again – or try sending an email.

Be realistic about what fills

Most UK universities have courses available in Clearing, but the most popular courses will fill up fast. If you want to study something like Computer Science or Business at a top university, you need to call immediately. Less popular subjects have more places, but that doesn't mean they're worse - it just means less competition.

Consider alternatives

Even top-ranking and Russell Group unis will have places on some Clearing courses – but they do fill up quickly. You can find spaces for all sorts of courses during UCAS Clearing, from popular ones like English Literature or Computer Science, or smaller courses that you haven't considered but would fit your interests.

Be prepared to move fast

Many institutions can provide decisions within hours. When they offer you a place, you need to decide quickly. Don't say yes to one and then keep calling around hoping for something better - you'll lose the first offer.

What Happens After You've Added a Clearing Choice

Once you've formally added a Clearing choice to UCAS Hub, your status changes from "pending" to "confirmed." You're now a student with a university place for September.

What's next:

Accommodation

Accommodation is often the most time-sensitive next step. Universities sometimes hold a small block of rooms for Clearing students, but the main allocation has already happened. Apply for accommodation the same day you confirm your Clearing place, or contact the university's accommodation office to discuss options.

Student finance

Update your Student Finance application with your new university if it's different from your original choice. The deadline is usually in September, but do it early.

Course requirements

Ask the university about any conditions on your offer. Usually these are already met (your grades are enough), but confirm you have everything they need.

Things to Avoid

Don't accept multiple offers

You should accept only one verbal offer over the phone. Once you accept one, you're in Clearing with that university. If you then accept another, you'll have a problem.

Don't turn down a firm offer on the phone without a backup

If you have a firm place and want to try for something better through Clearing, only decline it once you have a verbal offer from somewhere else. Don't leave yourself without a place.

Don't wait too long

This isn't the time to be coy or indecisive. Clearing moves fast. Be ready to act. If you want a place, be ready to say yes immediately.

Don't copy what others do

Clearing works best when you apply for courses you actually want to study, not just whatever's available. You'll be more likely to get in, and you'll be happier once you're there.

If You Didn't Apply to UCAS Yet

If you're applying to university for the first time through Clearing, the process is slightly different:

  1. Register with UCAS (you'll get a Personal ID and Clearing number)
  2. Search for courses through the UCAS Clearing search tool
  3. Contact universities directly and request permission to apply
  4. Once they give permission, add them as a Clearing choice
  5. You can express interest in up to five courses

Contact universities and colleges - see what courses are available and reach out to the universities and colleges you like to check there is space and if they can consider your application. You can express interest in up to five courses and can be contacted directly by universities if they have places.

Beyond University: Other Options

If Clearing doesn't work out or you've decided university isn't for you, you have other routes.

Apprenticeships

A clearing style system for apprenticeships will be introduced, with pilots due to be rolled out later this year. If you're interested in learning on the job while getting paid, this is worth exploring. Apprenticeships aren't just trades anymore - you can do degree apprenticeships in almost any field.

Gap year and reapply next year

You can take a year out, work, travel, volunteer, build your skills, and apply again next year with real grades rather than predictions. Apply in autumn 2026 for 2027 entry. Work experience, a job, or a resit all strengthen the application, and applying with achieved grades often opens doors that predicted grades didn't.

Work and train on the job

You don't need university to have a career. Many employers offer training programmes for school leavers that are as valuable as a degree. Check Step Into Jobs for entry-level opportunities that offer training.

The Bottom Line

Clearing isn't Plan B. It's Plan A for thousands of students every year. It's how you get a second (or third, or fourth) chance at finding the right course at the right university.

Results day feels like everything, but it's really just one day. What matters is what you do in the hours and days that follow. Be prepared, be ready to move fast, and be honest about what you actually want to study.

You've got this.

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