In 2017 UCAS made some big changes to its Tariff system in response to a review in 2012 and feedback made by schools, colleges, and universities.
The key points of the changes are as follows:
But what does that mean for you?
In case you’re not sure, the UCAS “Tariff” is: “the UCAS Tariff is the system for allocating points to the different qualifications you can use to get into undergraduate higher education. Not all qualifications will be included on the Tariff. It is for use in admissions only and is not transferable to the job market."
No. Although the number of points you’ll get may seem a lot lower the new system means you’ll still need to achieve the same grades to meet the entry requirements of the universities you’ve applied to.
Again, no, all UK universities set their own entry requirements and aren’t obliged to use the UCAS Tariff system during the application process.
You can get further information about the new Tariff system on the UCAS website in the dedicated UCAS Tariff page.
There you’ll be able to get your questions answered, download the new Tariff tables, and work out the number of points you’ll earn from your qualifications using the Tariff Calculator.