UCAS Points Calculator

What are UCAS Tariff points?

UCAS Tariff points translate your qualification grades into a single number that some (not all) university courses use to set their entry requirements. Many qualifications carry a fixed points value per grade — an A-level grade A is 48 points, a Scottish Higher grade A is 33 points — and you simply add up the points for every qualification you're counting.

Not every course uses the Tariff: many, especially more selective ones, ask for specific grades in specific subjects instead of a points total. Always check the exact entry requirements for the course you want, and use your points total as a general guide to where you stand.

How different qualifications compare

The scales are NOT interchangeable at a glance: an A-level grade A (48 points) is worth more than a Scottish Higher grade A (33 points), because a Higher is a one-year course and an A-level runs over two years. A BTEC Extended Certificate mirrors A-level values directly (Distinction* = 56 = A-level A*), while a full BTEC Extended Diploma is sized like three A-levels (D*D*D* = 168 = A*A*A*). A T-Level is also sized as three A-levels: Distinction* = 168, Distinction = 144.

Mix and match freely in this calculator — most UCAS applications combine at least two qualification types (for example three A-levels plus a standalone AS-level, or A-levels plus an EPQ).

The IB is different: it's a per-component sum, not your diploma score

This trips almost everyone up: your IB diploma score (24 to 45) is not your UCAS points. UCAS instead adds up each Higher Level subject (a 7 is 56 points, a 6 is 48), each Standard Level subject (a 7 is 28 points), and your TOK and Extended Essay core grades (4 to 12 points each). A strong IB profile can easily total 200+ UCAS points, well above what the 24-45 diploma score alone might suggest.

The no-double-counting rule

UCAS never counts the same subject twice. If you sat the full A-level in a subject, an AS-level you took in that same subject on the way doesn't add extra points — only standalone AS-levels (subjects you stopped at AS and didn't continue to A-level) count. The same principle applies to Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers in the same subject: only the higher-level qualification counts.

What your total actually means for university offers

Many universities and Clearing places do quote a Tariff points total in their entry requirements, but selective courses often ask for specific grades (like AAB, or DDM in a BTEC) instead. Treat your UCAS points total as a useful benchmark for comparing across qualification types and for Clearing, but always check the exact wording of each course's entry requirements before you rely on it.