Results and Clearing: Your questions answered

• Make sure you're able to access your UCAS Hub so that you can view the decision made on your application
• Make sure you have the contact details for the universities that are your Firm and Insurance choices
• If you want to look for a place in Clearing, you can use both the UCAS website and university websites to see if there are any vacancies in the subjects you're interested in. Note down the advertised Clearing telephone numbers for the universities which are offering these vacancies.

The best way for you to find out whether you've been accepted by your chosen university is to use the UCAS Hub.

UCAS is 'frozen' during the week before the release of A Level results. It will reopen at 8am on Thursday 15 August and you'll be able to log in to view university decisions.

Most universities will also have a helpline for students who have any questions or concerns, but you should be prepared for it to be difficult to get through on the phone as many applicants will be contacting each university.

The University of Sheffield helpline will be open from 8am on Thursday 15 August. Our helpline number is 0114 212 9900 from inside the UK, +44 114 212 9900 from outside the UK.

You should check the UCAS Hub for your chosen university's decision. In some cases, universities may accept a student who's achieved slightly lower grades than originally required.

The UCAS Hub should show the decision of both the Firm and Insurance universities. If you've not been accepted by your Firm university, you should look for the decision of your Insurance choice.

If you've been unsuccessful at both your Firm and Insurance universities, there's the option of looking for a place at another university through Clearing (see below for more information about Clearing).

Universities will publish a deadline up to which they'll accept any Firm applicant (and Insurance applicants where they've been unsuccessful at their original Firm choice) who meets the conditions of their offer. At Sheffield, this deadline is 4 September (31 August for Medicine and Dentistry).

If a result is likely to be delayed until after your chosen university's deadline, you should contact the university to ask whether it can be extended. In some cases, universities won't be able to accept results after this date, although it may still be possible for a university to arrange for an Unconditional offer to be deferred to next year.

• If you're happy with your chosen university, stick with it
• If you're interested in other universities, you can look at options in Clearing (see below). You'll be able to release yourself from your Firm choice into Clearing – but you should only do this after you've spoken to the university you'd like to go to and are certain you'll be able to secure a place there.

If you want to upgrade to the University of Sheffield, you can Advance Register your interest in a place with us from 5 July.

If you're interested in other universities, you can look at other university options in Clearing.

You won't be able to formally arrange a place at another university until you've withdrawn from your current Firm choice by releasing yourself into Clearing. You can do this by clicking the 'Decline my place' button on your UCAS Hub.

You should never release yourself into Clearing until you've spoken to the university you'd like to go to and are certain you'll be able to secure a place there.

Once you've been accepted at your Firm choice university, the Insurance choice is no longer valid, even if it shows on the UCAS Hub that you're Unconditional there – status UI. This is the case even if you didn't get the grades required for your Firm choice, but were accepted anyway. The Firm choice university can only release you into Clearing, it can't release you to your Insurance choice.

If you'd prefer to go to your Insurance choice, you should contact the Insurance university to see if you can be accepted. If the Insurance university agrees to accept you, you should then contact your Firm choice and ask to be released into Clearing, or release yourself by clicking the 'Decline my place' button on your UCAS Hub. Once you've been released into Clearing, you'll be able to formally re-apply to the Insurance choice via Clearing.

Remember that the Insurance choice is under no obligation to take a student who's Firm at another university, so you should make sure you'll be accepted before getting released from your Firm choice. You may also want to check with your Insurance choice whether any guarantees about accommodation would still apply to you as a Clearing applicant.

The UCAS website and university websites will provide the best listings of what vacancies are available through Clearing. Many universities will also have a Clearing helpline. If you're interested in a vacancy or a particular university, you should contact that university directly.

Vacancies at the University of Sheffield will be posted on our website on the morning of Thursday 15 August, where you'll also be able to apply using our online form.