Access to Higher Education UCAS Points

Access to HE UCAS Points Explained

If you are studying an Access to Higher Education course, you may be wondering how many UCAS points it is worth and whether it can help you get into university. The good news is that an Access to HE Diploma can carry UCAS Tariff points and is widely used by adult learners who want to progress to higher education without traditional A Levels.

An Access to HE Diploma is a Level 3 qualification designed to prepare learners for university study. The number of UCAS points you can achieve depends on your final grade profile, including how many graded credits you achieve at Pass, Merit and Distinction. A full Access to HE Diploma is usually made up of 60 credits, with 45 graded Level 3 credits used to calculate UCAS points.

How Many UCAS Points Is an Access to HE Diploma Worth?

Access to HE UCAS points vary depending on your grades. As a general guide, an Access to HE Diploma can be worth between 48 and 144 UCAS points, depending on whether your graded credits are achieved at Pass, Merit or Distinction. For example, achieving all graded credits at Pass gives a lower UCAS points total, while achieving all graded credits at Distinction gives the highest tariff value.

This means an Access to Higher Education Diploma can be a strong alternative to A Levels for learners applying to university, particularly for courses in areas such as nursing, healthcare, social work, education, business and science.

Check Your Access to HE Course UCAS Points

The easiest way to check your Access to HE Diploma points for UCAS is to use the official UCAS Tariff points calculator. UCAS explains that the calculator is an indicative guide, and universities or colleges still decide which qualifications they accept and how many points they count towards a specific course offer.

You should also check the entry requirements for your chosen university course directly, as some universities list Access to HE entry requirements by grade profile rather than by UCAS points. For example, a university may ask for a certain number of credits at Distinction and Merit instead of simply asking for a total tariff score.

Do Universities Accept Access to HE UCAS Points?

Many universities accept Access to HE Diplomas, but entry requirements vary depending on the subject, university and competitiveness of the course. UCAS notes that universities do not have to use Tariff points and may set their own qualification or grade requirements.

This is especially important for competitive degrees such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, teaching and healthcare-related courses. Before enrolling, you should check that your chosen Access to Higher Education course matches the subject requirements for the degree you want to apply for.

Start an Access to Higher Education Course

An Access to Higher Education Diploma can be a practical route into university if you do not have A Levels or have been out of education for some time. It allows you to build academic skills, gain a recognised Level 3 qualification and work towards the UCAS points or grade profile needed for your chosen degree.

To explore your options, view our Access to HE Diplomas and choose the course that best matches your university and career goals.

Written by

Pass Learn Team

We help thousands of students each year with revision, courses and online exams.