UCAS Conservatoires Confirmation overview

• Conservatoire music, dance, and drama places are confirmed after exam results are published.
• The 'CU12' Confirmation letter for UCAS Conservatoires applicants will be available in their application.
• Applications are updated continuously, except for the periods when we’re processing results. Our processing results page gives more detail about this.

While conservatoires receive grades and make their decisions, we enter into a results embargo period…

What is the results embargo? 

Each year, UCAS and conservatoires are given early access to results under strict embargo arrangements with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). An embargo period covers the defined period of time where early access to embargoed examination results/grades is given. This allows conservatoires to prepare and make decisions by the official publication dates of exam results. It also gives you, as teachers, advisers, and exam centres, time to plan for the publication dates.

The SQA and JCQ results embargo periods for 2024 are:

• 29 July at 18:00 – 6 August at 09:00
• 9 August at 14:00 – 15 August at 08:00

During the embargo periods:

• students' applications will not be updated
• conservatoires cannot discuss any applicant’s individual status with them, or with an adviser

There are a number of decisions conservatoires can make:

Conditions of offer have been met

UCAS Conservatoires applicants who have met the conditions of their guaranteed conditional first (GC1) choice will be placed there, and the offer will update to guaranteed unconditional (GU1). We send these applicants confirmation in their application. If the applicant was holding a second offer, this will no longer exist when the GC1 offer becomes a GU1 offer.

Reserve offers (VU or VC)

Conservatoires will only confirm a place for a reserve unconditional (VU) or reserve conditional (VC) offer if they have a vacancy for a guaranteed place. If there is no vacancy, the applicant becomes unsuccessful for that choice. Applicants who have accepted reserve offers will know by 22 September if a reserve place has become a guaranteed offer, or if the choice has been unsuccessful.

Conditions of offer have not been met

UCAS Conservatoires applicants who do not meet the conditions of their offers, will either be told they have been unsuccessful, or may be made an offer for a different course or year of entry.

The conservatoire will contact the applicant to discuss any changes, and if the offer is accepted, a confirmation letter will be sent.

Unsuccessful applicants

UCAS Conservatoires applicants who are unsuccessful cannot apply to any other conservatoire in the 2024 entry application cycle.

Commitments at Confirmation

Applicants are expected to honour their commitments at Confirmation.

If they are placed at a conservatoire in the UCAS Conservatoires application scheme, they must take up that place, or withdraw completely from this year’s application cycle. Applicants don’t have the right to turn down the offer and deal with any other conservatoire which recruits through UCAS Conservatoires.

Applicants should contact the conservatoire directly about a change of course, date of entry, or point of entry.