UCASPoints.co.uk

The Tariff explained · 2027 entry

What are UCAS points?

UCAS points turn your qualifications into one number. An A at A level is 48, a Distinction* in a T Level is 168, an A in a Scottish Higher is 33. Some universities set entry requirements in points (say, 112 points) instead of grades. Here is how UCAS calculates them, what gets points and what doesn’t.

Checked against the UCAS 2027 Tariff tables on 26 October 2026how we check

What the points are for

The official name is the UCAS Tariff. UCAS describes it as a way for universities to compare the huge range of qualifications they see on applications, from A levels to BTECs to music grades, against each other on one scale. A university can then write one entry requirement, such as 112 UCAS points, and accept A levels, a BTEC, an Access to HE Diploma or a mix.

What points do not measure: the subject, the skills you gained or how relevant the qualification is to the course. That is why a points offer usually comes with conditions, such as “112 points including a B in biology” or “excluding General Studies”.

How UCAS points are calculated

Every qualification on the Tariff gets two numbers, and the points are one multiplied by the other:

size band × grade band = Tariff points

Size band is how big the qualification is. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that is the guided learning hours (the teaching time the awarding body plans for). In Scotland it is SCQF credits.

Guided learning hoursSCQF creditsSize band
under 1200 to 111
120 to 21912 to 212
220 to 31922 to 313
320 to 49932 to 494
500 to 71950 to 716
720 to 99972 to 998
1,000 or more100 or more12

Grade band is how well you did, on a scale from 3 to 14. Star grades (A*, D*) always get 14. An ungraded Level 3 pass gets 8 (7 in Scotland, because SCQF Level 6 straddles Levels 2 and 3). A fail gets nothing.

Put together, using rows from the UCAS 2027 Tariff tables:

Qualification and gradeSizeSize bandGrade bandPoints
A level, grade A360 hours4124 × 12 = 48
AS level, grade A180 hours2102 × 10 = 20
EPQ, grade A*120 hours2142 × 14 = 28
BTEC Extended Certificate, Distinction360 hours4124 × 12 = 48
Scottish Higher, grade A24 SCQF credits3113 × 11 = 33
Scottish Advanced Higher, grade A32 SCQF credits4144 × 14 = 56

A few qualifications don’t follow the formula exactly: music and drama grades, partly completed T Levels and apprenticeships (sized by length in months, not hours) have their own scales, which UCAS lists separately.

What gets UCAS points and what doesn't

Any UK Level 3 qualification (SCQF Level 6 in Scotland) listed with a UK regulator can get Tariff points: Ofqual for England and Northern Ireland, Qualifications Wales, and SQA or SCQF in Scotland. On top of that, UCAS includes the Access to HE Diploma, the Irish Leaving Certificate, partly completed T Levels and Level 3 apprenticeships.

No points for:

  • anything below Level 3, including GCSEs and National 5s;
  • unregulated courses, even if they are called Level 3;
  • international qualifications, with one exception: the Irish Leaving Certificate.

You can still apply with any of these. UCAS says universities have their own ways of assessing qualifications outside the Tariff.

How universities use them

A Tariff entry requirement comes in three common shapes: a plain number (“112 points”), a number with a named qualification (“112 points including two A levels”), or a number with a subject grade (“112 points including 40 from chemistry”, which means at least a B).

UCAS lists the rules universities most often add, and they catch applicants out every year:

  • only the best three A levels (or Scottish Highers) count;
  • an AS level doesn’t count if you also have the A level in the same subject;
  • a smaller BTEC doesn’t count on top of a bigger one in the same subject;
  • a university can count fewer points for a qualification it sees as less relevant to the course.

Points are not the whole offer either. UCAS reminds applicants that Tariff points only measure time spent learning and the grade, so universities read the rest of the application too. If a course page gives both grades and points, the grades are usually the main offer and the points show what else they accept.

The old Tariff, before 2017

If a parent or an older website talks about 300 or 340 points, that’s the old Tariff. UCAS switched to the current one for courses starting in September 2017. The numbers shrank (an A* at A level went from 140 to 56, an A from 120 to 48) but UCAS was clear that the grades needed stayed the same. Divide an old figure by 2.5 and you land close to the new one: 280 old points is 112 now.

To add up your own total, use the UCAS points calculator. To turn a points offer back into grades, use the points chart and converter.

UCAS points questions

What are UCAS points?

UCAS points (properly, UCAS Tariff points) turn a qualification and grade into a number, so universities can compare different qualifications on one scale. An A* at A level is 56, an A is 48, a BTEC Extended Diploma at D*D*D* is 168.

How are UCAS points calculated?

Size band × grade band. The size band comes from the qualification’s guided learning hours (or SCQF credits in Scotland): an A level is 360 hours, which is size band 4. The grade band comes from the grade: an A is band 12. 4 × 12 = 48 points.

Do all universities use UCAS points?

No. UCAS says plainly that not all universities and colleges use Tariff points and many base offers on qualifications and grades instead. Highly selective courses nearly always ask for grades, such as AAA. Points offers are more common at universities that recruit students with a wide mix of qualifications.

Do GCSEs give UCAS points?

No. The Tariff only covers Level 3 qualifications (SCQF Level 6 in Scotland). GCSEs are Level 2, so they carry no points, although many courses still ask for GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or 5.

Why did UCAS points change in 2017?

UCAS replaced the old Tariff with the current one for courses starting in 2017. The numbers got smaller (an A* went from 140 to 56) but the grades needed did not change. An offer of 300 points under the old system is roughly 120 now.

Can a university count fewer points than UCAS gives?

Yes. UCAS lets universities decide which qualifications they accept and how many points they count. Common rules: only your best three A levels, no General Studies, no AS level in a subject you also took at A level.

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