Do UCAS Points Expire or Change Each Year?

Quick answer: No — UCAS points do not expire, and the Tariff has not changed since 2017. Your A-level A* is still worth exactly 56 points in 2026. Points stay fixed; only the *qualification* can age, which some universities consider for older results.

If you worked out your score last year and you are worried it might have quietly shifted, you can relax. The number you earned is the number you keep. The one nuance worth knowing is that a qualification can age even though its points never do — and that is what this page clears up.

No — your UCAS points don't expire

Once a result is on your certificate, its point value is fixed. An A-level A is 48 points today, it was 48 points the day your results came out, and it will be 48 points years from now. Points do not "run out", reset at the start of a cycle, or shrink with age. There is no clock counting down on your total.

What can vary is something different: how long a particular university will accept the qualification itself for a particular course. That is a course-by-course admissions decision, not a change to the points. Keep these two ideas separate:

• Your points — permanent. The grade-to-points value never changes once earned.
• Acceptance of the qualification — varies by university and course, and only for some courses.

So the honest summary is: the points are durable; the question of "will this uni still take this result?" is a separate one we cover further down. If you want a refresher on the basics first, see what UCAS points are, or work out your total in a minute.

Has the UCAS Tariff changed for 2026?

No. The current UCAS Tariff has applied since 2017 entry, and the grade-to-points values are the same in 2026 as they have been for years. Nothing was re-priced for this cycle. Here is the A-level scale that is in use now and was in use last year:

That table is unchanged across 2017–2026, so a comparison you made a year ago still holds. One thing that does trip people up: very old reference tables. Before the 2017 reform, the Tariff used completely different numbers — an A-level A* was once listed as 140, not 56. That legacy scale is no longer used by any university, so if you find an old chart with much bigger numbers, ignore it. It is not how points are counted today.

For the full picture of how the system works, see the UCAS Tariff explained, or open the full A-level points table for every grade combination.

What *does* change over time

If the values stay fixed, what actually moves? A few things, none of which re-price the grades you already hold:

• New qualifications get added. UCAS keeps bringing more qualifications into the Tariff. Level 3 apprenticeships, for example, are recognised for entry now in ways they were not in earlier years. That widens the system; it does not change existing scores.
• Reformed qualifications keep their points. When a qualification is restructured — as with the move to Alternative Academic Qualifications alongside BTECs — the aim is to keep the points broadly aligned, not to revalue what current holders already have.
• Occasional structural reviews. Every so often UCAS reviews how the Tariff is built. The big one was 2017. Reviews look at the framework, not at clawing back the points sitting on your certificate.

So the list of *what counts* grows and gets tidied up over time, but the grade-to-points conversion you rely on does not get rewritten each year. To see what has been added recently, read about new Tariff qualifications, and for the longer story see the history of the UCAS Tariff.

Do older qualifications still count?

Yes — and this is where the real nuance lives. Your points stay fixed no matter how old the result is. But some universities ask that a qualification was achieved within a set window for certain courses, often around the last three to five years, or they prefer recent study for the most competitive routes. This is most common with science-heavy or fast-changing subjects, where admissions teams want to know your knowledge is current.

A few things to keep in mind:

• There is no national expiry date on results. Any recency preference is set course by course.
• Many courses accept older results without any issue at all, including plenty of degrees that welcome mature and returning students.
• If a course does prefer recent study, that is about the qualification's age, not a reduction in your points.

The realistic move is simple: check the specific course you are interested in rather than assuming. If you are weighing up where your score lands, how many points you need is a good next read, and do all universities use UCAS points explains why entry rules differ between institutions.

Will recalculating later change my total?

If you calculated your points a year ago and you recalculate today, you will get the same total — because the scale has not changed. The same grades produce the same number every time. There is no hidden annual adjustment working against you.

Your total only moves when your *results* move. That happens if you re-sit and improve a grade, add a new qualification to the mix, or correct a genuine mistake in what you entered the first time. None of those are the Tariff changing; they are your own record changing. So a quick re-check is always worth it after results, but you will not be caught out by a silent revaluation. When you are ready, recalculate your points now or see what you can study with your points.

What to do next with your points

Now that you know the number is solid, the useful step depends on where you are:

• Not sure of your total yet? Run the numbers and lock in your figure with a quick calculation.
• Have your total and want more? Look at how to get more UCAS points for realistic ways to add to it.
• Considering a retake? Retake A-levels for points walks through whether it is worth it.
• Sorting things out around results? Using points in Clearing shows how your score works when courses are filling places.

Whichever applies, your points are a stable starting point — so you can plan your next step from solid ground.

Frequently asked questions

Do UCAS points expire after a few years?

No. Once you earn a grade, its UCAS point value is fixed for life — an A-level A is always 48 points. What can vary is how long an individual university will accept that *qualification* for a specific course, not the points themselves.

Do UCAS points change each year?

No. The current UCAS Tariff has been stable since 2017 entry, so the grade-to-points values are the same in 2026 as in previous years. UCAS adds new qualifications over time, but it does not re-price existing grades each cycle.

Are old A-level grades worth fewer UCAS points now?

No — the same scale applies (A*=56, A=48, B=40, C=32, D=24, E=16). Be careful with very old reference tables: before 2017 an A* was listed as 140, but that legacy scale is no longer used by universities.

How long are my A-level results valid for university?

Your points never expire, but some courses — often competitive or science-based ones — prefer qualifications achieved within roughly the last three to five years. Many courses accept older results, so always check the specific entry requirements.

If I recalculate my UCAS points next year, will the total be different?

Only if your results change. The scale stays the same, so the same grades give the same total. Your number changes if you re-sit, add a new qualification, or correct an earlier mistake — not because the Tariff was updated.