Clearing: preparing and applying
Frequently asked questions

Make a list of courses you are interested in (and UCAS codes) ahead of Clearing.

Create a UCAS account if you do not already have one. Make sure you do this well in advance of results day as it can take up to 48 hours for your UCAS account to become active. To accept a Clearing offer, you will need to have a UCAS account. Creating one in advance can help save you time and stress on the day.

If you are applying to a course in Clearing before Results Day, please check UCAS and our website to see which courses are open then.

For those receiving results on Results Day, we’ll publish a list of courses available in Clearing on the morning of Results Day. Our course pages will automatically update with Clearing entry requirements for those courses. We’ll update this list as courses fill up throughout the Clearing period.

Make a list of courses (and UCAS codes) that you’re interested in ahead of time, then check this against the final list of courses available in Clearing when it's published. We also suggest other courses in related subjects in case your preferred course becomes full, or we aren’t able to make you an offer on your first choice.

Unfortunately, we can’t assess provisional results, and we can’t make an offer on your predicted grades or keep a partially completed application open. If you’re waiting on your results and you’d like to receive the latest information about Clearing at Reading, register your interest and we’ll stay in touch by email.

We are not able to make contextual offers to applicants who come to us through Clearing.

When you contact us to apply, please make sure you have:

• Your results (A levels/BTECs/IB and GCSEs or equivalent)
• The name of the course(s) you want to apply for
• Your 10 digit UCAS number (if you already have a UCAS account)
• Your 8 digit Reading ID number (if you have already applied to us)

We will let you know as soon as we can.

For some courses we may need additional information to help us assess your application (for example, a portfolio, or proof of results) or ask you to have a telephone/online interview before a final decision can be made.

We'll explain any next steps if we can't issue you a decision immediately.

We may have other related courses that you'd be interested in. If you call our Clearing hotline, we can let you know what similar courses are available.

If you've submitted an online application and the course is unavailable or you aren’t eligible, we'll automatically assess you for a suitable alternative course and make you an offer if you meet the criteria for it.

If you’ve applied online and you receive an alternative offer, you can call our Clearing hotline and we’ll answer any questions you have.

Ideally, we would like to talk to you as the applicant directly, as this will be easiest for us to confirm your details.

We are bound by all applicable Data Protection laws so may not be able to talk to your parent or guardian unless you give us permissions to do so. If we are able to speak to your representative, they will need your UCAS number and other identifying information as well as your results data in order to proceed. 

Yes. Have your UCAS personal ID and/or Reading ID available, as well as details of all your qualifications (A level/BTECs/IB and GCSEs or equivalent). We can then let you know if we can offer you a place on the course you wish to join.

You'll need to withdraw your confirmed place and make a new UCAS application to accept your offer from Reading.

We may be able to make you a Clearing offer if you meet the Clearing entry requirements and we have places available on the course.

If we were your Firm/Insurance choice, but on receiving your results we weren’t able to confirm your place, we are unfortunately unable to consider you through Clearing for the same course. If you would like to be considered for another course, ring our Clearing hotline or fill out our online application.