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Predicted grades

Predicted BBB (maths,physics,business)
I wanna apply for mechanical engineering but all average - good unis need at least one A, am I cooked…

Reply 1

Uni of Notts

Official Rep

Original post

by username7035549

Predicted BBB (maths,physics,business)
I wanna apply for mechanical engineering but all average - good unis need at least one A, am I cooked…

Hey there!

First off, it's very easy to get worried about it but keep in mind they are only predicted grades. Secondly, it's always best to check and ask!

Here at the University of Nottingham (UoN) for example, we no longer use predicted grades to make decision on Engineering applications. This is for a lot of reasons, but one is that historically they are not always the best indicator of true performance and we want aspirational students to still feel like they can apply to us.
This means that a prediction of BBB does not mean we would automatically reject an application, and we'd love to see one from you!

The other thing to keep in mind is that there is always usually options available. Re-takes, alternative qualifications, or foundation programmes are all a way you can study Mechanical Engineering even if you don't get the A-Levels you were hoping for originally.

If you are worried based on what listed requirements on uni websites are, get in touch with them! Everywhere will have its own policies and processes so you never know where some flexibility might be available.

Whatever you choose, good luck with your A-Levels! I am sure you will do great 🥳

All the best,
#UoN Staff Rep - Dan

Reply 2

McGinger

Just because a Uni is asking for A grades does not make it automatically 'better' than one asking for BBB - however you think you can measure this. There are numerous Unis in the BBB band that are excellent for Mech with enviable graduate employments stats, more extensive placement systems, and more effective industry links that many RG Unis. Go to some Uni Open Days, listen to the course presentations, look around and ask questions - you will be surprised at what's on offer.
Suggestions :
Engineering with Foundation Year BEng | Undergraduate | Newcastle University - ABB
Engineering Courses | University of Leicester - MEng/BEng - ABB
Study Engineering at Salford | University of Salford - MEng - ABB/128 points
BEng (Hons) or MEng in Mechanical Engineering at Oxford Brookes University - MEng - BBB
MEng/BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering | Coventry University - MEng - BBB
Mechanical Engineering | University of Portsmouth - 120 points (BEng) / 120-128 points (MEng)
Etc etc

Reply 3

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

Original post

by username7035549

Predicted BBB (maths,physics,business)
I wanna apply for mechanical engineering but all average - good unis need at least one A, am I cooked…

Hey,

Don't be discouraged by your current predicted grades: there are multiple Mechanical Engineering courses which will accept BBB. If your course is accreddited by a professional body (e.g. by the IET or iMechE), teaching quality and content will be industry-approved regardless of which university you choose. As mentioned above, attend Open Days and do some further research on student life/graduate opportunities at any universities you might consider.

If you have your heart set on going to a particular university, remember predicted grades are just that: predicted. If you put in the effort and revise hard now, it's definitely possible to improve your grades over the course of this year. If you're not content with the choices available to you, you could always take a gap year to work/gain experience and apply in the next UCAS cycle with your achieved grades.

Best of luck with your A-Levels!
Eve (Kingston Rep).

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 4

University of Salford

Official Rep

Original post

by username7035549

Predicted BBB (maths,physics,business)
I wanna apply for mechanical engineering but all average - good unis need at least one A, am I cooked…

Hey!

You'll definitely find universities out there happy to accept BBB - we look for you to have 112 UCAS points for our BEng Mechanical Eng course (equivalent to BBC, although different combinations of grades can get you to those points) and ABB for our MEng route, so you definitely have options for university! I'd say its worth taking a look into the options McGinger notes below and seeing how you feel about the content of the degrees. What's taught inside the degrees and how they teach it are really important factors when considering university options - you want to make sure you're going somewhere that's going to cover whats interesting to you personally, and that they'll teach/assess in ways you align with. We're a more practical university so will try to ground a lot of your theory in practical labs/workshops, so if that's a way you learn best it might be worth looking for similar universities.

Definitely go and visit as many places as possible for Open Days to see how you feel when you're on campus too, as you want to feel happy and at home at university! You'll be able to speak to current students doing Mechanical Engineering too, so you can get a feel for how students feel about the programme.

Good luck with your applications!
Becky
University of Salford Rep

Reply 5

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi there,

There are plenty of universities that will accept BBB for Mechanical Engineering so don't be disheartened!

LJMU offers both a BEng and MEng programme in Mechanical Engineering, so I'll give you some key info about the course below:

•

BEng entry - BBC

•

MEng entry - ABB

•

Both programmes are professionally accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

•

LJMU ranked 15th in the UK for engineering degrees (The Times 2025)

You could either apply for the MEng programme as an 'aspirational' option, or go for the BEng - if you perform well during the first two years of the BEng programme, you can transfer onto the MEng programme!

BEng programme - https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/32120bgh-mechanical-engineering-beng-hons
MEng programme - https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/32120mg-mechanical-engineering-meng

You can also watch this video here about our Mechanical Engineering programmes: https://youtu.be/gplqB3mXmYQ

We've just had our last open day of the year, but we're about to start giving campus tours for prospective students, which would be useful to come and visit the university and have a tour of our engineering building and facilities! You can get more info about our tours here: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/visit-us/campus-tours

If you can't attend any campus tour dates, we also have a virtual tour of our campus, where you can take a look at our buildings online - the main ones to look at would be the James Parsons building and the Engineering Laboratories, and you can do that here: https://360tour.ljmu.ac.uk/??

If you have any questions about the course or student life in Liverpool/at LJMU you can chat to a current LJMU student by following this link: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/chat-to-a-student
^ If you filter our ambassadors by 'area of study', you can chat to a current Mechanical Engineering student and hear about their experiences so far :smile:

As well, you can contact our course enquires team at [email protected] and our admissions team at [email protected] for any questions about entry requirements.

I hope this was helpful! Good luck with your decision :smile:

Jorja (LJMU Student Rep)