UCAS Tariff calculator · 2024 entry onwards
Pick your qualifications, choose predicted or achieved grades, and watch the total update as you go. Then read what those points actually decide, and what to do if you have none.
Universities set their own entry requirements and many do not use Tariff points at all. Treat your total as a guide, and always check the course page you are applying to.
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How the UCAS Tariff works
The Tariff turns grades into points so that different qualifications can be compared. It is simpler than it looks, and less powerful than most people assume.
UCAS puts each qualification into a size band based on how long it takes, and each grade into a grade band. An A level is a bigger qualification than an AS level, so the same grade is worth more points.
The two bands are combined to produce a single value. That is why an A level grade A is 48 points, a BTEC Extended Certificate at Distinction is also 48, and a T Level Distinction is 144: the T Level is about three A levels in size.
Your total is the sum of your qualifications. Some courses ask for a points total such as 112. Many ask for specific grades instead, and some do not use the Tariff at all. The course page is the only source that counts.
Tariff tables
These are the values the calculator uses, shown in full so you can check them. Open the panel below for AS levels, other BTEC sizes, IB, Scottish qualifications, Access to HE and more.
One qualification, six grades
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A* | 56 |
| A | 48 |
| B | 40 |
| C | 32 |
| D | 24 |
| E | 16 |
Level 3, the size of three A levels
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D*D* | 168 |
| D*D*D | 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |
One overall grade, the size of three A levels
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| Distinction* | 168 |
| Distinction | 144 |
| Merit | 120 |
| Pass (C or above on the core) | 96 |
| Pass (D or E on the core) | 72 |
Roughly 40 per cent of an A level
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | 20 |
| B | 16 |
| C | 12 |
| D | 10 |
| E | 6 |
Level 3, the size of two A levels
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D* | 112 |
| D*D | 104 |
| DD | 96 |
| DM | 80 |
| MM | 64 |
| MP | 48 |
| PP | 32 |
Level 3, the size of one A level
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D* | 56 |
| D | 48 |
| M | 32 |
| P | 16 |
Per subject
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| 7 | 56 |
| 6 | 48 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 4 | 24 |
| 3 | 12 |
Per subject
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| 7 | 28 |
| 6 | 24 |
| 5 | 16 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 3 | 6 |
Each component scored separately
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | 12 |
| B | 10 |
| C | 8 |
| D | 6 |
| E | 4 |
60 credits, 45 of them graded
| Profile of the 45 graded credits | Points |
|---|---|
| All at Distinction | 144 |
| All at Merit | 96 |
| All at Pass | 48 |
These three rows are the anchor values. A mixed profile, for example 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit, lands between them; UCAS scores each graded credit individually. Use the official UCAS calculator for a mixed profile.
Per subject, four grades
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | 33 |
| B | 27 |
| C | 21 |
| D | 15 |
Per subject, four grades
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | 56 |
| B | 48 |
| C | 40 |
| D | 32 |
Advanced level, the size of one A level
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A* | 56 |
| A | 48 |
| B | 40 |
| C | 32 |
| D | 24 |
| E | 16 |
360 guided learning hours, the size of one A level
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D* | 56 |
| D | 48 |
| M | 32 |
| P | 16 |
720 guided learning hours, the size of two A levels
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D* | 112 |
| D*D | 104 |
| DD | 96 |
| DM | 80 |
| MM | 64 |
| MP | 48 |
| PP | 32 |
1,080 guided learning hours, the size of three A levels
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D*D* | 168 |
| D*D*D | 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |
Half the size of an A level
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A* | 28 |
| A | 24 |
| B | 20 |
| C | 16 |
| D | 12 |
| E | 8 |
Every table on its own page, with notes on how each qualification is scored
Points are not an offer. Universities set their own entry requirements and many do not use Tariff points, preferring specific grades in specific subjects. Two applicants with the same total can get very different responses from the same course. Check the course page, then check again in the year you apply.
