Who sets them, when, and how much they matter. Official sources last checked 31 October 2026.
Predicted grades are set by your child's school or college, not by UCAS. Schools finalise them at the end of Year 12 or the start of Year 13, depending on the school. For medicine and dentistry they can decide whether an application is realistic, though not every university uses them the same way.
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The school or college does, using professional judgement and evidence. UCAS's guidance for advisers says staff can draw on past performance, internal assessments and current work, and that predictions should be realistic. Once an application has been sent, UCAS can't change the reference or predicted grades. Read the UCAS guidance.
| Course (2027 entry) | What the university says |
|---|---|
| Nottingham Medicine | Predicted A-Level grades aren't used in selection |
| Birmingham Dentistry | Applicants must be predicted AAA, including Biology or Human Biology and Chemistry |
| King's College London Dentistry | Predicted grades are considered |
Because this varies, check every course you're considering. See the medicine and dentistry guides.
If predictions are finalised at the end of Year 12, the evidence a school uses may already be in place months before an application goes in. A turnaround that comes too late might not be reflected, even if the student goes on to get the grades. That's what happened to our founder, who reached A*AA after predictions had been set and lost a year before being able to apply.
"After just three lessons I went from under 10% to over 80% on the same test."
Omar, A-Level Chemistry
"You took your time explaining everything, and never made me feel dumb."
Asifah, A-Level Chemistry, who went from Grade C to Grade A
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