TheParagon-Education

Ucas: 0371 468 0 468

Staff will not advise on course choices, but are great at sorting out queries on the technicalities of Clearing or if you're having any issues using Hub. Make sure you have your Ucas ID number ready before you call. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm. They half-an-hour earlier, at 8am, on A-level results day.

National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline: 0800 100 900

This government-funded helpline provides free advice for anyone whose exam results weren't as good as they'd expected. It's open from A-level results day until a week after GCSE results day.

Social media
Ucas is active on its X page (@Ucas_Online) and on the Ucas Facebook page. Ucas recommends either those social media channels or the phone number listed above as the best way to get in contact.

How many universities can I apply to?
You can talk to as many unis as you like and receive multiple offers over the phone. Clearing choices can only be added from 1pm on A-level results day, so you have time to keep ringing around even after you have your first offer.

Phone up other universities you like and try to get offers from those too, then decide which to take up later. Whenever you get an offer, be sure to check on the deadline for accepting it.

You can only add one Clearing choice on your Hub. Take care not to add a Clearing choice on your Hub before a university makes you an offer by phone or email. If you eventually get rejected, you won't be able to apply anywhere else until they confirm the rejection with Ucas.

Do universities accept lower grades through Clearing?
Some universities will lower the entry requirements for courses in Clearing, but many won't. It depends on all sorts of things, such as the subjects they are offering, how many places are still available, or whether there are minimum subject requirements for a specific course.

Unless a university has specifically published lower entry requirements for a course, it's safest to assume that you still need to meet the entry requirements given on the university website and prospectus. When you phone up, you can ask to confirm.

You've got your place, what next?
Once you’ve found a place through Clearing, the next challenge is sorting your university accommodation. While universities do their best to house all first year students in university halls, there are other options if you don't get a place.

Check out our guides on private halls, rentals and living at home to help you make a choice you'll be happy with. Oh, and don't forget to update your student finance when everything's sorted

Where to go for help with Clearing

The Student Room
We've got a dedicated discussion area for Applications, Clearing and Ucas on The Student Room. Check the discussions at the top for summary explainers of all things results day. This part of The Student Room is run by Ucas-trained advisers, and you can post your own questions here. So you can quickly get expert help on your own specific situation.

Helplines
There are a couple of key helplines, one from Ucas, the other from National Careers Service.