Our Offer Calculator - Frequently Asked Questions

Before you apply and to help you make an informed decision, we have created an Offer Calculator tool. By entering your GCSEs, A Levels, IB or BTEC qualifications this tool is a guide which allows you to see if you are likely to receive an offer for a particular course and if that course is right for you.

Use the Offer Calculator

To explain how this works and what the Offer Calculator results mean, we’ve pulled together some of the frequently asked questions:

Help! I can't enter my subjects and qualifications on the Offer Calculator

At this time only A Level, International Baccalaureate (IB), BTEC, and GCSE subjects can be inputted to the Offer Calculator. We accept a wide range of qualifications, which are detailed on our undergraduate entry requirements. Please also check the relevant course finder page.

Do you store my A Level, GCSE and IB information?

Yes. Information is collected in line with the Data Protection Act as explained when you save your page. 

I want to apply through Access to Birmingham (A2B). How can I tell if I’m eligible?  

The University of Birmingham has a long history of welcoming students from a wide variety of social and cultural backgrounds. If you are one of the first in your family to go to university, you live in an area where there is below average progression to university and your household income is below a set threshold, you could be eligible for our Access to Birmingham (A2B) scheme.  If you are attending an A2B partner school and meet our criteria you may receive a 'Considered for A2B' prediction via the calculator, or this is highlighted on your course decision results. Full details are available on the Access to Birmingham section. 

How is an indicative prediction on the Offer Calculator made?

When you enter your GCSE, A Level, IB, or BTEC grades, the calculator uses our entry criteria from our admissions team to assess whether you would generally be eligible to receive an offer for a specific course. Based on your grades, we can say if we are likely or unlikely to be able to make you an offer and the type of offer this might be.

What does it mean when it says likely / unlikely?

Depending on the grades you enter, there are different results and messages you may see via the calculator:

  • If a course is showing Likely, it is likely that you would receive a conditional offer.
  • If a course is showing Considered for Contextual Offer, this means that we have identifed that based on your school, you are likely to receive an offer through our Contextual Offer scheme
  • If a course is showing Considered for Interview, it is likely that you would receive an interview for one of our programmes that requires an interview
  • If a course is showing Unlikely, this means that it is unlikely we would be able to make you an offer for that course. There may be other courses you are suitable for and we would encourage you to use the course finder search tool to find another subject you may be interested in.
  • If a course is showing Further Consideration this means that, if you choose to apply, your application would need additional consideration from an admissions tutor. You may wish to discuss this with us if you visit campus on an open day, or with a member of staff at a UCAS event.
  • If a course is showing Please Apply this is because you have obtained your grades and we would encourage you to make an application via UCAS. 
  • If a course is showing Not Available this is because our calculator is unable to provide an indicative decision. This is generally because the couse has additional entry requirements. 

If I apply after seeing ‘likely’ am I guaranteed to get an offer?

The Offer Calculator is simply a guide and indicator. The indicative decision shown does not constitute an offer of a place to study at the University of Birmingham and is only meant to help with your decision making. Your personal statement, references, proven academic ability and, for some courses, performance at interview are all important part of our decision on making you an offer. 

Why does it say I am likely to receive an offer when my expected grades don't meet the typical offer?

In some cases, even though you are expecting lower grades than our typical offer, we may still be able to make you a conditional offer. 

What do I do next?

After you have viewed your Offer Calculator results, there’s no better way to experience Birmingham than visiting us at our next open day, where you can discuss your areas of interest with our staff and current students. You may also wish to speak to your school counsellor about making the right choice for you for you and we would encourage you to read all the information on each course page carefully.

How can I make my personal statement stand out?

Your personal statement is your opportunity to stand out, demonstrating your skills and experience. Admissions tutors will be looking for your interest and enthusiasm for your subject. To help you write the best personal statement and discover our top tips view our how to apply pages, or watch our video:

Writing the best personal statement