The Student Room Group

**UPDATED 27/09/10** Declaring GCSE/AS/A Level Grades on UCAS

**Updated 27/09/10 after a conversation with someone on the UCAS Helpline**

It is a condition of making a UCAS application that you provide complete and accurate information about your academic qualifications, and by submitting the application you declare that you have complied with this requirement. Do not be misled by people who claim to have 'forgotten' to declare results they didn't like and got away with it: if you are discovered to have left out or misrepresented your qualifications the consequences can be serious. And yes, unis do have their ways of checking things. Even if they didn't, telling lies (leaving things out is telling a lie too) is a very poor way of embarking on your university career.

If you have received any grade other than a U for your GCSEs or A levels, you will have been awarded a qualification that you must include, whether you would prefer to leave it out or not. The position with AS levels is slightly more complicated, as these only have to be entered as achieved qualifications if they have been certificated.

How can I tell if my AS results have been certificated ["cashed in"]?
When you get your results slip, if an overall grade is given as well as individual module grades, this means that the school has certificated them. If an overall grade is not given, this means the results have not been certificated. You do not have to have actually received the certificate provided by the Exam Board for a result to have been certificated (otherwise referred to as 'cashed in').

Schools/colleges are asked to state in their references what their certification policy is, so if they normally do certificate results and yours were not, unis will tend to assume that they were not great. Therefore, while theoretically you could try to ask your school in advance not to certificate your results, it's not that great an idea, and the school is unlikely to agree anyway.

Entering GCSEs
All your GCSEs must be entered, even that embarassing grade you got for ICT in Year 10, if you achieved a grade of G or higher. People spend a lot of time agonising about whether a rubbish grade in some random GCSE will completely wreck their prospects. Whether it will or it won't, this is a waste of time because if it does come to light that certain information has been suppressed, in these hard times unis might very well use this as a reason to rescind the offer of a place. Don't do it.


Entering AS levels
If your school certificates (or cashes in) your AS results these must be declared on your UCAS, assuming you achieved grades A-E. A grade U does not have to be declared because this means that you failed the exam and therefore you don't have a qualification to declare. While you must declare your AS overall grades, you do not have to include your unit grades.

If your school does not certificate your AS results, then you enter all your AS overall grades as pending, even if you are not taking one or more subjects on to A2. In this case, as you will not be able to enter them, any spectacular unit grades/UMS marks will need to be reflected in your reference (better there than in your personal statement).

If you have certificated results but are planning to resit AS module/s, the AS must be entered twice: first as an achieved qualification, and secondly as a pending one.

If you have already retaken AS modules and have results which have been certificated, you need to enter both the old grade and the new one as separate achieved qualifications, even if the resits were taken at the same centre as the original exams. **NEW**

If you have a certificated AS as well as the full A level in a subject, you need to enter this as well as it is a separate qualification.

Entering A levels
All A level results are certificated once you have completed the required number of modules, so must be entered as achieved qualifications unless you got a U grade (in which case you can't enter it as you do not hold the qualification).

If you are resitting A2 modules you enter the actual grade you've already got for the A level as a whole as an achieved qualification, and your resit plans as a pending qualification. If you are finding the system won't accept the date of your resits, it will be because the last education establishment you have entered has an 'end date' which is before your intended resit date. If you are attending a different school/college to resit your A levels, then you need to enter this establishment with the appropriate dates and your problem will be solved.

Otherwise, your options are:

enter the school/college again, this time marking your attendance as 'part-time' with a start date of 2010 and an 'end date' of 2011 - appropriate if you are attending classes there, or if you won't be attending classes but will be taking the exams using them as the examination centre

if you are entering yourself as a private candidate, add another entry to the Education list, this time using the examination centre details and stating P/T attendance, and then entering your planned resits. I have checked this with UCAS (27/09/10) and this is what I am assured is correct.



If you have already got your A level resit results you enter both the original grade and the new one, as completed qualifications, in the appropriate part of the Education section (ie under the relevant school/college and/or private examination centre). **NEW**

Entering Unit/Module grades
This is optional. However, it is generally more helpful to go for the 'all or nothing' approach. Being selective about which module grades to declare and which to leave out generally gives a poor impression, as it draws attention to the gaps.

