Article - What is the UCAS tariff, and what is it used for? PhonyDiploma

What is the UCAS tariff, and what is it used for? It is a points system used to report achievement for entry to higher education (HE) in a numerical format. It establishes agreed equivalences between different types of qualifications.

UCAS Tariff 2017

From September 2017, many schools, colleges and high education institutions will be observing the new UCAS points system. However, until around 2020, graduates won't have experienced this new UCAS system at their further education place of study, so they may still use the old system. As such we have presented both old and new for comparison.

Below we have provided a comparison between old and new points system for individual awards, and further down the page is a more detailed overview.

A Level

AS Level

BTEC Diploma

BTEC Extended Diploma

How Does the Tariff Work?

• Points can be aggregated from the different qualification included in the Tariff
• There is no ceiling to the number of points which can be accumulated.
• There is no double counting - applicants cannot count the same or similar qualification twice.
• Achievement at a lower level, i.e. AS points, will be subsumed into the A level points for the same subject. The same principle applies to the Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, VCE A levels and Double Awards, Key Skills and Music awards at different levels or grades.
• All certificated Key Skills in Application of Number, Communication and IT will attract points whether achieved through proxy or not.

How is the tariff used?

The tariff is a facility offered to universities and higher education colleges to assist in expressing entrance requirements and making conditional offers to students. It reports achievement to higher education institutions as points score across a range of qualifications and provide a tool for university admissions officers and employers to make broad comparisons between different types of achievement. This enables both parties to make flexible conditional offers for course acceptance or to sift applications for a particular role. Entry requirements or job application criteria expressed as a points score may also specify a minimum level of depth and/or achievement in specified subjects. Offers or vacancy requirements may still specify:

• A minimum amount of depth, e.g. 2 A levels.
• Required specific subjects, e.g. mathematics.
• Required grade or points score in a specific subject or qualification.

The new UCAS tariff in detail