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Work out how many points are awarded to specific qualifications

The UCAS Tariff is the system for allocating points to qualifications used for entry to higher education. It allows students to use a range of different qualifications to help secure a place on an undergraduate course.

Universities and colleges use the UCAS Tariff to make comparisons between applicants with different qualifications. Tariff points are often used in entry requirements, although other factors are often taken into account. Entry Profiles provide a fuller picture of what admissions tutors are seeking.

UCAS does not recommend the use of Tariff points for any other purpose than for entry to higher education. Not all post-16 qualifications attract UCAS Tariff points and therefore they should not be considered an appropriate measure of suitability for employment.

In July 2010, UCAS announced the launch of the Qualifications Information (QI) Review. The Review aims to understand the ways in which learners, institutions and other stakeholders get information about qualifications, assess how effective the Tariff is as just one means of meeting their needs and to work with a wide range of stakeholders to develop and consult on improvements and alternative approaches.

Click here to find out more about the QI Review.

Update on the UCAS Tariff - 2 November 2012

Following the outcomes of the UCAS Qualification Information Review (QIR), the UCAS Board in September 2012 approved the decision to continue the existing management model of the UCAS Tariff. The current Tariff management model has been in place since May 2011.

These arrangements allow for the processing of three forms of Tariff applications.

  • Type 1: qualifications that need to be evaluated by dint of changes to qualifications frameworks, for example those qualifications that are transitioning to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).
  • Type 2: new qualifications that are to all intents and purposes the same as existing qualifications that attract Tariff points.
  • Type 3: qualifications that are on the Tariff on a provisional basis, subject to a review of candidate evidence.

The UCAS Board has agreed that this arrangement will continue until a new replacement service is available, currently anticipated to be in the 2015 admissions cycle.

We fully acknowledge the need for dual running of the Tariff and any new qualification services so as to not disadvantage any learners who may have made decisions based on Tariff information. Based on the above timings it is provisionally scheduled that the current UCAS Tariff tables would be withdrawn in the 2017 admissions cycle.

How does the Tariff work?
Learn how the Tariff works and how it is used in higher education.

Qualifications
Find out which qualifications are included in the Tariff.

Tariff tables
See how many points are awarded to qualifications in the Tariff.

FAQs
Read through the frequently asked questions about the UCAS Tariff.