Decisions and replies

This type of decision is sent when an applicant is invited to audition. The audition pending transaction includes details of the audition (date and time) and status of payment. More than one date can be entered for applicants applying for more than one practical study.

Conservatoires may waive assessment fees through the AP transaction. Conservatoires should give details of the fee transaction for each application when they send the AP transaction.

This type of offer can be used when a conservatoire is satisfied that the applicant has already fulfilled the academic entry requirements.

• Non-academic conditions can be included in unconditional offers – such as health checks and payment of fees.
• Conservatoires must be explicit in their offer about the deadline for fulfilment of non-academic conditions.
• For example, tuition fees to be paid before the course starts, or the result from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before a placement.

Unless the application and/or qualifications are subsequently shown to be fraudulent, a guaranteed unconditional offer is binding upon the conservatoire, if the applicant accepts it.

This type of offer can be used when applicants are yet to take exams. These are academic conditions. Conditional offers can also include non-academic conditions, such as health checks and payment of fees. These can be on their own or with academic conditions.

Unless the application and/or qualifications are subsequently shown to be fraudulent, the offer is binding upon the conservatoire, provided the applicant accepts the offer and meets the conditions.

Applicants are advised that they're expected to meet the academic conditions of conditional offers by the nominal deadline – unless the conservatoire sets an earlier deadline in its offer.

• Conservatoires must be explicit in their offer about the deadline for fulfilment of non-academic conditions.
• For example, tuition fees to be paid before the course starts, or the result from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before a placement.

This type of offer can be used when an applicant is offered a place on the conservatoire’s reserve list, and the conservatoire is satisfied from the information given that the applicant has already fulfilled the academic entry requirements.

• Non-academic conditions can be included in unconditional offers – such as health checks and payment of fees.
• Conservatoires must be explicit in their offer about the deadline for fulfilment of non-academic conditions.
• For example, tuition fees to be paid before the course starts, or the result from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before a placement.

To be considered for a guaranteed place (if one becomes available), the applicant needs to accept the reserve offer.

This type of offer can be used when an applicant is offered a place on the conservatoire’s reserve list when applicants are still to take examinations. These are academic conditions. Conditional offers can also include non-academic conditions, such as health checks and payment of fees. These can be on their own or with academic conditions.

To be considered for a guaranteed place (if one becomes available), the applicant needs to accept and meet the conditions of the offer.

Applicants are advised that they're expected to meet the academic conditions of conditional offers by the nominal deadline – unless the conservatoire sets an alternative deadline in its offer.

• Conservatoires must be explicit in their offer about the deadline for fulfilment of non-academic conditions.
• For example, tuition fees to be paid before the course starts, or the result from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before a placement

This decision will be sent to an applicant if the conservatoire does not want to make them an offer of a place.

A conservatoire will be able to send an unsuccessful (REJ) decision, together with a reason for the rejection – either at the time of the initial decision, or later over the original REJ decision, as long as the applicant hasn't replied to any offers.

The reason for rejection can be sent as either:

• a) a conservatoire’s own offer abbreviation code
• b) free format text

The reason for rejection text will be available for applicants to view in their application. If the applicant has already replied to their offers, they'll have to contact the conservatoire to discuss the reason for rejection.

This decision is used when an applicant wants to withdraw their choice at the conservatoire. The applicant will either contact the relevant conservatoire who will send a W decision, or the applicant will contact us and we will record the W decision.

Example of a withdrawal decision

• Type of decision – select withdraw choice (W) in web-link, xml-link, or odbc-link
• Coding – .W1
• Text shown in application – Withdrawn at your request

Scenario one

Choice

Conservatoire

Decision

Reply

1
A
GU
D

2
B
GC
2

3
C
GC
D

4
D
VC
D

5
E
VU
1

6
F
R
X

Scenario two

Choice

Conservatoire

Decision

Reply

1
A
GU
1

2
B
GC
D

3
C
GC
D

4
D
VC
D

5
E
VU
D

6
F
R
X

Applicants are committed to the conservatoires held as their first or second choice, unless they're subsequently rejected. You mustn't approach applicants holding offers with a view to recruitment, until you're satisfied the individuals are free of any commitment. Please use web-link, xml-link, odbc-link, or contact us to determine the applicant’s status.

