UCAS Clearing 2027: the honest guide

Clearing is how UK universities fill courses that still have spaces - and how applicants without a place find one. For 2027 entry it opens on 2 July 2027, peaks on A-level results day (Thursday 12 August 2027), and runs until 18 October 2027. It is not a scrapheap: most UK universities, including very selective ones, list vacancies in Clearing every year.

All dates below are from UCAS, checked on 20 September 2026.

Who Clearing is for

You can use Clearing if any of these apply:

• You received no offers from your five choices (and did not use Extra)
• You declined all your offers
• You missed the conditions of both your firm and insurance choices on results day
• You applied after 18:00 on 30 June 2027 - late applications go straight into Clearing
• You have a place but changed your mind, and release yourself (more on that below)

Your UCAS Hub will show your status clearly on results day, including your Clearing number, which universities will ask for when you call.

Key Clearing dates for 2027

How Clearing actually works, step by step

1. Check your status. If you are eligible for Clearing, your Hub says so and shows your Clearing number.

2. Search vacancies. The UCAS search tool lists every course with Clearing vacancies, updated live. Vacancies also appear on university websites - occasionally with different grades or availability, so if a university's site differs from UCAS, phone and ask.

3. Call universities. Clearing is done by phone. You speak to admissions staff, give them your Clearing number and grades, and they decide there and then whether to make a verbal offer. You can collect several verbal offers before committing.

4. Add one Clearing choice in your Hub. Only add the course once you have a verbal offer you want to accept - you can only have one Clearing choice at a time. The university then confirms it, and the place is yours.

5. Sort the practicalities. Accommodation and student finance both need updating after a Clearing place. If you already applied for finance, log in and change your course and university details.

Results day: how to be ready by 08:00

Results day moves fast. Courses at popular universities can fill within hours, so prepare the night before:

• A shortlist of courses and universities you would accept, with phone numbers, from the vacancy listings (they go live in July - do this research early)
• Your UCAS ID, Clearing number and grades written down
• Charge your phone; find somewhere quiet
• Know your plan B questions: accommodation availability, course content, whether the offer is for this year or deferred entry

When you call, you are the one being interviewed only lightly - ask your own questions too. A verbal offer is not binding until you add the choice in your Hub.

The decline-my-place warnings (read this before results day)

Two routes let you give up a place you already hold, and both are irreversible:

• Unconditional firm place: from 2 July 2027 you can use the "decline my place" button in your application to release yourself into Clearing. This cancels your contract with the university - including any accommodation or scholarship arrangements - and cannot be undone.
• Conditional firm place on results day: if you have all your results and want to trade up through Clearing, you contact UCAS directly (from 08:00 on results day) to be released. UCAS expects you to have spoken to your firm university first. You lose both your firm and insurance choices, with no option to reverse.

Never decline a place on the strength of an informal chat. Get a clear verbal offer from another university before you release anything.

If you missed your grades but want your firm anyway

Phone your firm choice first on results day. Universities regularly confirm places for applicants who missed by a grade - no one can promise it, but the phone call costs nothing and they may also offer you a related course. Check your insurance the same morning. Only then look at Clearing.

Knowing which courses historically fit your grades makes Clearing far less frantic. The Tansiky matcher maps your grades against real entry requirements so you can build a results-day shortlist in advance - free preview, then a £9.99 full report with a balanced backup plan.

Further reading: UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry · Firm vs insurance choices explained · UCAS points explained

Frequently asked questions

When does Clearing open for 2027 entry?

2 July 2027, running until the last Clearing choice date of 18 October 2027. The peak is A-level results day, 12 August 2027.

Who can use Clearing?

Applicants with no offers, those who declined offers, those who missed firm and insurance conditions, anyone who applied after 30 June 2027, and applicants who release themselves from a place.

Can I use Clearing if I already have a place?

Yes, via decline-my-place from 2 July for unconditional firm places, or through UCAS on results day for conditional firm places. Both are irreversible and cancel your existing place.

How do I add a Clearing choice?

Find a vacancy, phone the university for a verbal offer, then add that course as your Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub. You can only hold one Clearing choice at a time.

Is Clearing first come, first served?

Effectively yes - universities fill vacancies as suitable applicants call, and popular courses can close within hours on results day.

Sources: UCAS dates and deadlines, UCAS declining-your-firm-place guidance, UCAS Clearing FAQ pages, AQA 2027 results-day calendar - checked 20 September 2026.