**NEW**(Note that you are not supposed to enter UMS marks. However, it is clear from today's experience - where I've contacted UCAS to ask this question explicitly, and so has someone else - that in fact UCAS gives inconsistent advice on this point. I was told categorically that UMS scores should not be entered in the 'other' box; someone else was told that they could do this. The explanation I was given was that entering something in the 'other' box over-rides anything in the 'grade' box - which means that unis will see the UMS score but not the grade. Just in case the admissions tutor/s can't be bothered to try and work out what the UMS mark translates to as a grade (and they might not, given the 100s of applications most of them have to work through) it seems to me that using the 'other' box for the UMS could be counter-productive. Just a thought. Therefore, if you have UMS marks you really want the uni to know about, it makes more sense to ask your referee to mention them for you.)

Some universities do specify unit grades as part of their entry requirements so you will need to check the position for each of your choices. Some universities also specify that the module grades must be obtained at the first sitting - this is relatively rare but important to check in advance if it might apply to you. Even if you don't enter module grades on your UCAS form, such unis will ask for evidence of both the grades achieved and when. Taking modules early is not always a good idea!

For your A level entries, you include the AS level modules as well as the A2 modules. Yes, I know it's hugely repetitive. I didn't design the system, I'm just trying to make sense of it :smile:

Useful Links
JCQ Statement 2007
UCAS Apply: Education
UCAS Apply: Qualifications
TSR Wiki

If you have taken modules early
You can only enter qualifications you actually hold. If you have taken one or two modules only you enter the qualification as pending and therefore the module grades as pending too. It doesn't matter if you resat a module; if you have not completed the full number of modules required for the qualification it is still entered as pending.

A* grades
Even if you got 90% or more, the highest grade you can enter for AS levels, whether overall or for individual modules, is an A. This is all the system will offer you.

As A* grades for A2 were not awarded until June 2010, any certificated A2 grades you were awarded for two year courses begun in September 2007 or earlier, regardless of the module scores, will not be higher than A. Uncashed (uncertificated) module grades - which you won't be able to enter on UCAS as the qualification will be pending - will be confirmed when the qualification is cashed in. Note also that the A* grade will apply to the whole A level, not to individual A2 module grades.

Award Date
This is usually January or June - being when you took the exams rather than when you received the results or got the certificate - and will be shown on the certificate itself. If you haven't got a certificate yet, just use the date when you took the last exam (that contributed to the overall grade you are entering on your application).

A note for Maths students Your position may be complicated because of the option to 'trade' modules between Maths and Further Maths. If in doubt, ask your school/college or UCAS for advice about how to enter these correctly.
(edited 13 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Hi, since I couldnt quote and answer your reply in the other thread anymore Ill put it here:
"A few years ago, if you wanted to resit an AS level to improve the overall grade you had to decline the one you got first of all. Now you don't have to do this; you were awarded an AS at whatever grade this summer. If you resit modules and as a result your overall grade goes up, you will be awarded a new certificate with that higher grade. On UCAS you would enter the date of that new award and the new grade. You would not need to enter the original grade.

You will have to ask people at your school about entering your Maths modules results, but if you have a Statement of Results which says that you got overall grades for AS Maths at B and Further Maths at A then that is what you must enter on your UCAS form. 'Certification' is not dated from when your school or college happens to hand over the pieces of paper; it's dated from when the exams which contributed to that qualification were completed. Usually, it's January or June."

Questions:
1. What does decline mean?
2. If you achieved a higher grade after resitting certain modules and put those in the ucas, will universities know you have been resitting and will they know what you got previously if they really want to find out?
3. It seems that I have to enter the grades on ucas, do you think I still have a chance in top unis doing maths? If yes, how likely would they be? Is it better to apply next year?
Thanks!!
helpuni

Questions:
1. What does decline mean? It doesn't matter as you can no longer do it.
2. If you achieved a higher grade after resitting certain modules and put those in the ucas, will universities know you have been resitting and will they know what you got previously if they really want to find out? In some circumstances (and if they ask, as some do), yes.
3. It seems that I have to enter the grades on ucas, do you think I still have a chance in top unis doing maths? If yes, how likely would they be? Is it better to apply next year? Yes. Between 0% and 100%. Not if you want to go to university in the current cycle.
Thanks!!


