Key Facts
| UCAS applications open (2027 entry) | 12 May 2026. Source: https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/dates-and-deadlines-for-uni-applications |
|---|---|
| Completed applications can be sent to UCAS from | 1 September 2026 (a reference is needed first). Source: UCAS, as above |
| Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses | 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time. Source: UCAS, as above |
| Equal consideration deadline for most courses | 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time. Source: UCAS, as above |
| UCAS Extra | Opens 25 February 2027; last day to add an Extra choice is 1 July 2027. Source: UCAS, as above |
| Last date for applications to reach universities | 30 June 2027, 18:00; later applications enter Clearing. Source: UCAS, as above |
| Clearing | Opens 2 July 2027; last date to add a Clearing choice is 18 October 2027. Source: UCAS, as above |
| Final date for 2027 entry applications | 23 September 2027, 18:00. Source: UCAS, as above |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
UCAS deadlines and the application timeline follow a fixed order: research and choosing up to five courses, a personal statement and reference, submission by the October deadline or the January deadline, universities' decisions, replies, results, and then Extra or Clearing where needed. The October deadline applies to Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, whilst the January deadline is the main equal consideration date for most other undergraduate courses. Exact dates change each year, so they sit in the key-facts table and on ucas.com.
Students in Year 12 usually begin with research and a shortlist of courses, and those applying to Oxford, Cambridge or medicine often register for an admissions test in the early autumn of Year 13, before the October deadline falls. Working back from whichever deadline applies to the chosen courses gives parents a sequence to follow stage by stage, from Year 12 research through to replies and results in Year 13.
What are the stages of a UCAS application, in order?
A UCAS undergraduate application runs through ten stages in a fixed order, from research to Clearing. Students explore subjects and courses in the UCAS Hub and search tool, where each course page lists entry requirements and deadlines, then choose up to five courses and write one personal statement. Their school or college adds a reference, which must be attached before the application can be sent to UCAS, and completed applications can be submitted from early September of Year 13.
- Research courses, entry requirements and deadlines
- Choose up to five courses
- Write the personal statement
- School or college adds the reference
- Submit by the October or January deadline
- Universities and colleges decide, making unconditional or conditional offers
- Extra, for applicants who have used all five choices and hold no offers
- Reply with a firm choice and, if it is conditional, an insurance choice
- Results, after which providers confirm places
- Clearing, for applicants who do not meet conditions or who decline their place
What is the difference between the October deadline and the January deadline?
The October deadline applies to Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine or science courses, whilst the January deadline is the main equal consideration date for most other undergraduate courses. Both fall at 6pm UK time, and in both cases the reference must be completed before the application can be sent to UCAS, so a school or college often sets an earlier internal date for students to finish their statements.
Because the five choices travel together in one application, a student with even one course in the October group usually needs the whole application ready by that deadline, and the course page on UCAS confirms which deadline applies. Conservatoire music has its own October deadline, and most conservatoire dance, drama and musical theatre deadlines fall on the January date.
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Enquire about this tutorWhat does equal consideration mean, and what happens to later applications?
Equal consideration means that universities and colleges must consider every application received by the deadline in the same way, whatever day it arrived, so applying in September gives no advantage over applying just before the deadline. UCAS uses the term for both the October and January deadlines, and providers then work through those applications over the following weeks, aiming to decide on those received by the January deadline by a set date in the spring.
Applications sent after the deadline can still be submitted, but providers do not have to give them equal consideration and may close a course they judge to be full, which tends to affect popular courses with limited places. UCAS notes that many courses still have places after the deadline, so a late applicant usually checks with each university before applying. Applications received after the main cut-off in the summer are no longer sent to universities in the normal way and enter Clearing automatically.
Where do Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests and interviews fall relative to the UCAS deadline?
Admissions tests for Oxford and Cambridge are booked separately from the UCAS application, with registration closing before the October deadline, and interviews follow it. Cambridge's dates page places the test registration deadlines before the UCAS deadline, requires the UCAT to be sat before it and the LNAT on or before it, and gives the ESAT and TMUA a window that spans it, with the My Cambridge Application due shortly afterwards.
