Year 13: A-level calendar - key dates
If you’re a year 13 student and want to know what to expect during this important year, follow our simple termly planners to make sure you’re thinking about the right thing at the right time.
Skip to:
Here's what's happening in the autumn term:
5 September 2023: you can submit your completed Ucas application for 2024 university entry from this date, although the deadline isn't until January.
September-November 2023: now is a good time to start researching universities and deciding what you want to study. You can use our A-level explorer to see the kind of degrees you could take with your combination of qualifiations.
We also have subject guides and university profiles packed with useful information. On our sister site The Student Room, you can visit specific university forums to see what current students are saying about their uni.
Finally, this article about choosing a university and course has tips to help you make this all-important decision.
September-November 2023: Alongside your research, it's a good idea to start going to university open days around now so you can get a better feel for the university outside of the brochures and other peoples' opinions. Our open day hub has loads of advice for making the most of these visits.
16 October 2023: Ucas application deadline for 2024 entry to Oxbridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
September-December 2023: this is a good time to make a start on the personal statement portion of your Ucas application, which will be due in January.
November-December 2023: if you have mock exams in December or January, set aside some time to revise for them.
In between studies, it’s important to take steps towards your university journey. There is plenty to think about this term: student accommodation, applying for student finance, scholarships and bursaries and how to reply to your uni offers, as well as what to do if asked to attend an interview for a university course.
Find out when you should be thinking about making these steps:
31 January 2024: deadline for submitting your Ucas application. Worried you might miss it? These are your options if you don't get your application in by then.
January-April 2024: start applying for student finance. Here's how the whole thing works.
January-April 2024: research scholarships and bursaries to find out what extra funding might be available to you.
February-April 2024: you may start to receive offers or invitations to interviews. Check if you need to reply by a certain date.
28 February 2024: Ucas Extra opens from now until 4 July – use it to pick an extra Ucas choice if you haven't received any offers.
March-April 2024: browse university accommodation and apply for your preferred halls.
April 2024: create a revision timetable for your exams and get some revision tips from top students.
This planner will guide you through when exams begin, when to expect your results and what to do if they do or don’t go to plan. Good luck!
Here are some essential links below to help you:
May 2024: you may still be hearing back from universities with offers and invitations to interview. If you submitted your application by 31 January, the deadline for universities to reply with their decision is 16 May.
May-July 2024: A-level exams will likely run within this time period. The Student Room has loads of expert revision advice, as well as a study help forum where you can see tips other students are sharing.
May-August 2024: if you haven't already, pick your university accommodation, apply for student finance and research scholarships and bursaries.
5 July 2024: Clearing opens, although the majority of vacancies will be published on or around A-level results day.
5 July 2024: IB results day.
6 August 2024: SQA results day.
15 August 2024: Btec results day and A-level results day.
August 2024: start preparing to head off to university. The Student Room has a packing checklist, to help make sure you don't forget any essentials.
Autumn term: what to expect, and when
There’s a lot to get through this term and you'll have big decisions to make, including what course to study and where to apply.Here's what's happening in the autumn term:
September-November 2023: now is a good time to start researching universities and deciding what you want to study. You can use our A-level explorer to see the kind of degrees you could take with your combination of qualifiations.
We also have subject guides and university profiles packed with useful information. On our sister site The Student Room, you can visit specific university forums to see what current students are saying about their uni.
Finally, this article about choosing a university and course has tips to help you make this all-important decision.
September-November 2023: Alongside your research, it's a good idea to start going to university open days around now so you can get a better feel for the university outside of the brochures and other peoples' opinions. Our open day hub has loads of advice for making the most of these visits.
16 October 2023: Ucas application deadline for 2024 entry to Oxbridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
September-December 2023: this is a good time to make a start on the personal statement portion of your Ucas application, which will be due in January.
November-December 2023: if you have mock exams in December or January, set aside some time to revise for them.
Spring term: what to expect, and when
It’s the second term of year 13, and the Ucas deadline is looming early on in the year, but what should you be thinking about after 31 January?In between studies, it’s important to take steps towards your university journey. There is plenty to think about this term: student accommodation, applying for student finance, scholarships and bursaries and how to reply to your uni offers, as well as what to do if asked to attend an interview for a university course.
Find out when you should be thinking about making these steps:
31 January 2024: deadline for submitting your Ucas application. Worried you might miss it? These are your options if you don't get your application in by then.
January-April 2024: start applying for student finance. Here's how the whole thing works.
January-April 2024: research scholarships and bursaries to find out what extra funding might be available to you.
February-April 2024: you may start to receive offers or invitations to interviews. Check if you need to reply by a certain date.
28 February 2024: Ucas Extra opens from now until 4 July – use it to pick an extra Ucas choice if you haven't received any offers.
March-April 2024: browse university accommodation and apply for your preferred halls.
April 2024: create a revision timetable for your exams and get some revision tips from top students.
Summer term: what to expect, and when
It’s the big one. As well as revising for your final exams, there are many other things you may want to think about this term. You might also want to explore some matters in more detail that you have already looked into during the spring term, such as student finance and accommodation.This planner will guide you through when exams begin, when to expect your results and what to do if they do or don’t go to plan. Good luck!
Here are some essential links below to help you:
May 2024: you may still be hearing back from universities with offers and invitations to interview. If you submitted your application by 31 January, the deadline for universities to reply with their decision is 16 May.
May-July 2024: A-level exams will likely run within this time period. The Student Room has loads of expert revision advice, as well as a study help forum where you can see tips other students are sharing.
May-August 2024: if you haven't already, pick your university accommodation, apply for student finance and research scholarships and bursaries.
5 July 2024: Clearing opens, although the majority of vacancies will be published on or around A-level results day.
5 July 2024: IB results day.
6 August 2024: SQA results day.
15 August 2024: Btec results day and A-level results day.
August 2024: start preparing to head off to university. The Student Room has a packing checklist, to help make sure you don't forget any essentials.
