The UCAS reference and predicted grades

Who writes the reference

If you apply through a school or college, the reference is usually written by a tutor, head of year or careers adviser, drawing on comments from your subject teachers. It is added to your application after you have finished your part and before it goes to UCAS, and you don't normally see it.

If you apply independently, you choose your own referee: someone who knows you academically, such as a former teacher or tutor. UCAS doesn't accept references from family, friends or partners.

The three sections of the reference

Since the 2024 entry cycle, the reference has been split into three structured sections rather than one free-form piece.

1. 1.A general statement about the school or college. Context that applies to every applicant from it, such as the curriculum it offers or circumstances affecting the whole school. It is written once and used for all its applicants.
2. 2.Extenuating circumstances. Anything that has affected your education or performance, such as illness, a disrupted school career or significant responsibilities at home. Many applicants have nothing here, and UCAS is clear that leaving it empty doesn't disadvantage anyone.
3. 3.Supporting information about you. Your academic performance and potential, and your suitability for the courses you've chosen, in short, factual statements.

What predicted grades are

Predicted grades are your school's professional judgement of the grades you are likely to achieve in the qualifications you are still taking. They sit alongside the reference, and universities use them to decide whether to make you an offer, because most offers are made before you have your results.

UCAS's guidance to schools is that predictions should be achievable and based on evidence of your performance, and set independently of which universities you are applying to. How a school gathers that evidence varies: many use Year 12 exams or mock results, and some also look at classwork and internal assessments. For competitive courses, your predictions generally need to meet or exceed the typical offer for you to be a realistic candidate.

What you can do to help

• Find out your school's process and deadlines early, including when predictions are set and when references are written.
• Tell your referee what you are applying for. A short note listing your courses, and anything relevant you've done beyond the syllabus, lets them write about you specifically and back up what your statement says.
• Mention circumstances that affected your studies, if you are comfortable doing so. Your referee can only include what they know about.
• If your predictions fall short of what your courses ask for, ask how they were set and whether recent work could change them. Also ask whether your choices are realistic.
• If you apply independently, give your referee plenty of time and point them to UCAS's guidance for referees of independent applicants.

If your school is outside the UK

Referees who haven't written for UCAS before sometimes write a character reference, the kind used for other countries' applications, rather than an academic assessment with predicted grades. If your school is new to UCAS, share UCAS's guidance for referees with them early, and check that they know which grades your courses require, including any English language qualification.