The UCAS Tariff

The UCAS tariff is a way of comparing all the different qualifications that can be used to gain a place on a higher education course.

Click here to download the UCAS Tariff table.

The tariff now takes into account, AS and A2 levels, AVCE (Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education, also known as Vocational A levels), BTEC National Diplomas and Certificates, the CACHE Diploma, Advanced Extension Awards and key skills. Music exam grades 6-8 are now also included in the tariff, as is the Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design). For the full tariff, remember to visit www.ucas.com .

When you start to look in prospectuses and general books such as Degree Course Offers you will see many offers made in the form of a tariff points score. Don’t panic, sit down and make a list of all your subjects and the grades you realistically expect to gain. Some universities will make an offer based on 18 units, whilst others will ask for 21 units.

Check in the prospectus or on the www.ucas.com website and look on the curriculum 2000 qualifications site within the course you are researching.

If you have an AS and an A2 in the same subject, you can only count points from your A2. Similarly, key skills are single unit awards, but if you achieve a higher level, it then replaces the grade received for the lower level unit.

Back to top