Declaring Grades on UCAS Applications **UPDATED for 2014-15**

This post relates specifically to students offering GCSEs and AS/A levels because that's where most of our questions come from: once the AS results are out many people fret about what they'll need to declare and how this will affect their applications, especially if those AS levels didn't go so well.

However, the same principles apply for all qualifications. If you aren't doing AS/A levels, you should check out the UCAS video for more information, or contact the UCAS helpdesk.

The essentials for everybody are that you MUST declare ALL qualifications you hold. This means any 'public' examination for which you have received, or will receive, a formal certificate. People commonly ask whether unis can find out if you haven't declared all your qualifications. See the last part of this post for links to posts from PQ which make it very clear that, yes, unis can find out, and yes, the consequences can be severe.

Therefore, the following have to be entered, as applicable, on your application

• all GCSEs graded A* to G (yes, including that embarrassing D for ICT you got in Year 9)
• all your AS grades (A-E), even if you are taking (or have taken) the subjects to A level, and/or plan to resit modules to improve them, unless you are in a private school that has a policy of not certificating AS levels in Year 12. All state schools (in England at least) are now certificating AS levels in Year 12 routinely, where before a minority didn't; if in doubt about whether a result has been certificated ask your exams co-ordinator
• all your A level grades (A*-E), if applicable
• if you have completed resits and been awarded a new grade (better or worse) for an AS or A level, or IB, or anything else, you need to enter BOTH results

Remember that AS levels are a qualification in their own right, even though they can also contribute to achieving the requirements for a full A level. This is why they have to be entered separately, even if you are applying after you have completed an A level in the same subject.

A U grade in an AS or an A level does not have to be entered UNLESS you plan to resit it. However, the 'check this before you pay and send' page in Apply includes this statement: "Don't forget that all subjects for which you have received a result must be entered, including those you have failed." That seems to mean that everything must be entered, even if you failed it and even if you don't plan to resit. The page I've linked to above does not make this clear, so you may like to ring UCAS and see what they tell you! Update: it appears that the UCAS advisers answering the helpline are telling people that U grades must be entered regardless of whether you are re-sitting the subject or not.

You will be expected to declare all your resit plans: yes, this does mean entering things twice, once with a result and again with a pending result.

The special case of Maths
You should enter the AS level/s and module grades as awarded - if you have overall grades on your results slip the qualifications have been certificated. If they weren't certificated, just add in the modules under the pending AS and the pending A level as applicable.

If the qualifications are subsequently re-certificated because of the re-distribution of modules between Maths and Further Maths, you need to enter them all again - AS and A levels separately as appropriate.

If you resit a module or modules and a qualification is re-certificated as a result, but not as part of a redistribution, you'll need to enter the qualification again with the revised overall grade and/or module grades.

I'll say it again: AS levels are qualifications in their own right, so even if you are taking a subject to the full A level, you still need to enter the AS level result separately. It is a common mistake to think that AS levels don't need to be entered if you are now taking the A level but the UCAS guidance is clear that they must go in separately as well as part of the pending A level. See the UCAS blog here.

Declaring Module Grades
Declaring individual module grades is optional, except where a university states in its prospectus that it wishes to see these. You enter grades, not UMS, unless the uni has specifically asked for UMS (few do). In that case you enter the UMS in the 'other' box; you won't be able to enter both grade and UMS. According to UCAS most unis prefer to see module grades, so stellar UMS should be mentioned by your referee, if at all. You can enter the grades for modules you've already completed in the entry for a pending qualification, though modules you plan to resit should be left as 'pending' too.

Given that people who are proud of their modules grades will enter them, if you don't enter module grades you are potentially at a disadvantage, since uni admission tutors may ask themselves questions such as 'Is this applicant not declaring their module grades because although the overall grade was good, performance in individual modules was inconsistent?' or 'What is it this applicant doesn't want me to know?'. For a competitive course, module grades could be used be a tie-breaker; if yours aren't there, you may have counted yourself out in any case. For that reason it may be better to declare module grades regardless of what they were, on the basis that this gives you some chance rather than none in that scenario.

