The consultation focused on three proposals relating to the UCAS Tariff. These were:
- A return to focus solely on Level 3/SCQF Level 6 domestic qualifications, by tariffing all UK regulated qualifications of these levels
- The removal of international qualifications and non-regulated UK qualifications from the Tariff Tables, and
- The removal of the Tariff nomination process
We also asked for feedback on the removal of the Qualifications Information Profiles (QIP) portal.
You can 
read the details of our consultation and the feedback received here (254.24 KB)
Outcome of the consultation
Based on feedback received through the consultation and additional engagement with UCAS’ Qualifications Advisory Group, UCAS will be implementing the proposed changes to the Tariff with some minor exceptions. Recognising the feedback received on the value of QIPs, we will not be removing these, but instead launch a project to reform them.
A summary of the changes that will be made to the Tariff and the reform of QIPs, the benefits of the change and initial timeline for implementation is outlined in the below table.
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Status |
Benefits of the change |
Timeframe for implementation |
|---|---|---|---|
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Proposal 1 A return to focus solely on Level 3/SCQF Level 6 domestic qualifications, achieved by tariffing all UK regulated qualifications of these levels. The current Tariff offering is inconsistent, with many Level 3 (and equivalent) qualifications missing. HE providers must look elsewhere to find out about qualifications which aren’t tariffed, which is time- consuming. |
Approved |
Tariffing all Level 3 (and equivalent) qualifications will ensure higher probability that the qualification combinations seen on applications are covered, facilitating a smoother decision-making process for HE providers. It will be impartial. Whilst some qualifications may not be suited for progression to HE, it is not necessarily the place of UCAS to dictate this to universities. It will support widening access and participation, giving learners from a wider range of backgrounds the opportunity to consider HE. Tariffing a wider range of qualifications may therefore also enable HE providers to diversify their cohorts. Supports progression to a wider range of destinations, including apprenticeships. |
We are now in the process of understanding how we will implement this change and whether it is something we can deliver in time for the next Tariff update in May 2022. |
|
Proposal 2 The removal of international and non-regulated UK qualifications from the Tariff Tables Many providers have their own systems for international and unregulated qualifications. These qualifications are governed by different standards to UK regulated qualifications in the Tariff Tables.
|
Approved in part.
The Irish Leaving Certificate will not be removed from the Tariff Tables due to the special arrangements the ROI has with the UK. |
All qualifications included in the Tariff Tables will be governed by the same standards. |
May 2022 |
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Proposal 3 The removal of the Tariff nomination process The nomination process is long and can leave stakeholders waiting over a year to find out if their qualification will be included in future versions of the Tariff tables. |
Approved |
Customers will not be required to wait long periods of time to discover if a qualification will receive Tariff points. As most nominations received are for regulated qualifications, the nomination process will become largely redundant with the implementation of Proposal 1. |
May 2022 |
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Remove the Qualification Information Profiles (QIPs) portal The number of views the QIPs receive is not particularly high, and HE providers we engaged with advised they tend to use other sources of information to find out about qualifications. |
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The feedback we received during the consultation highlighted that the QIPs, despite containing a lot of data found within other sources of qualifications data, do contain some valuable information not found elsewhere. Therefore, the decision has been made not to remove the QIPs but instead to reform them: We aim to remove most of the duplicated information whilst maintaining the parts which hold value in a HE admissions context. |
We are now investigating the best way to do this. In the meantime, the QIPs portal will remain active on our website.
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Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about the information on this page.