Shortlisted applicants are then invited to interview, with Cambridge placing invitations in November and most interviews in December, and College assessments are sat only by applicants invited to interview, with no advance registration. Oxford's admissions pages likewise treat test booking as separate from the UCAS application, so each applicant checks the tests required for the chosen course on the university's own pages.
Cambridge also runs a January round for some courses for mature students aged 21 or over applying to certain Colleges, whilst medicine, graduate medicine and veterinary medicine applicants must use the October deadline. Anyone in that position checks the Cambridge dates page, since the January round for mature students has its own My Cambridge Application deadline.
What happens after the application is submitted?
After submission, universities and colleges decide whether to make an offer, which is either unconditional or conditional, and providers should aim to decide on applications received by the January deadline by a set date in the spring. If a provider has not made a decision by its deadline, the application is rejected by default.
Once decisions are in, the applicant replies by choosing a firm choice and, if that offer is conditional, an insurance choice, and declines the rest; an applicant who does not reply by the deadline is declined by default. After results, providers update the status of conditional offers and confirm places.
Applicants who have used all five choices and hold no offers may be able to add one further choice through Extra, which closes in early July. Clearing opens in early July and is for applicants who do not meet their conditions or who decline their place, and applicants can release themselves into it.
What is a work-back plan across Year 12 and Year 13?
A work-back plan starts from the October or January deadline and places each stage before it, so Year 12 is mostly research and shortlisting whilst Year 13 holds the statement, reference, test registration and submission. Parents can begin by asking which deadline group each shortlisted course falls into, since that fixes the deadline for the whole application.
At each stage the aim is to have the next one ready before the current one closes, so that test registration, the personal statement and the reference all arrive in good time. A tutor can help the student practise and prepare for admissions tests and interviews during these stages, and a settled shortlist early in Year 13 gives each stage more room.
- Early Year 12: explore subjects and courses in the UCAS Hub and search tool, noting entry requirements and deadlines on each course page
- Later Year 12: narrow to a shortlist, check which courses need an admissions test, and start drafting the personal statement
- Summer after Year 12: complete a full draft of the statement and agree with the school or college when the reference will be added
- September of Year 13: finalise up to five choices, register for any admissions test before registration closes, and send the application to the school or college
- Before the October or January deadline: submit once the reference is attached, preparing for tests and interviews alongside if applying to Oxford or Cambridge
- After submission: watch for decisions, reply with a firm and insurance choice, then wait for results, with Extra and Clearing in reserve
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Frequently asked questions
- When is the UCAS deadline?
- There are two main UCAS deadlines for undergraduate courses. The October deadline covers Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, and the January deadline is the main equal consideration date for most other courses. Both close at 6pm UK time. Exact dates change each year, so check the key-facts table and the course page on ucas.com, which states the deadline for each course.
- Is it still possible to apply to university after the January deadline?
- Applications can still be sent after the January deadline, but universities do not have to give them equal consideration and may close courses they judge to be full. Many courses still have places, so it helps to check with each university first. Applications received after the main cut-off in the summer are no longer sent in the normal way and enter Clearing automatically.
- Are Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests taken before or after the UCAS application is submitted?
- Tests are booked separately from the UCAS application, and registration closes before the October deadline. Cambridge's dates page asks for the UCAT to be sat before the UCAS deadline and the LNAT on or before it, whilst the ESAT and TMUA run in a window spanning it. Interviews come afterwards, so the application and test registration are usually prepared together in early Year 13.
- Does it help to submit a UCAS application in September?
- Submitting early in September gives no advantage in consideration, because providers must consider every application received by the deadline equally. Applications can be submitted from early September of Year 13, but only once the reference has been added. The benefit of finishing early is more time to deal with any problems, and for Oxford and Cambridge applicants, to prepare for tests and interviews.
- What are Extra and Clearing?
- Extra lets an applicant who has used all five choices and holds no offers add one further choice at a time. Clearing is for applicants who do not meet the conditions of their offers, who decline their place, or whose applications arrive after the main cut-off in the summer, and vacancies are listed in the UCAS search tool. Both run later in the cycle, after the main deadlines.
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