CUKAS - Entering qualifications

Guidance on entering qualification details

We have provided some guidance below on adding specific qualifications to your application in Apply. If your qualification is not listed below, please read the help text in Apply, speak to your school, college or centre, or contact our Customer Service Unit for advice.

GCE qualifications (AS & A level, Single & Double Award)

You must list all subjects that have been certificated (also known as 'claimed' or 'cashed in') at GCE AS level. This includes subjects which you are taking on to A level. You should include a subject even if you are re-sitting an AS unit to improve your A level grade.

If you have any doubts about the 'certification' of your AS subjects, you should check with your school or college, or whoever is helping you with your application.

It is not a requirement to enter details of individual units or modules that form part of the overall qualification.

The following scenarios should help you to enter your qualifications correctly. practicing the flute

Your AS levels were certificated
Enter your AS subject and the grade achieved.
Your AS levels were certificated, and you are retaking all units to achieve a higher overall grade
Enter your AS subject and grade achieved. Then, enter the AS level again (to cover the re-sit), even if you are taking the subject on to A level. We need to know about the AS level re-sits for matching purposes to enable us to pass on the potentially new AS grade to your chosen conservatoires.
Your AS level was certificated prior to sitting your A levels
Enter your AS subject and the grade achieved. Enter your pending A level.

Music, dance, drama or speech qualifications

Most conservatoires will specify a standard of practical musical ability. This might be based on ABRSM grades (for instance, skills equivalent to ABRSM Grade VIII Distinction), however you will also normally be required to demonstrate your practical skills at audition/interview.

If you are entering music qualifications on your CUKAS application, such as ABRSM or equivalents, dance qualifications, such as RAD or equivalents, drama or speech qualifications, such as LAMDA, only enter each subject/instrument once with the highest grade you achieved.

Open University credits

In the title box, you should enter the programme code, the programme title and the number of credit points for all the Open University programmes you have completed or for which you are studying, for example, S103 Discovering Science 60 points.

Scottish qualifications

Standard Grades, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, Highers, Advanced Highers

Please enter the overall result you received, you cannot enter details for the units that make up these qualifications.

National and other free-standing units

Enter details for any units you have obtained or for which you are studying that are not part of a completed course or a Scottish Group Award. You must not enter details for Core Skills units as national or freestanding units. You must enter these units under your Core Skills Profile (see Core Skills Profile below).

Group Awards such as HNCs, HNDs, National Certificates, National Progression Awards (NPAs), Professional Development Awards (PDAs), Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)

Firstly, you must enter the title for the whole course, the date when you finished or expect to finish the course and the result or grade. If you are still studying for the qualification, you should leave the result/grade box blank. You must then enter details for all the units or subjects that make up the qualification. If you are entering details of an HNC or HND that includes Group Award Graded Units, you should give details for these units by putting 'Graded Unit' after the unit title, for example, HNC Business Graded Unit 1.

If you have taken, or are taking, HNC or HND units, national units or workplace-assessed units, but not as part of a course or group award, you should enter the details as free-standing units.

Core skills profile

Firstly, you must enter the general information for the whole Core Skills Profile. You must then enter details for all the core skills that make up the profile.

Access programmes

If you are taking a Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) or an access programme agreed locally with a conservatoire talk to your tutor before you start to apply.

Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification, Advanced Diploma

Only enter details for the core under the section for the Welsh Baccalaureate, Advanced Diploma. You do not need to provide details for all the individual components of the core.

Enter details for all your options under the section for the appropriate qualification, for example, GCE A level, NVQ or BTEC National Certificate.

Diplomas (Progression and Advanced)

If you are taking the Progression or Advanced Diploma, enter the two compulsory units separately:

Listed under D - Diploma (Advanced - 14-19 level 3) or Diploma (Progression - 14-19 level 3)
Listed under E - Extended Project

For the Advanced Diploma, enter details for all your Additional & Specialist Learning under the section for the appropriate qualification, for example GCE A level or BTEC National Award.

Pre-U (Certificate and Diploma)

If you are taking the Pre-U Diploma, enter your Pre-U subjects, Global Perspectives and Research Project under the section Pre-U Diploma. If your are taking A levels as part of the Diploma, enter them under the section GCE A level.

If you are taking the Pre-U Certificate in individual subjects, enter your subjects under the section Pre-U Certificate.

If you are taking the Global Perspectives and Research Project as a stand-alone qualification rather than as part of the Pre-U Diploma, enter it under the section Pre-U Global Perspectives & Research.

BTECs

If you are taking a BTEC, please ensure you choose the correct qualification title from the list. If your BTEC is one of the new QCF qualifications, please select the relevant title which has 'QCF' at the end of it, eg BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Certificate (QCF) etc. If you're unsure of the title of your BTEC, please consult your school or college.

Irish Leaving Certificate

Enter details for all subjects you have studied. In the level box, select IO for Irish Ordinary or IH for Irish Higher.

QCF qualifications (excluding BTECs)

If you are taking one of the new QCF qualifications, please ensure you select the correct qualification title from the list. All QCF qualifications have 'QCF' at the end of the title, eg Diploma (QCF) or Advanced Certificate (QCF) or NVQ Diploma (QCF).

If you have any queries about entering your qualifications, speak to your school or college, or whoever may be helping you with your application.