What are UCAS tariff points?
The UCAS Tariff is a way of turning different post-16 qualifications into one number. A student with three A levels and a student with a BTEC Extended Diploma can both be described in points, which lets universities set entry requirements that work for both.
Points only measure your grades. They say nothing about which subjects you took, so a course that needs A level Chemistry will still ask for Chemistry even if your points total is high enough.
How many points is each grade worth?
These are the values for the most common qualifications.
| A level grade | Points |
|---|---|
| --- | --- |
| A* | 56 |
| A | 48 |
| B | 40 |
| C | 32 |
| D | 24 |
| E | 16 |
An AS level is worth less: an A at AS is 20 points, a B is 16, a C is 12, a D is 10 and an E is 6. The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is worth half an A level, from 28 points for an A* down to 8 for an E.
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | Points |
|---|---|
| --- | --- |
| DDD* | 168 |
| DDD | 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |
In Scotland, a Higher at grade A is worth 33 points (B 27, C 21, D 15) and an Advanced Higher at grade A is worth 56 (B 48, C 40, D 32). A T Level at Distinction* is worth 168 points, Distinction 144, Merit 120, and a Pass is 96 or 72 depending on the core grade.
Working out your total
Add up the points for every qualification that carries them. Some common A level totals:
- AAA* = 168 points
- AAA = 144 points
- AAB = 136 points
- ABB = 128 points
- BBB = 120 points
- CCC = 96 points
Our UCAS points calculator does this for you and lets you mix qualifications, for example two A levels plus an EPQ.
How universities use points
Universities write entry requirements in one of three ways:
- Grades only, such as “AAB including Biology”. Your points total does not matter here; you need the grades and subjects listed.
- Points only, such as “120 UCAS points”. Any combination of eligible qualifications that adds up to 120 is usually fine.
- Points with conditions, such as “120 points including at least 32 from Psychology”.
Many universities also make contextual offers, which are lower offers for students from certain schools, areas or backgrounds. These are listed on each university’s website.
Entry requirements and entrants’ points are not the same thing
On WhichUniversity, course pages show the UCAS points that students who actually started the course arrived with. This comes from official data and is a useful reality check: if a course asks for 120 points but most students arrive with 150, competition is likely to be strong.
It is not the official offer, though. Always check the current entry requirements on the course’s page on the university website before you apply.