Types of undergraduate offers
Find out about the different decisions universities and colleges can make on your application.
Replying to your UCAS Undergraduate offers
Find out when you need to reply, how to accept or decline offers, and about the different replies you can make.
How to make your replies
When your last decision comes in, we'll send you an email to update let you know all your decisions have been received and you can now reply to any offers you've been given.
- Sign in to your application to make your replies.
- You'll see the deadline you need to reply by.
Types of reply
If you have an unconditional offer, you can select it now to confirm your place. If your offers are conditional on exam results or other requirements, you can pick two so you have an extra one as a back-up.
Here's what you need to know about firm and insurance choices, and how to accept or decline an offer.
How to accept an offer
Firm acceptance – this is your first choice.
- If it's an unconditional offer, the place is yours! So that university will expect you as their student.
- Or if it's conditional, the place is yours if you meet the offer conditions. So just in case you don't, you can pick a second offer as a backup – your insurance acceptance.
Insurance acceptance – the back-up choice to a conditional firm acceptance.
- If you're choosing an insurance, go for something with lower offer conditions – make sure it's somewhere you'd still be happy to go to though.
- That way, if your results are lower than expected, you might still meet the conditions at your insurance choice; then you'd have your place confirmed there.
- Remember, you'll only attend your insurance choice course if you don't meet the conditions of your firm choice, but you do meet the conditions of your insurance. You can't choose between your firm and insurance when you get your results, so make sure you're happy with which is your firm and which is your insurance before you reply.
How to decline an offer
Decline – you'll need to decline any other offers you get.
However, if you decide you don't want to accept any of the offers, you can decline them all and add more courses in our Extra service. Alternatively, you can see what courses still have vacancies later on in our Clearing service.
You can only accept one firm choice and one insurance choice (if you choose to have one). You must decline all other offers.
Offer and reply combinations
- Unconditional firm (UF) – You're in!
- Conditional firm (CF) – You're in if you meet the conditions.
- Conditional firm (CF) and conditional insurance (CI) – You've made a first and second choice – you'll be in at the first if you meet the conditions. If not, you might have met the conditions of the second – if so you'll be on that course instead.
- Conditional firm (CF) and unconditional insurance (UI) – You've made a first and second choice – if you meet the conditions of the first you'll be on that course. If not, you'll definitely be on the second.
Offers for courses with early start dates
If you want to accept a place on a course that starts before your reply date, you should contact the university or college concerned to discuss what to do.
If they give you an earlier deadline to reply, you should be aware that they may withdraw their offer if you do not accept it before their specified deadline.
Why am I given a deadline to reply by?
Your reply deadline is set to ensure universities and colleges know how many people have been placed by a certain date. This means they can start making arrangements for the course and accommodation.
It also helps ensure all applicants are given an equal opportunity to consider their decisions, and do not gain an advantage over one another.Can UCAS extend my deadline?
We ensure everyone is given adequate time before their deadline, so you've got plenty of time to make your replies before your deadline.
My choice has been automatically declined – can I still accept my offer?
You have 14 days – starting on the date the automatic decline was recorded – in which the automatic decline can be swapped. Please call us in these 14 days to resolve this.
After 14 days, it may still be possible, but we will need permission from the universities you want to accept offers from before we can do so. You should contact them directly to discuss this. If they agree, you'll need to contact us to give us your permission. Once all permissions are received, we will swap the replies.
No reply swaps are possible after 24 July 2025.
Changed your mind?
Here’s what to do if you change your mind:
- If you accepted your offers in the last 14 days, contact one of our advisers to make any changes to your replies.
- If it’s been more than 14 days since you replied to your offers, there is a more detailed process you need to follow. As you’ve agreed to a contract with your chosen unis, it may be possible, but we are unable to guarantee you can change them. You’ll need to speak to them about changing your replies, and then call us, to let us know what you want to do.
- No reply swaps are possible after 24 July 2025.
- If you've changed your mind, and no longer want to go to uni or college this year, you can sign in and completely withdraw your application.
Your consumer rights
Find out about the information a course provider is required to give you, before you make a decision about accepting an offer of a place.
If your undergraduate course is withdrawn
Occasionally, it's necessary for universities and colleges to withdraw courses after you've been made an offer, or even after you've accepted an offer.
Extra choices
If you've used all five choices on your application, and you're not holding any offers, you could still find a place using Extra – it's free!