Contact the clearing team
Before results day
Before results day, take the following steps to feel informed and ready:
Know key dates for results
- Scottish Highers: 7 August
- A Levels: 14 August
- BTEC Nationals: 14 August
- GCSE: 21 August
- Irish Leaving Certificate: 22 August
Check your UCAS details
It is really important to make sure your UCAS details are up to date, so you can access important information easily on results day:
- Change your school email address to your personal email address on UCAS
- Know your UCAS login credentials
- Make sure your contact details are up to date.
Plan ahead
Familiarise yourself with how Clearing works.
The UCAS website offers a clear guide that breaks down the process.
There is no harm having an alternative option if you need to change your plans. Check out our Clearing destination including how to contact us.

On results day
Key dates
Your results will be released on:
- Thursday 14 August (A Level results) at 8.15am on UCAS Hub
- Friday 22 August (CAO results)
Take a moment to breathe, assess, and plan your next steps.
If you have received an email from Ulster University, Ulster communications explained is a helpful overview of our admissions emails.
Understand your UCAS status
Not sure what your application status means? Check out this helpful UCAS guide
Offered a place on a course?
Make sure you 'Accept your place' in your congratulatory email from Ulster or via UCAS Hub.
Offered a place on an alternative course?
If you didn’t meet the conditions of your offer with Ulster University, but we have a similar course, you may be offered a place on that course subject to availability.
Offer still pending from Ulster?
If you’re waiting to hear back from Ulster University, our Ulster communications explained section explains next steps and updates.
If we are waiting on your GCSE results, once you receive these on 21 August please upload them via our Supporting Documentation form as soon as possible.
Didn’t get an offer or declined one?
No worries — you still have great options. Check out our Clearing destination including how to contact us.
Still not sure?
Simply complete our Clearing enquiry form, and our team will get back to you. You can also contact us via phone:
- Northern Ireland: 028 7028 7028
- Republic of Ireland: 048 7028 7028
Have your documents ready
If you’re entering Clearing, you may need to speak to universities directly.
Make sure you have the following to hand:
- UCAS number
- Clearing number
- Exam results
Considering an alternative route to full-time study?

Entry requirements explained
Entry requirements usually include a combination of qualifications, subjects, and exam grades. Each university sets its own criteria.
At Ulster University, entry requirements for some courses may vary depending on the number of places available at each campus. However, the programme of teaching is standardised across all locations, ensuring all students receive the same academic experience.
For full details, see the UCAS guide to entry requirements

Ulster admissions emails explained
On results day and throughout Clearing, UCAS Hub is the best place to go to check your application progress and get the most up to date information.
We will also communicate to all students via email, below is a breakdown of the different emails our Admissions team will send, and what they mean.
If you have received the grades to satisfy the full terms of your offer a place at Ulster University will be available for you.
We will send you an email confirming this place and asking you to accept (or decline) your place.
Please accept (or decline) your place as quickly as possible so that we can determine if additional places may be available for those who are still looking for a place.
What happens if you don’t meet the entry requirements
If you haven’t met the required grades and we’re not yet able to offer you a place, we’ll email you with an explanation and outline your next steps.
Please don’t panic — it can take time to assess availability across our courses. If your grades are significantly lower than expected, you can still:
- Browse our Courses in Clearing to find a programme that matches your grades
- Complete the enquiry form if you find a course you're interested in.
A member of our Admissions Team will be in touch as soon as they can.
Met your offer conditions but haven’t heard from us?
If your grades meet or exceed your offer but you haven’t received confirmation, it may be because your results haven’t been sent to UCAS.
Please contact us as soon as possible with your results so we can assess your application. If you haven’t submitted your GCSE results or photographic ID, please upload them via our Supporting Documentation form.
When will you be updated?
We understand waiting can be stressful — rest assured, we are processing every application as quickly as possible. The Admissions Team will be reviewing a high volume of applications and are doing their best to respond to applicants as quickly as possible.
Please note our Call Centre staff are not able to provide updates on offer decisions.
Some of our most popular programmes will be oversubscribed, and it is likely that there will only be places available for those who meet the full terms of their offer.
If you have not met the full terms of your original offer, and we have a similar course on a different campus, we might offer you a place on that course. Further details will be emailed to you advising you on what you need to do next.
What is Clearing?
Clearing matches applicants to university places that are still available.
It’s open to anyone who has made a UCAS Undergraduate application but isn’t currently holding any offers.
It’s a great opportunity to explore alternative courses — whether you’ve had a change of heart or your exam results were different from what you expected.
When does Clearing open?
Clearing opens on Saturday 5 July.
From this date, you’ll be able to:
- Check out which courses are accepting clearing enquiries
- Send an enquiry to our Admissions team to express your interest in a course.

After results day
What happens after you accept your place
Once you've accepted your place, we’ll begin sending your Joining Instructions in the week following results day. These will include details on how to get ready for the start of term, including:
- Submitting a photo for your student ID card
- Completing any required AccessNI or health checks (if applicable to your course).
Online enrolment
Online enrolment will open from 26 August. You’ll receive an email with clear steps on how to complete the process.
Receiving updates by text
If you’ve provided a mobile number, we may send important updates via text message for convenience.
If you haven’t shared your mobile number yet, you can submit it using the Ulster mobile number update form.

Republic of Ireland students
Further information on your results day
Results day timing for Republic of Ireland applicants
Results day for applicants in Northern Ireland is one week earlier than for students in the Republic of Ireland. This does not affect your offer with Ulster University.
When we receive your results
We will receive your CAO results from UCAS on Friday 22 August. We aim to review these over the weekend. You are likely to hear from us from Monday 25 August onwards.
Need support?
Simply complete our Clearing enquiry form, and our team will get back to you. You can also contact us via phone:
Republic of Ireland: 048 7028 7028.