You missed your grades
This is the situation Clearing was built for. It is a normal route into a good degree, taken by tens of thousands of students every year — and today is recoverable.
First: do not make any decisions in the first ten minutes. The single most common mistake on results day is acting on the assumption that your place is gone before checking whether it actually is.
Do these four things, in this order
1. Check the UCAS Hub before you call anyone
Your Hub updates on results-day morning independently of your grades. A dropped grade does not automatically mean rejection — universities confirm near-misses all the time, and your Hub may already show your place as confirmed. It may also show an alternative course offer at the same university.
2. If it says unsuccessful, ring your firm choice anyway
Ask two questions: whether they will still consider you, and whether they have a related course they would accept you onto. Departments have discretion, and a direct, polite call from the applicant occasionally changes the answer. Do this before you start on Clearing — it takes five minutes and it is the highest-value call you will make.
3. Then your insurance choice
If your firm is definitely gone, your insurance may confirm automatically. If it does not, the same call applies.
4. Work a Clearing shortlist
Now open Clearing properly. Write down five to ten courses with phone numbers, ordered by preference, and call them in order. Be flexible about the exact course title — a related degree at a university you like usually beats the original title at one you do not.
Widen the search deliberately
- Adjacent subjects. Biomedical science instead of medicine, business economics instead of economics. The first year often overlaps heavily and internal transfers are sometimes possible.
- Foundation years. A four-year degree with an integrated foundation year frequently has places when the three-year version does not, and the entry requirements are lower.
- Different regions. Demand is uneven across the UK. Courses that are full in London may be open in the North East or Wales, and your cost of living drops substantially.
- Joint honours. Combining your subject with a less oversubscribed one opens up places.
What to say on the phone
Give your name, UCAS ID and Clearing number, then your grades subject by subject. Say which course you are calling about and give one real reason you want it. If they say the course is full, ask what else they have in the same department — that question alone finds a lot of places.
Common questions
I missed my grades by one mark. Will my firm choice still take me?
Often, yes. Universities routinely confirm places for applicants who narrowly miss, especially where the course is not oversubscribed. Check the UCAS Hub first — many near-misses are already confirmed there before you have spoken to anyone. If it shows unsuccessful, call the university and ask directly.
Should I ask for a remark before entering Clearing?
Do both at once. A remark can take weeks and Clearing places go in days, so secure a place through Clearing while the remark is in progress. If the remark comes back higher, you can then approach your original university again — though they are not obliged to hold anything for you.
Is a Clearing place worth less than a normal offer?
No. The degree is identical, and vacancies arise from how offers happen to fall in a given year rather than from course quality. Russell Group universities appear in Clearing most years.
What if I do not want to go anywhere in Clearing?
That is a legitimate choice. You can take a year out and reapply in the next cycle with your grades already achieved, which strengthens your application. Resitting, an apprenticeship, or a foundation year are all reasonable routes too.
Clearing 2026 — live
Find the universities worth calling
Search all 140 UK universities by subject, region and entry requirements — or ask our adviser what your grades could get you.