Answers above.
Sorry this may be a stupid question, but if you are applying during a gap year, do I add my Qualifications as A levels, and then include all my unit grades that make up the final Alevel, or as A2s AND AS's. Basically, do I need to add my AS levels as a separate qualification, as i would have if applying last year ?
Crimsonchilli
Sorry this may be a stupid question, but if you are applying during a gap year, do I add my Qualifications as A levels, and then include all my unit grades that make up the final Alevel, or as A2s AND AS's. Basically, do I need to add my AS levels as a separate qualification, as i would have if applying last year ?


If they were separately certificated as AS levels, you should declare both.
Reply 5
Must you declare free-standing qualifications such as Additional maths?
Alighty
Must you declare free-standing qualifications such as Additional maths?


Yes.
Reply 7
My Chemistry module results were:
Unit 1: A
Unit 2: B
Unit 3: B
Unit 4: B
Unit 5: C
Unit 6: A

But by some miracle I got an A overall (just). I'm applying to medicine, so would it look it look worse if I mentioned all of my modules or if I just left the whole lot blank and just gave my overall grade?
Reply 8
Becky21
My Chemistry module results were:
Unit 1: A
Unit 2: B
Unit 3: B
Unit 4: B
Unit 5: C
Unit 6: A

But by some miracle I got an A overall (just). I'm applying to medicine, so would it look it look worse if I mentioned all of my modules or if I just left the whole lot blank and just gave my overall grade?
It makes more sense to either leave out all modules for all your qualifications, or to enter them all. It's the overall grade that counts, but it's impossible to say what impact leaving the module grades out might have on your chances.
Reply 9
Hello, thank you very much for all of your information!
I am in year 13(just started) and I managed to complete A2 maths, but on the edexcel certificate there is a slight issue:

I have so far completed 8 modules in total between maths and further maths. I have completed c1-c4 and have also done, s1, d1, fp1, m1.
I did m1 in year 11(74 ums), will be doing it again in january 2011 hopefully.
On the certificate, 6 modules have been contributed to the MATH a level, and so it mentions that I have an A* in maths. However, with this being the case, they have contributed, 2 modules that I have completed to further maths, namely, fp1 and s1. It also states that I have completed s2, but I did not attend the exam and so I have not done s2 yet. I will be doing it in january 2011. So for s2, I have an X. This meant that for AS further maths, I have apparently scored 184/300(including the s2 module). Is it possible for me to transfer say d1 from the math a level to the fmath a level?
So that on the UCAS, I could write, that I have achieved 1A* at A2 and 3 a's at AS?

Thank you!
Reply 10
acquiesce
so if our AS grades haven't been certified, we only have modular marks, then we need to put them as pending, but would we still put the equivalent of the grade we have at the moment? ie if our modules add up to a B we put Xsubject B pending.

if we didn't have to declare some sort of grade then the uni would have absolutely no AS grades to go on, only gcse's and predicted grades..and that can't be right, can it?
If your AS levels have not been certificated, this is correct (although your referee can mention your AS module grades if they want to).
Reply 11
sulexk
Hello, thank you very much for all of your information!
I am in year 13(just started) and I managed to complete A2 maths, but on the edexcel certificate there is a slight issue:

I have so far completed 8 modules in total between maths and further maths. I have completed c1-c4 and have also done, s1, d1, fp1, m1.
I did m1 in year 11(74 ums), will be doing it again in january 2011 hopefully.
On the certificate, 6 modules have been contributed to the MATH a level, and so it mentions that I have an A* in maths. However, with this being the case, they have contributed, 2 modules that I have completed to further maths, namely, fp1 and s1. It also states that I have completed s2, but I did not attend the exam and so I have not done s2 yet. I will be doing it in january 2011. So for s2, I have an X. This meant that for AS further maths, I have apparently scored 184/300(including the s2 module). Is it possible for me to transfer say d1 from the math a level to the fmath a level?
So that on the UCAS, I could write, that I have achieved 1A* at A2 and 3 a's at AS?