A guaranteed conditional (GC) offer accepted as first choice means a commitment by the applicant to take up the place if the conditions are met. The same level of commitment applies to a second choice acceptance. If an applicant doesn't meet the conditions of a firmly accepted first choice reserve offer, and the conservatoire does not confirm the place, the applicant is committed to take up the place at their second choice if all the offer conditions have been met.

An applicant has a confirmed place if they accept a guaranteed unconditional (GU) offer as their first choice.

A guaranteed unconditional offer firmly accepted as a first choice is binding on both the conservatoire and the applicant.

If an unconditional offer has been accepted as a first choice (GU1), we send the applicant a guaranteed unconditional place letter (CU12). The letter informs the applicant they should email the conservatoire if they do not intend to take up the place. However, if the applicant contacts us within 14 days of the date of the letter, we'll change their replies. After 14 days, we'll do this only with the consent of the conservatoires concerned.

Applicants accepting conditional offers have the opportunity to change their replies once within 14 days of the day they originally replied to their offers. This is explained in their application. Applicants who decline all their offers can't make any additional choices during the same application cycle. These applicants will need to reapply in the next application cycle for entry the following year.

If an applicant doesn't reply to their offers by the deadline, we'll automatically decline all their offers. These applicants can't make any additional choices during the same application cycle, even if they originally applied for fewer than the maximum six choices. Applicants who've declined their offers, or who have had them declined by default by us, do have the opportunity to accept offers. We'll record acceptances if they contact us within 14 days of when the decline was recorded. After 14 days, we'll only do this with the consent of the conservatoires concerned.

Applicants who decline all their offers can't make any additional choices during the same application cycle. These applicants will need to reapply in the next application cycle for entry in the following year.

Applicants can can withdraw all choices to conservatoires where decisions are outstanding by contacting our Customer Experience Centre. As soon as they've done this, they can reply to their offers.

If an applicant wants to withdraw a choice at a particular conservatoire while leaving other choices open, or effectively withdraws, for example, by not attending an audition, you can send a withdrawal decision to us with the appropriate reason.

If an incorrect unsuccessful decision has been sent, the conservatoire must amend the decision.

If the incorrect decision is an offer, the conservatoire is, in principle, committed to the terms of its offer.

You can amend an incorrect decision in the applicant’s favour. However, if the offer shouldn't have been made, or the conditions should have been less favourable, it's essential that the conservatoire contacts the applicant immediately to explain the situation, and to advise them the offer will be amended.

In cases of dispute, please seek advice from our Customer Success Team.

Decisions conform to a standard layout made up of fields or elements.

Unsuccessful and withdrawal decisions use only a restricted range of the elements, whereas conditional and unconditional offers may use most of them.

The code of practice has been drawn up for the benefit of the conservatoires in UCAS Conservatoires, and the applicants who'll receive decisions from them. It's in everyone's best interests to make sure the guidelines are followed.

It's worth bearing in mind that an offer of a place to an applicant, whether conditional or unconditional, is a form of contract. The UCAS Conservatoires system can only check that decisions are syntactically correct. It's your responsibility to make sure that any decision sent to us is accurate.

• All offers should be clear.
• All offers should be unambiguous.
• The simplest form of words should be used.
• Applicants are advised that the conditions of any offer must be met by the nominal deadline – even if they're for deferred entry. Conservatoires should be explicit in their offers if they have an alternative deadline. It's good practice to advise applicants to send any examination results not processed by UCAS in ABL directly to the conservatoire.
• Avoid sending separate letters to applicants containing conditions of offers.
• Your system may have local facilities to check offers before they're sent. web-link also has an offer-checking facility.
• Avoid using holding offers without clear conditions.
• Don't make offers that are conditional on a satisfactory interview or audition, as this may place the applicant in the unfair position of being asked to reply before the interview or audition. Interviews and auditions are necessarily subjective and cannot form a quantifiable measure of achievement.
• Ensure a satisfactory summary of conditions is generated for conditional offers.
• Don't contact applicants after making offers to encourage replies.
• Check the decision-making deadlines shown at the start of this publication.
• You're advised to contact applicants before making a changed course, changed date of entry, or changed point of entry offer. This also applies when an amended decision is to be made.
• Applicants are told that by agreeing to the terms and conditions of the declaration, they undertake to be bound by the terms and conditions in the prospectus or contract sent with, or before, the offer of a place.

