Finding a university place in Ucas Clearing: 10 top tips to help you get ready

Every year, thousands of people find their university place through Clearing. Many of them will have found a place after missing the grades they needed for their firm or insurance choice.

But that's not the only reason for using Clearing. 

You might look for a place in Clearing if you didn't receive any offers from your application, or if you're looking to start an application following the 30 June deadline.

You might also try Clearing if you’ve changed your mind about where you want to study. That might be the case if you end up with much better grades than you were predicted. You could find a Clearing place on a course that had previously seemed out of reach and then turn down your firm offer.

Clearing opens on 5 July every year, but you have to have your exam results in hand before you can get a Clearing offer. So, for a lot of people, A-level and Btec results day (14 August 2025) will be the time from when you're able to accept a place in Clearing.

In this article we'll go through some things you can do to prepare for Clearing ahead of that date, as well as how to get your choice sorted once you know your results.

1. Make shortlists of universities that you might contact in Clearing

Once Clearing opens on 5 July, you can check the Ucas website to see universities with available places. Most courses will be added by then, but bear in mind that some will not be published until the morning of A-level results day.

Being able to access this information means you can work out back-up plans. Find the courses you might consider if your grades end up below your firm and insurance offers.

You might also want a 'best case' plan, for if your grades end up much better than expected (and you think you might want to swap your firm for another university). 

To help with these lists, you might revisit the things you considered important when you made your initial application. Keep a clear idea in your mind of what you're willing to be flexible about and where you don't want to compromise. Try using The Uni Guide's university profiles to get a better idea of what each university is like.

Check each uni's accommodation policies for Clearing applicants. Talk to current students and uni reps on The Student Room. Make some notes covering what you like about each course. You can look back on these later, if you need them - and they'll also be useful for any Clearing calls you might be making.

If you can get together a shortlist of unis to approach in Clearing, you'll be prepared for any outcome ahead of results day. And you might feel a bit more calm while you wait for your results. 

2. Look out for Clearing matches on Ucas Hub

When you log into your Ucas Hub during Clearing, you might see a button called 'See matches'.

This will only show up if you have no offers. So, for example, you would see this on results day if you've missed your firm and insurance. You would also see it on Hub if you're applying directly through Clearing.

Click on the button and you'll get a list of courses available in Clearing that Ucas thinks are a good match for you. If you like, you can then click on any of these options to have the university contact you.

This 'Clearing matches' process (also known as Clearing Plus) is just another way of finding courses in Clearing. You don't have to use it at all: you can just make your own list and phone the universities. Bear in mind, out of all the universities that are in Clearing, not all of them will use Clearing Plus.

3. Get prepared for making Clearing phone calls

Universities offer various ways to get in touch, but Clearing is still mostly done over the phone. Once you've got your results, if you want to get a Clearing place you'll need to ring up the unis that interest you. You'll then get to discuss your options with them.

It's a good idea to prepare for making these calls. Ahead of results day, work out where you can phone from that's quiet and comfortable. On the day, have a drink of water close by just in case you need to clear your throat.

You'll be able to find the contact details you need on the university websites or in the Ucas listings. We pull all of these contacts together in our directory of university phone numbers for Clearing.

On A-level results day, it's only possible to add a Clearing choice from 1pm onwards - so you've got all morning to phone around and speak to people. So take your time with making those calls and make sure you get all the information you need before making any decisions.

4. Have your details to hand

There are various things you might need when you're phoning up universities in Clearing. Here's a checklist to help you be ready.

• The phone number for the university and your own contact details
• Your Clearing number from Ucas Hub (if you're eligible for Clearing, this will show under 'Application status')
• Your A-level, AS-level, GCSE and equivalent results
• Your personal statement from your Ucas application
• Your log-in details for Hub
• Your notes on the course and university and any answers you’ve planned to questions they might ask
• Any questions you want to ask them
• If you've called the university before, the name and details of whoever you’ve spoken to.

5. Have some questions to ask each university

When you phone up a uni in Clearing, they'll ask you a few questions to see if you're right for their university. It's not a one-way conversation. You can (and should!) ask a few questions back, to help you work out if they’re the right choice for you. 

You'll probably find lots of information is covered on the university's website, but there might be something you want to double-check or that you can't find. For instance, you might ask whether the accommodation and bursaries you’ll have access to are affected by you being a Clearing applicant, as this can vary from university to university.

You might also want to ask about open days and opportunities to visit the university so that you can have a look around, or find out if there's any further information they can share.

Just be sure to ask any questions that will help you make an informed decision. The person you're talking to is there to help. 

6. Make the Clearing call yourself

Even if you might want to, you can't outsource your Clearing phone calls. Nobody else, not your teachers nor your parents, can do this for you because the university is only allowed to talk about your application with you.

You might feel a bit nervous about phoning, but remember universities are friendly and want to help. The university staff you speak to about Clearing places will even have had specific training to help you feel at ease during the call.

Make sure you have your notes about why you want to study the course with you, as well as a copy of your personal statement. These will help you remember what you want to say. Show them how enthusiastic you are about the course and the university. If you get flustered at any point, just take a deep breath and start again.

Remember to stay positive and focus on your strengths, rather than talking about things you didn’t do so well on.

7. Make notes during the Clearing call

Have a pen and paper handy to make notes as you go, otherwise you may forget what the person is telling you.

This will also help keep you grounded and focused if you're feeling a bit anxious. If you're making a lot of phone calls, it can be really easy to get confused or forget something important.

It’s a good idea to write down job titles, names, dates and times as well as a summary of what you said and what they said. These details will be useful if you end up needing to get back in touch with the person you spoke to on the call. 

8. Ask for email confirmation

If the university decides to give you a verbal offer, ask them to send you an email with confirmation of their offer and how long it stands for.

Having it written down in an email will leave no room for confusion, and will mean you have evidence of the offer just in case there are any problems later on with your Clearing choice not being accepted by the university.

9. Be persistent and flexible

If you don't get an offer from the first university you call, stay positive and move onto the next. Even if you do get an offer, you can keep calling universities and getting more offers before deciding which one to add as your Clearing choice on Ucas Hub.

Things can change quickly in Clearing and, even if a university wasn't interested in you initially, there’s no harm in trying again if it still has free places a few days later. And if you end up on a reserve list, keep in touch with the university about it so they know you’re still interested.

You’re more likely to be successful at finding a place in Clearing if you’re flexible and willing to consider similar courses to the one you originally applied for. Courses can have different names but very similar content - dig around a bit and check the course content carefully.

10. Add a Clearing choice within the allotted time

You can only enter a Clearing choice on Hub after 1pm on A-level results day (14 August 2025). Most universities will give you a time period that their offer will be valid for, typically around 12 to 48 hours. If you enter a Clearing choice after this period has passed then the university may reject you.

It’s really important that you only enter a Clearing choice on Hub once you’ve spoken to the university and they’ve provisionally offered you a place on the course. If you enter a Clearing choice without discussing it with the university, they may take a while to reject you and this can slow down your application and waste valuable time while other Clearing places get taken up.

For more information about Clearing, head over to our Clearing and results day section. On The Student Room, you can find discussions about all aspects of Clearing and university applications in general.