Thank you!
Unless your results slip gives you an overall grade for the Further Maths AS Level, this is a pending qualification and should be entered as such. If you do have an overall grade - which would be a C on the basis of a UMS of 184/300 - you have to enter this as an achieved qualification and then put it in again as a pending qualification, to cover the 'resit' of S2.

The A* for Maths A level should be declared as an achieved qualification - and the modules that contributed to that grade can only be 'used' once.
Reply 12
Minerva
....


Hi, I don't suppose you know where the thread that had the policies of various different universities to resits in applications is do you?

I took bad advice without enough research and didn't cash in my grades, which aren't even particularly bad, as I thought it was the easiest way of improving my grades. Thus they weren't attained in a 2 year period. I'm sure my referee will tell them my grades werent bad and were only not cashed in as i planned to maximise my potential gradewise and not because I flunked the year.
Reply 13
bmt
Hi, I don't suppose you know where the thread that had the policies of various different universities to resits in applications is do you?
I don't remember a thread like that, but even if I did it would be out-of-date. If there was one it was probably course-specific, and uni policy on resits varies between courses as well as unis. You will just have to do the research, I'm afraid.

I took bad advice without enough research and didn't cash in my grades, which aren't even particularly bad, as I thought it was the easiest way of improving my grades. Thus they weren't attained in a 2 year period. I'm sure my referee will tell them my grades werent bad and were only not cashed in as i planned to maximise my potential gradewise and not because I flunked the year.

I'm not sure I get this - you don't have a choice with full A levels. They're automatically certificated whether you want them to be or not.
Reply 14
I had certificates for AS levels when I completed them but I have now completed full A-Levels and recieved results.

Can I put down grades for just A-Levels rather than doing AS and A2 grades? Also would it be alright to just include in my reference that I got full UMS in C3 and C4 rather than putting any module grades down on UCAS?
Some universities will ask to see physical certificates upon matriculation or registration.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 16
I would sincerely hope that your school would do no such thing, but even if they did you could find yourself being obliged to present a certificate which includes that result, as Good Bloke says.

Original post by UFK
I had certificates for AS levels when I completed them but I have now completed full A-Levels and recieved results.

Can I put down grades for just A-Levels rather than doing AS and A2 grades? Also would it be alright to just include in my reference that I got full UMS in C3 and C4 rather than putting any module grades down on UCAS?

You must enter the AS level grades as well if they were certificated; you don't have to enter the individual unit grades. Mentioning unit grades in your PS is not a good idea. Check out the first post in this thread as well.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 17
Minerva
You must enter the AS level grades as well if they were certificated; you don't have to enter the individual unit grades. Mentioning unit grades in your PS is not a good idea. Check out the first post in this thread as well.


Since I recieved the certificates for AS the grades have changed because I have resat a few modules. Is it necessary to include them? I had BBCC at AS level and so would rather not include them

So if my teacher added in my reference that I achieved full UMS in C3 and C4 then it is not a good idea? I am applying for Maths at uni and so thought it might look good if they were aware of the UMS score as UCAS applications dont allow you put down the UMS
Reply 18
Minerva
I don't remember a thread like that, but even if I did it would be out-of-date. If there was one it was probably course-specific, and uni policy on resits varies between courses as well as unis. You will just have to do the research, I'm afraid.


No worries I decided not to be lazy and emailed all the unis after I sent this. Cheers anyway
Reply 19
Minerva
I'm not sure I get this - you don't have a choice with full A levels. They're automatically certificated whether you want them to be or not.


Just saw this aswell. Mine haven't been certificated, I have taken all the modules both for AS and A2 in 3 subjects and just AS in one other and havent certificated any of them.

I know this because I had to sit there with the numbers figuring out whar grades I would have got if I had certificated them.

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