No Tariff points? You still have routes
Plenty of people reach 18, or 28, or 48 without Level 3 grades that score on the Tariff. There are recognised, regulated ways forward. One of them starts at London School of Planning and Management.
OTHM and Qualifi Level 3 diplomas are Ofqual-regulated qualifications of 60 to 180 credits that build the study skills and subject grounding you need for higher education. They do not carry UCAS Tariff points. Instead, completing one lets you progress to a Level 4 diploma through the centre, which is the first year of a higher education pathway.
See all 34 Level 3 diplomas by subjectDesigned for adults returning to study, usually one year at a further education college. It does score on the Tariff, but on a credit-by-credit basis, so the total depends on your grades across the course rather than one headline grade.
How Access to HE is scoredIf you are a few points short, the cheapest fix is often another sitting of one subject, or adding an Extended Certificate alongside work. Ask the course you want whether they would accept the combination before you commit.
Compare every routeLevel 3 Diploma
60 to 180 credits. Study skills, academic English and a subject grounding. No UCAS Tariff points.
Level 4 Diploma
The first higher education stage, chosen by subject. Entry is through LSPM, not through UCAS. Read about Level 4 diplomas on our sibling site.
Level 5 Diploma
The second higher education stage, pitched at the level of a bachelor's degree second year.
Level 6 top-up
Some universities accept Level 5 diploma holders on to the final year of a related degree. Each university decides for itself.
Level 3 diplomas delivered by LSPM
All are OTHM or Qualifi qualifications at Level 3 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework. None carries UCAS Tariff points, and each is a route to a Level 4 diploma at LSPM. Start with the general foundation diploma if you have not chosen a subject.
Is the Level 3 diploma route for you?
What happens next
Send the short form or call. Tell us what you have studied so far and what you want to do next. No documents needed at this stage.
We talk through whether a Level 3 diploma, an Access course or a straight UCAS application is the better fit for you.
If it is the right route, you apply on LSPM's own website, upload ID and any previous certificates, and choose a start date. LSPM's admissions team decides.
Once LSPM confirms your place, its team runs the induction, sets the unit schedule and assigns your tutor. Our part is done, apart from being here if you have questions.
Guides
Yes, and in some cases they score higher than A levels. Which BTECs are on the Tariff, how the letter grades convert, and the two situations where the points do not help.
4 minute read GuideSize bands, grade bands and the arithmetic behind the number on your calculator, plus the three things the Tariff was never designed to do.
4 minute read GuideSix ways people reach degree-level study without the classic three A levels, what each one costs in time, and which of them carry UCAS Tariff points.
4 minute readFAQs
No. They are regulated Level 3 qualifications, but UCAS has not allocated Tariff points to them, so they add nothing to a points total. Their purpose is different: successful completion lets you progress to a Level 4 diploma at LSPM. If a university offer depends on a points total, a Level 3 diploma will not meet it.
They are the UCAS Tariff values for 2024 entry onwards for A level, AS level, BTEC Nationals, T Levels, the International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers and the other qualifications listed in the tables. UCAS occasionally adds or revises qualifications, so for anything unusual check the official tables linked under the calculator.
Often, yes. Many courses that quote a points total also add conditions, such as a minimum grade in one subject, or a limit on how many points can come from AS levels or from the IB core. Some will not count General Studies. Read the full entry requirements rather than the headline figure, and ask admissions if anything is unclear.
No. The Tariff only covers Level 3 qualifications and above. GCSEs still matter, because most courses ask for at least a grade 4 in English and maths, and some require specific GCSE subjects, but they are checked separately and never added to your total.
You can apply through UCAS with any background, but the diploma will not give you Tariff points and universities differ in how they view it. The route the diploma is designed for is progression to a Level 4 diploma through London School of Planning and Management, then Level 5, after which some universities consider direct entry to the final year of a related degree. Each university decides for itself, so we never promise a named destination.
We are an independent agent, not LSPM's sales team, and we will say whether a UCAS application, an Access course or a Level 3 diploma is the better option for you, even when the answer earns this site nothing. Replies within two working days.