UCAS - Qualifications Information (QI) Review

Qualifications Information Review

UCAS has been undertaking a review to understand what needs higher education (HE) providers, schools, colleges and learners and others have for information about qualifications to enable fair, transparent and efficient admissions to higher education - and how UCAS can support this.

In July 2012 UCAS published the Qualifications Information Review findings and recommendations report explaining the next steps and outcomes of the review.

As outlined in the report the UCAS Board asked for further information on Recommendation 2 (the gradual withdrawal of the UCAS Tariff and the promotion of grade and qualification based entry requirements and offers) to better understand the challenges and issues that HEIs may face if the recommendation were to be implemented.

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.

UCAS fully acknowledges 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 Based on the above timings it is provisionally scheduled that the current UCAS Tariff tables would be withdrawn in the 2017 admissions cycle.

In support of the QIR recommendations, in the New Year UCAS will be publishing guidance and good practice for HEIs who wish to move to using qualifications and grades for the setting of entry requirements and offer making.

At the same time, and for those HEIs who wish to continue to use the Tariff for admissions purposes, we will publish more guidance and information for learners and advisers about how the Tariff is used in admissions.

If you have any questions about the Tariff management model or wish to discuss the Tariffing of qualifications please contact tariffqueries@ucas.ac.uk.

To find out more about the background to the review please visit the QI Review background page.

To find out more about the consultation stage please visit the QI Review consultation page.

To find out more about implementation please visit the QI Review implementation.

FAQs
Questions about the UCAS Qualifications Information (QI) Review