Sometimes, after submitting your UCAS application, you realize your original choices no longer fit. Maybe you’ve discovered a course that excites you more, or your predicted grades have changed. The good news? UCAS provides ways to switch choices without throwing away your entire application.
At RevisionDojo, we guide IB and A-Level students through these transitions. Here’s how to switch your UCAS choice strategically and safely.
Quick Start Checklist
- You can’t directly swap a UCAS choice after submitting
- Use UCAS Extra if you’ve used all five choices and have no offers
- Use UCAS Clearing if you didn’t meet your offers or apply late
- Contact universities directly for minor course changes
- Always check deadlines before making changes
Step 1: Before Submitting Your Application
You can edit or replace choices freely before the UCAS deadline. Once submitted, however, you’ll need to follow official UCAS processes to make changes.
Step 2: Using UCAS Extra
If you’ve used all five choices and received no offers (or declined them), you can use UCAS Extra from late February to early July.
Through Extra, you can:
- Apply to one course at a time
- Keep applying until you receive an offer
- Expand your options without waiting for Clearing
Step 3: Switching Through Clearing
If you don’t hold an offer after Results Day, or if you change your mind, you’ll enter UCAS Clearing. This allows you to:
- Search available courses across universities
- Contact institutions directly to see if they’ll accept you
