Use final grades for university applications, urges UCU

Students should apply to university with their final A-level results and start studying later to combat the rise in unconditional offers, a report has claimed.

According to the University and College Union, which represents staff in higher education institutions, moving the UK to a post-qualification application (PQA) system would end the rush of the clearing process and stop the use of unconditional offers, which have risen sharply in the past few years. 

It would also put England, Northern Ireland and Wales—the nations scrutinised in the report—on a level playing field with European universities and most countries in the OECD, which largely use PQAs.