It is not worth trying to hide things you don't like by 'forgetting' about them. By doing this you potentially invalidate your application and could lose offers and even a place if you are found out. Submitting your UCAS application means that you are confirming that all the information required has been provided, is complete, and accurate.

A note about predictions
There is no mileage whatsoever in being predicted grades for A2 well above what you achieved at AS, unless your referee is going to be able to provide a credible explanation for the difference and confirms that the prediction is realistic. Your school or college should be willing to tell you what your predictions are (you can't target your application sensibly unless they do) but do not expect to be able to 'make' them up your predictions just because you are 'sure' you can improve that C at AS to an A* at A2. Teachers generally know what they're doing. A school or college getting a reputation for consistently over-predicting helps no-one, least of all the applicants who then end up with a whole load of rejections (because unis admissions tutors aren't silly) or (perhaps worse) with offers they have little or no prospect of actually meeting.

And finally
In case you were thinking of not declaring grades/qualifications, you would be well advised to read this and this. Trust me: PQ knows whereof she speaks

hi guys i have a 498 points on a level maths pre 2008 but the school where i took them at never cashed them in. I asked them to cash it in so i can use it if i need a place in clearing but how long will it take?Because it will not show on my ucas form until its cashed in?

Your school will almost certainly change its policy as statistical reporting rule changes mean that it won't be able to claim crediit for AS results (and thereby establish its place in the league tables) unless they are certificated at the time they are taken rather than a year later.

I got very high UMS marks in three of my AS-level subjects so I'd like to inform unis about them, but is there really no way of entering them on the UCAS form? Should I just make sure my referees include them in my references?

No, and yes.

I think I already know what you're going to say but if you resat a GCSE do you have to declare the original grade or can you just put down the resit?

Seriously someone's negged me for this simple question exactly a year after I posted it.

As you say, you already know the answer.

do have we have to disclose each individual module result as well?

You didn't read the opening post then?

Why are we now having to declare our AS results?

Got a quick question about cashing in. My school doesn't cash in AS Levels at the end of year 12, however they do cash in the AS Level we have decided to drop.

If I want to drop a subject in which I have completed all the exams, however want to retake some modules in January, will I still have to declare my AS Grade on my UCAS application or leave it as pending? Thanks

Read the OP and post 3 for a complete answer.

Nothing has changed in the UCAS rules. Candidates have always had to declare certificated results. The only change is the one referred to in post 3.

It's just I read in another post somewhere that all pupils from state schools applying for the 2012 entry MUST declare/certificate their AS results now, so they can no longer put pending down on the UCAS form even if they are planning on resitting some modules. I'm just really confused because I remember at the uni open days them saying that they don't look at peoples AS results because not all schools certificate their results, but surely that just contradicts it ???

This is where I am confused as well. I am aware that some schools cash in their results but others don't so this is why uni's don't generally look at AS results because it would be unfair to look at one persons but not another. However I read it's changed now for the 2012 entry, and all state schools MUST declare their AS results

I don't see a contradiction. Just because a candidate declares a result doesn't mean all universities will be using the information. And the school league table rules have changed for the coming year: if schools want AS results to help their position (as they all do, of course) they have to certificate at the time the exam is taken, otherwise they will never get credit in the league table. University staff may be unaware of that change (not that it affects them).

What if you were close to the boundaries say a B was close to an A or a C was close to a B, would your teachers then be able to predict you a grade higher ? Or if you proved you were going to work for them grades

Perhaps this thread should be entitled "Don't read the OP - just ask what is already answered".

Read the OP. Teachers can make whatever predictions their professional judgement indicates is right.

I would have thought so, if you prove you are determined and will do all you can to get X grades then they will. I think that's how it works where I am