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UCAS points

Find out what UCAS points (also known as UCAS Tariff points) are, how they're calculated, and why. Use our tables to work out your own score.

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CONTENTS

  1. About UCAS points

  2. UCAS points A Level

  3. UCAS points Scottish Highers

  4. UCAS points Welsh Baccalaureate 

  5. UCAS points International Baccalaureate

  6. UCAS points BTEC

  7. How are UCAS points converted into Entry Standards?

About UCAS points

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

The UCAS Tariff assigns a numerical score to the possible grades that can be achieved in each type of qualification. The higher the grade you achieve, the higher the number of points you'll receive.

Why are UCAS points important?

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

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

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

What are my grades in UCAS points?

Use the tables below to calculate how your qualifications are converted into UCAS points.

UCAS points A Level

Use the following to see how your AS and A Level grades are converted into UCAS points. 

Please note: The AS score and A2 score for a single subject cannot be combined, you must calculate for your final grade at A2 level. 

AS Level UCAS points
A 20
B 16
C 12
D 10
E 6

 

A Level UCAS points
 A* 56
A 48
B 40
C 32
D 24
E 16

UCAS points Scottish Highers

Use the following to see how your Scottish Highers are converted into UCAS points.

Please note: The Higher score and Advanced Higher score for a single subject cannot be combined, you must calculate for your final grade at Advanced level. 

Scottish Higher UCAS points
A 33
B 27
C 21
D 15

Use the following to see how your Scottish Advanced Highers are converted into UCAS points:

Scottish Advanced Higher UCAS points
A 56
B 48
C 40
D 32

UCAS points Welsh Baccalaureate 

Use the following to see how your Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate is converted into UCAS points:

Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate UCAS Points
 A* 56
A 48
B 40
C 32
D 24
E 16

UCAS points International Baccalaureate

Use the following to see how your International Baccalaureate is converted into UCAS points:

International Baccalaureate UCAS Points
H7 56
H6 48
H5 32
H4 24
H3 12
H2 0
H1 0

UCAS points BTEC

There are many different types of BTEC. The table below gives scores for the most popular – Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma.

For different qualifications please visit the UCAS Tariff calculator.

BTEC Level 3 National Diploma UCAS points
D*D* 112
D*D 104
DD 96
DM 80
MM 64
MP 48
PP 32

How are UCAS points converted into Entry Standards?

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's the average of the total number of points held by new undergraduate students entering the university.

We believe this method to be more of an accurate reflection of the university than the average entry requirements. Two universities may have similar entry requirements, but the students taking the places may well have exceeded those requirements. Our table better reflects the university’s academic standards because of this.

Note

  • Not all qualifications gain UCAS Tariff points, but this doesn't necessarily mean a university won't consider your application
  • Not all universities or courses use Tariff points to calculate their offers or admit students, but all universities will record and report their UCAS Tariff on entry to generate government data and the league tables
  • Tariff points only count for the highest level of qualification. This means the AS score and A2 score for a single subject cannot be combined. The same applies to other types of qualification e.g. Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers
  • The 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 points 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). Contact the university and ask if in doubt.

You can find a complete list of Tariff tables and more information on the UCAS website.

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