UCAS Tariff Point Master Calculator

The 2017 Tariff Scale

UCAS rebuilt its Tariff in September 2017 to replace the older 2010 scale. Each Level 3 qualification (or qualification component) is assigned a fixed point value. Universities express their entry requirement either as letter grades (e.g. ABB) or as a tariff total (e.g. 128). The two are interchangeable: A*A*A* = 168, AAA = 144, ABB = 128, BBC = 112, CCC = 96.

Only the qualifications listed on the UCAS Tariff are counted. GCSEs, Functional Skills Level 2, and most foundation diplomas are not on the Tariff and earn zero points, even if they appear on your transcript.

The Double-Counting Trap

The most common error in self-built tariff totals: counting the same subject twice. If you sat AS Mathematics and then completed A-Level Mathematics, only the A-Level grade is tariff-eligible — the AS is absorbed. The same rule applies to Scottish Highers replaced by Advanced Highers in the same subject, and to BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas that are upgraded to Diplomas. This calculator enforces a one-grade-per-subject discipline by listing AS only as a stand-alone slot.

IB Diploma — Component Method

UCAS does not assign a single tariff value to the 24–45 IB Diploma score. Instead, every HL and SL subject grade is tariffed individually and the TOK/Extended Essay core is added on top. A 36-point IB (3×HL6, 3×SL6, 2 core) maps to 3×48 + 3×24 + 16 = 232 tariff points — higher than AAA at A-Level. This per-component method is why IB candidates often clear high-tariff offers even when their numeric IB score looks modest.

Reading the Result & Limits

A green band (≥ target) means your tariff total meets the offer in numeric terms. It does not mean you meet subject prerequisites: a medicine course asking for AAA including Chemistry will reject AAA in History, Geography, and PE — even though both score 144. Always read the full course entry profile on the UCAS course finder before assuming an offer is satisfied.

Selective universities (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL, most medical schools) often state requirements only in letter grades and ignore tariff totals, EPQ uplift, and resit retakes. Use this calculator as a sanity check against published numeric thresholds — not as an admissions guarantee.