Covid-19 has provided students with increased stress and uncertainty for A Level results. Ofqual will base results on:
- How previous students have performed from your school or college in previous years.
- Your past exam performance such as GCSE and other national assessment.
- How previous students performed from your school or college in each subject area.
- Data your school has been asked to provide such as predicted/mock grades and ranking.
Together with your school you can appeal to Ofqual if you think there is an error made with your grade. There will also be the opportunity to re-sit your A Level in October 2020.
Universities are reliant on filling student places to fund the courses they offer. Therefore, if you haven’t got the grades you hoped for don’t panic as there will be an alternative open for you. Even if you do get the grades, you don’t have to accept your offer. You should look at the university Covid-19 statements to make sure your chosen university is offering contact time and social bubbles to continue to get the most out of the experience. If you are not satisfied there may be the opportunity to defer your course to 2021 entry. Without a deferral though, you may find 2021 entry more competitive to apply through UCAS, but it is likely that your school or college will still support you with this process.
Clearing – for universities to offer unfilled course spaces to students.
To enter clearing, you are either not holding any current course offers, or you did not meet the entry requirements for your firm offer. Over 50000 students enter into clearing each year, so please don’t worry if you need to. If you didn’t get the grades you needed for your preferred course you will either:
- Possibly still receive an offer for your chosen course.
- Be offered a “Changed Course Offer” by the same university for a different course – you have 5 days to consider this offer.
- Be entered straight into clearing.
UCAS Track opens at 8am on Thursday 13th August, so make sure you log-in and see if you have an offer from your chosen university. If not, UCAS has a clearing/adjustment search on the website: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/what-clearing and most universities also have their own clearing search pages. Review suitable alternative courses or universities and simply phone, email, or submit an application directly. Most universities also keep back some places for halls of residence places, or at least can help source suitable private housing, so no need to panic about this. Please see below a few tips for using clearing:
- If possible, try to phone the university – it is quicker and you can be offered a place over the phone.
- Have your UCAS number, clearing number and course code for chosen course to hand to speed up arrangements. It is also useful to have access to your personal statement to help support your enquiry.
- Any university will want to speak to you, not a parent/family member/friend/teacher.
- it is most advisable to have fully considered the course and university you are applying for as an alternative, as universities will be hesitant to accept an application if you haven’t considered it carefully as they may see you as likely to drop out.
- Most universities offer open days/afternoons in the clearing process so, if you can, do have a look to see if it is suitable.
- Overall keep calm and don’t rush!
New for 2020 – Clearing Plus
If you find yourself in Clearing this year, UCAS will attempt to match you to courses you may be interested in, using what they know about you from your application, and what universities and colleges are looking for in a student. Look out for the ‘My matches’ icon in UCAS Track to find out more. This will take you to your top 50 course matches. You’ll then be able to tell universities and colleges you’re ‘interested’ in their courses. If they still have vacancies and you meet their entry requirements, they may call you.
Adjustment
If you exceeded your expectations and want a different course with higher entry requirements. You can follow the tips above for clearing to find a suitable course and have up to 5 days to find a course you may prefer. If so, you need to contact your firm offer to be “released” and apply to the new university. Your firm offer is secure while you are searching alternative universities.
Late applications
You can contact a university directly even if you didn’t initially apply to UCAS for university. If you are offered a place by your chosen university you can complete a “record of prior acceptance form” for UCAS at no cost.
Support
Your school or college should be your first source of support. Their staff are highly experienced in supporting students with A Level results year on year. Support is also available through:
- UCAS – https://www.ucas.com/clearing-launch plenty of helpful videos and information about the process.
- National Careers Service – 0800 100 900. A dedicated A Level results service number open from 12th August for help and support as well as information at https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
- Contact universities and colleges of interest directly for advice, support and information.
Alternatives to University
There are now fantastic apprenticeship opportunities including degree and higher apprenticeships. These provide work opportunities, pay and the chance to get qualifications up to degree level and above. Unlike university where all course opportunities are advertised in one place (UCAS), you need to work hard to locate a suitable apprenticeship. This includes searching on key national websites such as https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/, https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/ and https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/, but be prepared to search for specific company websites for opportunities and to contact employers of interest directly for speculative enquiries.