Changing my uni chiices

As @PQ has pointed out, Liverpool have a long history of accepting students onto their LLB course with grades below AAA - they don't necessarily enter Clearing (or sometimes only appear briefly) but they are traditionally very flexible with the grades their applicants achieve - more so than Sheffield. They used to place themselves as an AAB - ABB uni but even then students on TSR reported getting in with grades below that so the decision to market themselves as an AAA uni was a bit of a surprise.

However, I wouldn't want to predict what will happen in 2021. Going back to your original question, I can't see the point swapping Sheffield and Liverpool for Newcastle and Birmingham if you prefer the first two unis. If anything, Birmingham is normally the least flexible with grades although I know this year they have officially reduced their offer level to AAB.

Long story short - only swap Sheffield & Liverpool for Newcastle & Birmingham if you prefer them, otherwise stick with what you already have.

I think I’ll stick with Liverpool and swap Sheffield for brirmingham.
I already have a AAB offer form Cardiff but I’d 100% prefer have one of the other 2 as backups due to the location.

Right. Which is why I asked if you were unhappy with cardiff as an insurance choice.
If you aren’t happy/confident with cardiff then substitute one or two choices (although if you look at clearing grades from the last few years then you’ll probably find Liverpool is a better insurance choice than cardiff in terms of grades despite their AAA offer level).

Thank you PQ

Liverpool were not in Clearing last year (a strange year due to the higher than normal proportion of people getting high grades) but the previous year they accepted people around the BBB mark

Here is a list of some popular unis that had vacancies for the LLB in Clearing on A level results day 2020

Aberdeen ABB not accepting applications from Scottish or EU students
Aston BCC
Birmingham has vacancies for international students only at around AAA.
Bristol has vacancies for international students only at A*AA or A*A*B &LNAT
Alternative courses for home students include History at AAA (ABB contextual)
Buckingham BBB-BBC
Cardiff AAB-ABB
City ABB-BBB
Dundee currently has vacancies for English/NI/Welsh students only AAB
Durham - not in Clearing & Adjustment
East Anglia AAB/ABB
Essex BBB
Exeter had vacancies in early Clearing for international students only at their main campus at BBC or equivalent. They also had Law with Business vacancies at their smaller campus in Cornwall (Penryn) at BBB for UK/EU students but these were filled before A level results day.
Goldsmiths ABB
Huddersfield (BBB or equivalent UCAS points)
Hull around BBB but call the Clearing Hotline to discuss
Keele BBB/ABC
Kent ABB
Kings A*A*A call admissions on +44 (0)20 3858 1050 for possible Adjustment otherwise consider an alternative course
Lancaster AAB for LLB Law or BBB for BA Criminology with Law
ULaw BBB
Leicester BCC
Manchester AAA/AAB contextual
Newcastle ABB on results day
Nottingham AAB plus LNAT
Nottingham Trent BBB
Oxford Brookes BCC-CDD contextual
QMUL around AAA but places filled by mid morning
Queens Belfast BBB/ABC
Reading offer given at ACD
Royal Holloway CCC
Sheffield had vacancies at ABB
Southampton ABB
Surrey ABB-BBB
Sussex BCC
Swansea - around BBB but phone the Clearing hotline to discuss
Warwick do not have vacancies for Law but they do have alternative vacancies such as History or English at BBB
York - LLB vacancies for international students only at AAB.

Do you think that insuring Liverpool is an even safer option now exams are cancelled as they'll show more lenience?