Clearing 2026
Your ultimate guide to Clearing 2026
We know how much effort you’ve put into your studies, and Results Day is usually a time to celebrate your achievements.
However, sometimes things might not go quite to plan, or you may have a change of heart. You could exceed your own expectations, or perhaps university wasn’t in your plans before, but now it is.
Whatever your situation, Clearing could still help you secure a university place; thousands of students do exactly that every year, so you aren’t alone.
This guide explains how Clearing works, what to expect on Results Day, and how to secure your place at a top 25 UK University.
What is Clearing and who can use it?
Clearing is a way to apply for university courses that still have spaces available. It’s designed to support students in a wide range of situations and is open to UK and international applicants, including mature students.
You can use Clearing if:
- You’ve changed your mind about your original course or university
- You’ve done better than expected and want to explore new opportunities
- You didn’t apply earlier but are now ready to continue your studies
- Your results didn’t meet your initial offer requirements
- You missed the UCAS application deadline
- You have your grades and would like to apply
If you have your grades, you don’t need to wait until Results Day. You can start exploring your options straight away.
It's your future, and Clearing offers you the opportunity to replan, rethink and find the right place for you.
When does Clearing 2026 open?
- Clearing opens: Thursday 2 July 2026
- A-level Results Day: Thursday 13 August 2026
Many courses fill up quickly on Results Day, so being prepared gives you a huge advantage. Clearing will close in October 2026, although it may end sooner depending on the university and whether places are still available.
How does Clearing work? (A very quick step-by-step)
Step 1: Search for courses
Browse universities with available places using UCAS or university websites.
Step 2: Contact universities
Call universities to discuss your results and options.
Step 3: Get an offer
You may receive a verbal offer during your call, this will be followed with email confirmation.
Step 4: Add your Clearing choice
Log into the UCAS Hub and add your Clearing University and course.
Step 5: Confirm your place
Once accepted, you're officially in. Congratulations!
Important: You can only add one Clearing choice at a time. However, you can speak to as many universities as you wish and can receive multiple offers before deciding which one to accept.
How to prepare for Clearing
Give yourself the best chance of success with these steps:
1. Research courses early
Look at alternative universities and courses before Results Day so you know what options are available.
2. Create a shortlist
Choose 3 – 5 universities you’d be happy to attend. If you applied earlier in the year, revisit your original list.
3. Know your details
Have ready:
- UCAS ID
- Exam results
- Personal information
4. Keep Results Day free
You’ll need time to search, call and consider your options. We highly recommend being in the UK on the day and keeping the following weekend free too, as many universities offer campus visits. You can also visit us before and after Clearing.
5. Think about backups
Consider all the options, such as:
- Foundation years
- Related or alternative subjects
- Different locations
What happens on Results Day?
On A-level Results Day, you will need to log onto your UCAS Hub to find out if you have been accepted. You can do this from 8.00am. Once you have logged onto UCAS Hub, a few things will happen.
You’re accepted
If your place is confirmed by your firm or insurance choice, there’s nothing you need to do - you are in! Time to celebrate!
You’re not accepted
If you’re not accepted, don’t panic; you still have options.
First, collect your grades from your school or college so have a complete picture of your results. You won’t be able to get your grades from UCAS or from the universities you applied to, so it is important to have them ready before exploring your next steps.
- Insurance offer – sometimes your place may be still under consideration, so check your UCAS Hub carefully
- Go through Clearing – speak to universities and apply for courses you want to study with available places
Many students secure places within hours on Results Day.
You want to change your mind
Perhaps you have been accepted by either your firm or insurance university, but you have had a change of heart, you can still use Clearing. However, do not decline your place just yet. Speak to universities first and secure a Clearing offer before making any changes.
Near miss process at Leicester
If you have an offer to study at Leicester already and you don’t quite meet the conditions of that offer on Results Day, there’s no need to panic. Through our near miss process, we’ll automatically review your application. This means we’ll check if there are any places available on the course and we may still consider offering you a place, even if you’ve narrowly missed the required grades.
If we're unable to offer you a place on your original course, we’ll carefully consider other alternatives, such as a Foundation course or a similar course. We always explore all options before making a final decision.
You don’t need to do anything. Once we receive your results, we’ll assess your application and update their status on UCAS. If we need any further information, we’ll be in touch.
How will I know if I'm in Clearing?
When you log in to UCAS Hub, it will say: 'You are in Clearing. Your Clearing number is [Clearing number]'. This might be because you didn't get any offers or because you didn't get the grades you needed for your firm or insurance choice.
The Clearing call, what to expect
Speaking to a university is a key part of Clearing, and they will need to speak to you directly – not a parent, teacher or advisor. We know this might feel daunting, so here are our top tips to help you feel prepared:
Be ready to share your:
- Grades and qualifications
- UCAS ID number
- Personal information
Top Clearing call tips:
- Stay calm and confident
- Have a phone charger to hand
- Take notes during calls
- Call multiple universities
Universities want to help you find the right course, not catch you out. Our call handlers are here to help you though every step.
What happens after you get an offer?
Once you receive an offer the process to accept it is a little different.
Here's how to accept a Clearing offer on UCAS:
- Log on to your UCAS Hub.
- Click the “Add Clearing choice” option, here you add the details of the university whose offer you want to accept (If that's us, you will need our institution code (L34), and the course code you will find this on your offer letter)
- UCAS will then let us know that you have entered our details on the UCAS Hub, and you will get an acknowledgement email once we have received your application.
- Our decision will show in the ‘Choices’ section after we have checked your application (we aim to check your details within 24 hours, but this could take a little longer as we’ll be extra busy).
- UCAS will contact you to let you know that your place is confirmed.
UCAS Hub can take a few hours to update at busy periods. If you are worried, please give us a call. Clearing offers have set shorter deadlines, and each university will have different reply and acceptant periods.
For Leicester, Clearing offer holders must add their University of Leicester as your Clearing choice and accept via your UCAS Hub, as follows
- If we make you an offer between 2 July and 13 August, you will have five days to accept it.
- For offers made on Results Day 13 August, Friday 14 August or Saturday 15 August, you will have until 4.30pm on Monday 17 August to accept.
- For offers made on or after Sunday 16 August, you will have until 4:30pm two days later to accept.
Your offer email will clearly state the deadline. After that, we will have to make the place available again and offer it to someone else.
If you are made an offer for an interviewing course, your deadline will vary, based on the outcome of that interview.
If you did not apply through UCAS this cycle, how you accept your offer will be different
You will have been sent a 'Record of Prior Acceptance' form with your offer letter. Please complete and return this, with copies of your qualifications attached, to RPA@leicester.ac.uk within five working days of receiving your offer.
We will then verify your results and email you to confirm that you have been accepted onto the course.
If you have any difficulties or problems, give us a call on 0116 373 6000 and we'll help you through the process.
Once you have accepted your place, there are two more things to do:
- Update your student finance or apply if you haven’t already. If you need to apply for your student finance, you can learn more about that on the Student Finance England website.
- Apply for accommodation – at Leicester, we guarantee all first-year students a place in our university-managed accommodation (if you apply before 1 September), so if you plan to live away from home, we’ve got you!
Ready to find your place through Clearing?
And that’s it. If you are planning to use Clearing its time to start your research and preparing. So why not:
- Search our Clearing courses now
- Got grades? Call our Clearing hotline – 0116 373 6000 (or save it to your phone ready for Results Day)
- Register for updates so you don’t miss a thing
- Sign up to one of our online events or check out our accommodation pages