• qualifications, e.g. .GC produces the text ‘GCE A level’, .PU produces the text ‘Pre-U Diploma’, .DP produces the text ‘Advanced Diploma (Diploma)’
• non-academic conditions, e.g. .P1 produces the text ‘Satisfactory police check will be required’
• expressions to link sections of a decision, e.g. .IN produces the word ‘including’
• items of additional information, e.g. .AP produces the text ‘Please note this course is still subject to approval’

Although abbreviations may be used for both conditional and unconditional offers, the range of abbreviations available for unconditional offers is limited. Withdrawal decisions use a restricted range of abbreviations.

Find a full list of abbreviations here

The generated text appears as upper and lower case characters. The letters we use accommodate up to 60 characters on any one line. The length of the text generated by an abbreviation is therefore limited.

The meanings of the format codes are as follows:

• A – no indentation, blank line before and after expansion
• B – start at column 3, blank line before and after
• C – start at column 5, blank line before and after
• D – start at column 5, no extra blank lines
• E – start at column 10, no extra blank lines
• F – no indentation, no extra blank lines
• G – start at column 10, no extra blank lines

Irrespective of the combination of format codes, no two consecutive blank lines are ever generated in the expansion. Format G items are never preceded by a blank line.

Additional abbreviations specific to a particular conservatoire may also be used. We allocate up to 99 abbreviations to each conservatoire. However, if you recruit through UCAS Undergraduate as well as UCAS Conservatoires, the 99 must include any abbreviations required for those systems. It's your responsibility to organise their use and also to update (for example) dates, addresses, and telephone numbers.

Each abbreviation can contain up to 250 characters of text, including punctuation. This facility is particularly useful where you wish to relay specific information about yourself to an applicant. Each abbreviation in this category is referenced by the numeric codes .01 to .99. The content of the abbreviation may be changed at any time in web-link. Abbreviations may be linked together if the limit of 250 characters is exceeded.

• .1 – Accommodation for first year students on this course is
• .2 – Guaranteed – please contact Jim Davis on 020 7444 5555

Use of this combination of personalised abbreviations is accomplished by coding .01,.02 in the offer sent to us.

When you request personalised abbreviations, please take account of the effect of format codes as described above.

In general, if a personalised abbreviation is being used on its own, format code A should be used. If personalised abbreviations are linked, format code F should be used.

• alphabetical grades A to E inclusive
• two-digit numeric mark (optionally followed by a %)
• three-digit mark
• P for a Pass
• Q for a Merit
• T for a Credit
• R for a Distinction
• G for a Pass GCSE Grade C
• X for a Pass SQA Standard Grade 3
• A* for GCE
• S for BTEC D*

Single subject elements are used in conjunction with grades and marks, where you wish to stress that a particular subject is required. The subject codes must be valid and drawn from our standard subject codes.

The separator @ is used between the grade and the subject code. Examples of the use of single subject elements are as follows:

• B@CHEM – Grade B in chemistry
• 60%@PHYS – 60 per cent in physics
• P@BIOL – Pass in biology
• Q@GEOG – Merit in geography
• R@STATS – Distinction in statistics
• G@FRENCH – GCSE Grade C in French
• X@ENG – Pass SQA Standard Grade 3 English

Grouped subject elements are used in conjunction with grades where you wish to quote all or a range of subjects. The subject codes must be valid and drawn from our standard subject codes.

In the case of grouped subject elements, the separator / is used at the beginning and end of the group of subjects. Please note that more grades than subjects can be specified and vice versa, and the system will automatically produce the appropriate text. Examples of the use of grouped subject elements are as follows:

• BC / ART, HIST / – Grades BC in any order in art, history
• BCC / MATHS, PHYS, BIOL / – Grades BCC in any order in mathematics, physics, biology
• DDE / FRENCH, SPAN / – Grades DDE in any order including French, Spanish
• PQ / FRENCH / – 1 Pass, 1 Merit including French

Group awards can be categorised as follows:

• integrated purpose-built awards, e.g. IB Diploma, EB, Pre-U Diploma
• a package of freestanding qualifications, e.g. Welsh Baccalaureate, Scottish Baccalaureate, AQA Baccalaureate
• Advanced and Progression Diplomas

The principle of making offers for group awards should be based on the whole award so as to preserve its integrity.

