Be University Wise guides › Clearing › Glossary

Clearing and results day glossary

UCAS uses a lot of shorthand around results day. Here are 26 terms explained in plain English.

Checked against official sources on 25 September 2026.

Free Clearing tools: Am I in Clearing? · Call planner · Call tracker · Countdown to results day

Clearing: The UCAS service that matches students without a place to courses with vacancies. Open from 2 July to 18 October 2027 for 2027 entry.
Clearing number: A number shown in your UCAS Hub under “Application status” once you are in Clearing. Universities ask for it with your Personal ID.
Personal ID: Your 10-digit UCAS reference number.
Clearing choice: The course you add in your Hub after a university agrees to offer you a place. You can add one at a time, and adding it counts as accepting.
Clearing Plus (Clearing matches): Up to 50 courses matched to you in your Hub. Pressing “I’m interested” passes your details to the university.
Informal offer (verbal offer): An offer made on the phone or by email in Clearing. It becomes a place only when you add it as your Clearing choice and the university confirms it.
Decline my place: The button in your Hub that releases you from an unconditional firm place into Clearing. It also cancels your insurance place and cannot be undone.
Self-release: Another name for using Decline my place.
Adjustment: An old UCAS service for students who beat their offers. Withdrawn from 2022 entry.
Firm choice (F): Your first-choice offer.
Insurance choice (I): Your back-up offer, usually asking for lower grades.
Conditional offer (C): An offer that becomes a place if you meet its conditions, usually grades.
Unconditional offer (U): An offer with no remaining academic conditions: the place is yours.
CF / CI / UF / UI: Conditional firm, conditional insurance, unconditional firm, unconditional insurance.
Changed course offer: An offer of a different course, start date or point of entry, often after missed grades. You must reply within five days.
Results embargo: About a week before each results day when universities have results but cannot share them, and do not make Clearing decisions.
UCAS Extra: A service from 25 February to 1 July 2027 for applicants who have used all five choices and hold no offers.
Reply swap: Changing your firm and insurance replies before results. After the first 14 days, both universities must agree. No reply swaps are possible after 22 July 2027.
Direct to Clearing: Applying after 30 June with no earlier application, so you go straight into Clearing.
UCAS Tariff points: Points that turn grades into a number, e.g. A level A* = 56. Many Clearing lists quote points.
Foundation year: An extra first year that prepares you for a degree, often offered in Clearing to students who narrowly miss entry grades.
Joint honours: A degree in two subjects, sometimes an option in Clearing when a single-subject course is full.
Priority review of marking: A faster review of an A level (or similar) mark when a university place depends on it, requested by your school or college.
Priority appeal: The Scottish equivalent: a free, faster appeal through Qualifications Scotland for students with conditional offers.
CAS: Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies: the reference an international student needs from the university before applying for a Student visa.
Qualifications Scotland: The new name for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), which awards Highers and Advanced Highers. Its website is qualifications.gov.scot.

Sources

AdvertisementSpace for student accommodation, banking, insurance or British Council-trained education agents. Contact us if you wish to advertise. Advertising never affects our rankings or guides.