Universities will sometimes include Ucas tariff points in their entry requirements. Here's how to work out your points from your predicted grades
By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 27 March 2025 | 6 minutes read
When you're looking at university entry requirements, you might see some that detail how many Ucas points you'll need to get.
These points refer to a system known as the Ucas tariff. This is something used by Ucas to make it simpler for universities to compare applicants who are taking different qualifications.
Each grade for each qualification is given a set amount of points.
It can be useful to know how many Ucas points you're expected to get, especially if you are studying for a range of qualifications together such as Btecs and A-levels. And, when you search for courses on The Uni Guide, you can use your predicted Ucas points as a filter.
What are Ucas points?
Ucas has a points system known as the Ucas tariff.
This assigns a numerical value to all of the grades you could get in a range of popular qualifications. Universities can choose to use Ucas tariff points to compare applications from students taking different qualifications.
University course entry requirements might list how many Ucas points you'll need to be offered a place. Alternatively, when a university comes back to you with an offer it might say how many Ucas points you will need.
This isn't anything extra that you need to do. It's just another way of communicating the grade requirements (eg BBC in A-levels) for that course.
If you know your predicted grades (or you can guess), you can calculate your Ucas points using the tables below. Add them up to find out how many Ucas points you'll obtain.
Bear in mind, not all universities use the Ucas tariff when making offers. And, for those that do, some might limit the number of qualifications that count towards their points requirements. For instance, they might only accept Ucas tariff points from your three highest-graded A-levels.
The IB diploma is achieved by passing each of the required components and achieving a total IB point score of 24 or more. The Ucas tariff points for an IB diploma can be calculated by adding together the points for each of its components.
The EPQ is an independent project and standalone qualification that you can do alongside your main subjects. The grade you get counts towards your Ucas points, with the amount of points equivalent to half an A-level. Universities are often keen to hear about applicants' EPQ study - so it's useful information to add to your personal statement too.
EPQ grade
Ucas points
A*
28
A
24
B
20
C
16
D
12
E
8
The skills that students develop through the Extended Project are directly relevant to and useful for university-level study. Students can refer to the Extended Project in their Ucas personal statements and at interview to demonstrate some of the qualities that universities are looking for.University of Manchester
Extra help with Ucas points
If you can’t find the qualifications you’re taking listed here (there are countless qualifications you can take to get into university!), head to the Ucas tariff points calculator on the Ucas website to see them listed out, along with their equivalent tariff points.
