UCAS Tariff
What is the UCAS Tariff?
The UCAS tariff is used for allocating points to any qualifications used to enter higher education, and allows you to use a range of qualifications to obtain a place on an undergraduate course.
It enables universities and colleges to compare applicants with different applications and is often used in entry requirements, although other factors are also taken into consideration.
How is the Tariff used in higher education?
The UCAS Tariff helps universities and colleges make decisions regarding entry requirements to their courses and any conditional offers they make.
Entry requirements and conditional offers that use Tariff points normally require a minimum level of achievement in a specified subject. For example, "300 points to include grade A at A level Mathematics".
How the Tariff is used can vary between departments in any one university or college, and can also depend on the type of programme being supplied.
Students can collect Tariff points from a wide range of qualifications, including BTEC National Award, Key Skills at levels 2, 3 and 4, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. There is no maximum limit to the number of points that can be accumulated.
Although your qualifications may give you Tariff points, it does not automatically mean you will secure a place on your course, as other factors are often taken into consideration.
If your qualifications are not awarded Tariff points, there is still a chance you can get accepted on to your chosen course. Not all universities and colleges use the Tariff when making offers to prospective students, so if you’re not sure whether you will be accepted, contact the relevant university or college for advice before submitting your application.
What qualifications are covered by the UCAS Tariff?
All of the following qualifications are included in the UCAS Tariff:
- AAT Level 3 NVQ in Accounting
- Advanced Diploma (from 2010 entry onwards)
- Advanced Extension Awards
- Advanced Placement Programme
- Asset Languages (from 2010 entry onwards)
- British Horse Society Stage 3 Horse Knowledge & Care, Stage 3 Riding and Preliminary Teacher's Certificate
- BTEC National Early Years
- BTEC National Award, Certificate and Diploma
- CACHE Award, Certificate and Diploma in Child Care and Education
- Cambridge PRE U (from 2010 entry onwards)
- CoPE - Certificate of Personal Effectiveness
- Diploma in Fashion Retail
- Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design, and Art, Design & Media)
- EDI Level 3 Certificates in Accounting and Accounting (IAS)
- Essential Skills and Essential Skills Wales
- Extended Project
- Free-standing Mathematics qualifications
- GCE AS, AS Double Award, A level and Double Award
- Higher Sports Leader Award
- Institute of Financial Services
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Certificate (from 2010 entry onwards)
- Irish Leaving Certificate - Higher and Ordinary levels
- IT Professionals (iPRO) Certificate and Diploma
- Key Skills at Levels 2, 3 and 4
- Music examinations at grades 6, 7 and 8
- OCR Level 3 Certificate, Diploma for iMedia Professionals (iMedia) OCR National Certificate, Diploma and Extended Diploma
- Progression Diploma (from 2010 entry onwards)
- Scottish qualifications
- Speech and Drama examinations at grades 6, 7 and 8 and Performance Studies
- Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma
New qualifications are always being added to the UCAS Tariff, so keep checking the UCAS site for updates if you are studying a course that isn’t on there yet.
How do I find out how many points my qualifications are worth?
To see how many points each of your qualifications are worth, take a look at the UCAS Tariff tables on the UCAS website. They also have a list of FAQs if you want to know more details on the UCAS Tariff.