Offers can include specific requirements for individual components of a group award, and should be requested in the context of the whole group award, rather than separate from it. For example, Grade B in Extended Project as part of an Advanced Diploma offer, or Distinction 2 in Principal Subject Music as part of a Pre-U offer.

Where you want to offer a conditional place based on two different sets of grades, you may use the alternative conditions facility. The alternative set of conditions is declared by use of the .AC abbreviation, for example:

• Code – BCCD / BIOL,PHYS,CHEM,MATHS / ,.AC,ABB/BIOL,PHYS, MATHS /
• This example has the conditions of grades BCCD in any order in four subjects, and offers the conditions ABB in three subjects as an alternative.

The conditions of offers made to applicants are held in summary form on our master file. The summary of conditions is sent to you with online records in web-link, and also presented to our staff through the internal enquiry system. It's a valuable aid when examining a particular applicant record. It's important to ensure offers are expressed correctly so the appropriate summary of conditions is generated. It can be seen by other conservatoires to which the applicant has applied, and a misleading or inaccurate summary creates a risk of misinterpretation.

Wherever possible, a summary of conditions character is generated automatically by the grade and mark elements, and by the abbreviation elements. Please take great care when using personalised abbreviations or those abbreviations which do not generate a summary of conditions as, without such a summary, the transaction will return an error code and won't be accepted. You should code a summary of conditions if you're using free format text (see below), or a combination of abbreviations which does not automatically generate a summary.

Coded summaries of conditions are preceded by a plus character (+) and contain up to six further characters, for example:

• +BBC
• +JM

The characters used in the automatic generation of the summary of conditions element are as follows:

• A to E – Grades for GCE or Scottish Qualifications Authority Higher and Advanced Higher
• + – Specific Advanced Subsidiary Three-Unit Award requirement
• F – Foundation / Access Course
• G – Financial Guarantee
• H – Alternative course / HND offer
• J – Edexcel Foundation BTEC / Scottish Qualifications Authority qualifications other than those covered by codes A to E above
• K – Other Academic Condition (including Irish Leaving, etc)
• L – English Language Requirement
• M – Matriculation
• N – Non-academic Condition
• T – Industrial Sponshorship
• X – GCSE / SQA Standard Grade / O Level Requirement

Summary of conditions generated for each of the examples

There are two forms of free format offers: ‘normal’ comment and ‘free format’ comment. Both allow offers to be expressed more fully – the ‘normal’ comment including any of the elements previously described, and the ‘free format’ comment including free text only.

The ‘normal’ comment is enclosed in apostrophes, and analysed and split into words by our software. If a word forms a valid subject code, it's expanded accordingly, e.g. MATHS will be expanded to mathematics. If a full stop is followed by two alphanumeric characters and a punctuation character, it's assumed to be an abbreviation and expanded, creating an error if not actually valid.

• An example is – ‘GCE A level grades BCC .OD, 17 February’, + BCC
• Which expands to – GCE A level grades BCC An open day will be held on 17 February 

In this example, a summary of conditions would be needed as our software would be unable to generate it. We don't split a single word at the end of our 60-character line, hence ‘An open day will be held on 17 February’ appears on a second line. The ‘free format’ comment is enclosed in quotes. We don't alter its text in any way, and each element of the comment must fit on one line. It's envisaged as a complete alternative to coded offers. We don't generate a summary of conditions.

• An example is: + BCC, ‘GCE A level grades BCC’, ‘An open day will be held on 17 February’
• Which expands to: GCE A level grades BCC An open day will be held on 17 February 

In this case, the conservatoire itself has sent the summary of conditions element, + BCC.

Colleagues using ‘free format’ offers must be aware of the maximum 60-character length of each line, and the use of upper and lowercase in the text generated by our codes. All offers are preceded by the text ‘This offer is subject to your obtaining’.