What is clearing? How to make it work for you on A-level results day
A-level results day 2026 is coming up, and a university chief has said that students should go in with a clear plan
A university admissions chief has told LBC that there is no stigma in the clearing process and that other options can be considered, whether you got your desired results or not.
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Gareth Jackson, director of UK Recruitment at the University of Lancashire, said that A-level results day, which is on Thursday, August 13 this year, can provide an opportunity for options to be considered.
Some have found clearing to be a blessing in disguise, and it might be an opportunity to find a more suitable course than one that was selected months ago.
A student said on results day in 2025: "The clearing process was really simple: I went through the clearing courses that were available on UCAS and I called the universities I liked to find out whether the course was still available.”
Mr Jackson said that with the next three to four years of your life at stake, it's important to take it seriously.
How to handle the clearing process
A list of courses can already be checked, and students are advised to have a plan A, B, and C.
As well as university options, you could also consider an apprenticeship, gap year, job, or an internship.
UCAS states that you’ll usually need to speak to unis over the phone to try and gain a place, before adding them as a choice in your application. There are also potentially live chats.
Gareth Jackson, director of UK Recruitment at the University of Lancashire, told LBC: "There are a lot of people who consider clearing with a bit of stigma, [being something] for people who have not got the grades, but it is a much broader church."
He said that people can go through the clearing process after considering accommodation costs, a change of city, a different course, or that they have had a change in circumstances.
"People can make their choices several months previously and can find the course they have chosen is not right for them," he added.
"They should look at the courses available online and make sure they are asking the questions they want to ask. They should have hotline numbers ready and a quiet, safe space to make those calls and be prepared."
He said that some popular courses can be filled quickly, and these should be sought with a direct intention, but there are around six weeks from A-level results to the start of term, with plenty of places to seek help.
"It's the point of deciding the next three or four years of your life, and it's important to make that commitment having considered all your options.
"Every person is an individual, and there is the option to defer the place to consider options."