- The January equal consideration deadline will be Wednesday 14 January 2026, keeping the mid-week scheduling to avoid conflicts with weekends.
- UCAS is also reintroducing the end of March advisory deadline to encourage earlier decision-making.
- The reject by default deadline is set for 13 May 2026.
Recent UCAS data highlights that some applicants are experiencing delays in receiving decisions. For example, by 1 April 2024, 90,000 UK 18-year-olds were still waiting for at least one decision.
In cycles where the end of March advisory deadline was previously in place, significantly fewer applications were left pending at this stage. While it’s inevitable that some applicants may still face delays, we expect the adjustment to pre-pandemic norms will reduce the number affected during the critical pre-exam period.
Looking ahead, UCAS will continue to review cycle dates and deadlines, with details for the 2027 cycle to be shared no later than December 2025.
Please note, these updates apply only from the 2026 cycle; deadlines for the 2025 entry remain unchanged.