Conservatoire admissions guide and resources

• provide a fair method of selecting from among a surplus of applicants
• provide central coordination and standardisation of application procedures, with rules that instil fairness of treatment among applicants
• centralise the practice of making multiple applications, and respond to the practice of applicants applying independently to different providers
• address the uncertainty among selectors and applicants about their dealings with each other

Applicants can apply through UCAS Conservatoires for entry to any year of the courses listed in our search tool.

The following statements support the underlying principles. UCAS will provide a filter in the search tool which will enable prospective applicants to filter by Conservatoires UK (CUK) courses. UCAS has agreed that only conservatoires which are members of CUK may be listed under this filter, and will be permitted to join the UCAS Conservatoires scheme.

1. A conservatoire must recruit all its full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate applicants through UCAS (whether individual application or RPA).
2. All full and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses a conservatoire offers should be listed in the UCAS search tool.

   Course categories for inclusion in the UCAS Conservatoires scheme are defined as:

   • both full and part-time undergraduate level
   • both full and part-time postgraduate level, including certificate and diploma
   • courses with no award
3. Conservatoires must consider all applications for each course on an equal basis if they are received on or before the relevant deadline (1 October or 26 January).
4. The type of offer, full conditions, subsequent offer or decision, amendments, and Confirmation decisions must be transmitted to the applicant for them to view in My Application.
5. If conservatoires wish to receive examination results early, they must sign the results embargo agreement, and there must be no disclosure, discussion, or communication with applicants or other third parties before results are published.
6. Unless the course starts before 1 September, a conservatoire cannot ask the applicant to reply before their reply date, regardless of when the offer was made.
7. Conservatoires need to make decisions about applications by the relevant published reject by default (RBD) date, otherwise UCAS will reject the applicant.
8. Applicants need to make their replies (firm / decline) by the relevant reply date, or their offers will be declined by default (DBD).
9. A conservatoire must not approach an applicant who is holding an offer at another conservatoire (other than their own).
10. A conservatoire should not reject an applicant at Confirmation if they still have outstanding or missing examination results until the agreed date (currently 31 August), unless the applicant is unable to reach the terms of their offer based on the qualifications already received.

Applicants who have studied an undergraduate course who then apply to a postgraduate course at the same conservatoire, must apply through UCAS Conservatoires again.

Applicants who are studying at a conservatoire and then apply to study a course at any level at another conservatoire, must apply through UCAS Conservatoires. Second or third year entry must apply through UCAS Conservatoires.

Students who have completed at least one academic year of a part-time course with credit, who are transferring to a full-time course leading to the same award at the same conservatoire, do not need to apply through UCAS Conservatoires.