How Ucas Hub works on results day

When results day rolls around, you'll probably be itching to get onto Ucas Hub and check your university offers. 

Here’s the lowdown on when to log in and what it all means.

What time will Ucas Hub update with offers on results day?

Ucas Hub will start updating from around 8.15am for A-level students on their results day – 15 August 2024.

• Read more: here's what to expect on A-level results day

In the days leading up to results day, Ucas Hub is locked, meaning you won't be able to change anything on your application during this time period. If you did need to make any tweaks, you'd have to get in touch with Ucas directly. 

Once Ucas Hub comes back online on results day, you'll be able to see how how your university application has progressed. 

Should I check Ucas Hub before I collect my results?

Whether you decide to check your Hub before collecting your results is up to you. Assuming that your universities have made a decision in your case and have sent this on to Ucas, Hub can only show you if you have been accepted by your firm or insurance choice. It will not show you your grades.

If you do take a look before getting your results, you're likely to come across one of the following scenarios: 

• You might have a confirmed place at your firm. This could mean you've achieved the grades you needed for your offer - but not necessarily... Universities often accept students who have missed their offer by one or even two grades.
• You might have missed out on your firm but got into your insurance
• You might have been unsuccessful for both choices, so that you are now in Clearing.
• Perhaps the most frustrating option is that you find nothing has changed or only your insurance offer has been updated. This leaves you in limbo until you can get hold of your results and start ringing unis to find out why your place hasn't been confirmed.
• Finally (and less commonly) you might have been offered a place at your firm but for a different course. This would normally be because you missed your main offer, and the university has a place available on a related course. You don't have to accept this alternative. 

Check out our nine quick tips to get you ready for A-level and Btec results day.

Why would my Ucas Hub not be updated on results day?

If your Hub shows no change, the main reasons for this will be:

• Your firm and insurance universities haven't decided on your application yet or haven't told Ucas their decision yet.
• Some of your results are missing and/or cannot be matched up with your Ucas application details.

In any case, you will need to be ready to contact the universities directly once you have your results to hand, if you have not met your offer. 
 
Don't forget that if your offer is also conditional upon a GCSE grade, your Hub will not update until GCSE results day on 22 August. Remember too that you need to send the GCSE result(s) directly to the unis as soon as possible; Ucas won't do this for you.

• Read more: find out what to expect on GCSE results day

What words will Ucas Hub use?

Your status on Ucas Hub will change depending on your results and the university's decision. 

• If your status changes to Congratulations - you've been placed at your firm choice [name of university] to study [name of course]! it's great news. This means that you have definitely been accepted and have a place at that university. 
• If your status changes to Congratulations - you've been placed at your insurance choice [name of university] to study [name of course]! - this means you missed the offer for your firm but have achieved a place at your insurance choice university.
• If your status changes to You've not been placed at your firm or insurance choices. You are now in Clearing. it means you did not meet the offers from your firm and insurance universities. In this case, you can use Clearing to find an alternative course.
• If your status changes to Waiting for confirmation. You’re waiting for confirmation of your choices. it means that the university hasn't yet told Ucas whether you've met its conditions and been offered a place.  

Check out our complete guide to finding a university in Clearing. 

• If your status changes to You've been offered a place for a different course at your firm choice [name of university] this means that your firm choice university has made you an offer that's different to what you originally applied for. You'd usually be given this type of offer because you haven't met the conditions, but the university still wants to give you a place. The changed offer could be for a similar course with different requirements or a different start date. With changed offers, you might want to get in touch with the university directly to discuss the details. 

​​​​​​​The message will tell you whether your insurance choice has made you an offer, or has not yet decided on your application. You can choose to

• Accept the revised offer from your firm
• Decline the revised offer from your firm and be placed with your insurance (if they have made you an offer)
• Wait to hear from your insurance before making your decision (if they have not yet made you an offer)
• Decline all offers and go into Clearing

If you find yourself in Clearing or with a changed course offer, read our article on how to make your university course decision.

What results do universities receive?

You can see the full list of qualifications that Ucas receives the results for on the Ucas website here. Ucas forwards on all the results that it receives to the universities over the weekend before results day. 
 
If your qualifications are not on this list, then you'll need to personally inform your university of your result when you receive it.
 
If the results from the exam boards don't match with the details on your Ucas application, it can hold the universities up when they're checking offers and confirming places – an example of this would be if the name on your exam entry and your Ucas application were not exactly the same.