78 terms you will meet when applying to UK universities, in five groups: the UCAS process, qualifications and grades, admissions tests, reading admissions data and degrees and abbreviations. Each has a one- or two-sentence definition, some a common mix-up, and links straight to the tool that helps. Last checked October 2026.
The words you meet at each stage of a UCAS application, from submission to results day.
ucas hub · universities and colleges admissions service · UCAS（英国大学统一申请系统）
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, through which almost every UK undergraduate application is made. One form carries up to five choices (four for medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses) and is forwarded to each university; offers, replies, Extra and Clearing all run through the UCAS Hub.
firm · cf · uf · firm offer · 首选志愿（Firm）
The offer you accept as your first choice once every decision is in. If it is conditional and you meet the conditions you are placed there (CF, conditional firm); an unconditional firm is UF. You hold one firm and at most one insurance; every other offer is declined.
Common mix-up Firm is not a long shot: if you meet its conditions on results day you are committed there and cannot switch to your insurance.
insurance · ci · backup choice · 保底志愿（Insurance）
The one offer you accept alongside your firm as a fallback (CI). It comes into play only if you miss your firm's conditions but meet the insurance's, so it should normally ask for lower grades than the firm.
Common mix-up An insurance with the same conditions as your firm is no insurance at all, and you cannot choose to go there instead unless your firm turns you down.
conditional · offer conditions · con offer · 条件 offer
An offer that depends on results you have not yet received, such as 'A*AA at A-level including A* in Mathematics'. Nearly every Year 13 applicant holds conditional offers; the place is confirmed only when the conditions are met on results day, and conditions may also cover an admissions test, English language or GCSEs.
unconditional · 无条件 offer
An offer with no outstanding conditions, usually made to applicants who already hold their final results. Accepted as firm it becomes UF, and you then cannot hold an insurance choice.
predicted · predictions · 预测成绩（预估成绩）
Your teachers' forecast of your final A-level (or IB) grades, entered by the school in the UCAS system together with the reference. Universities issue conditional offers largely on the strength of them.
Common mix-up Predictions are not the offer conditions: a prediction of A*AA does not mean the offer will ask for A*AA, and missing your prediction does not by itself cost you the place.
ps · statement · 个人陈述
The applicant-written part of the UCAS form, shared by all your choices. From the 2026 entry cycle it is three structured questions (why this course; how your studies have prepared you; what else you have done to prepare), 4,000 characters in total.
Common mix-up All five choices read the same statement, so it normally argues for one subject; two very different courses leave both halves thin.
referee · school reference · 推荐信（学校评语）
Written by your school (usually the UCAS coordinator) inside the UCAS system and submitted with your predicted grades; one reference covers every choice. Since 2024 entry it has three structured sections: about the school, extenuating circumstances, and other supporting information. Until it is in, the application cannot be sent.
Common mix-up Students at a mainland Chinese high school or studying independently should settle early who writes the reference and issues predictions; UCAS lets independent applicants nominate a referee.
ucas clearing · 补录（Clearing）
UCAS's final round, open from early July into the autumn: anyone without an offer, who has missed the conditions of both firm and insurance, or who applied after 30 June can approach universities that still have places. A-level results day in mid August is its busiest day.
Common mix-up Clearing is not only for weak results: selective universities release places too, and applicants who did better than expected can release themselves into Clearing to trade up (this replaced Adjustment, withdrawn in 2022).
extra · UCAS 额外申请（Extra）
If all five choices have been used up (declined or unsuccessful) before 30 June, Extra lets you add one further choice at a time. It runs from late February to early July, and the new university reads the same personal statement.
decision deadline · 回复截止日（选 firm 和 insurance）
Once every choice has replied, UCAS sets the date by which you must pick your firm and insurance. It is shown in the UCAS Hub and depends on when your last decision arrived (usually early May or early June). Not replying declines every offer, reversible within 14 days.
january deadline · main deadline · UCAS 主截止日（1 月中旬）
The date by which an application must be in to be considered equally by every university: mid January, 18:00 UK time (the exact day is in the timeline). You can still apply until 30 June, but universities need not consider late applications and popular courses fill up.
oct 15 · 15 october · october 15 · 10 月 15 日截止（牛剑、医学等）
The UCAS deadline for every course at Oxford and Cambridge and for most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses: 15 October, 18:00 UK time. If any one of your five choices falls into these, the whole application must be submitted by then.
Common mix-up You may apply to only one of Oxford and Cambridge in the same year, with very few exceptions.
a level results · 放榜日
The day A-level results are published, a Thursday in mid August (GCSE results follow a week later; IB results come in early July). The UCAS Hub updates your firm or insurance status the same morning, and Clearing is at its busiest. 08:00 in the UK is 15:00 in Beijing.
admissions interview · mmi · 面试
A selection stage used before offers by some universities and courses: nearly every Oxford and Cambridge course (early to mid December), most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses (often as multiple mini-interviews) and some others, such as most Imperial engineering courses. It tests how you think, not rehearsed answers.
contextual · contextual admissions · widening participation · 情境录取（降分 offer）
An offer below the standard requirements made to applicants whose circumstances meet the university's criteria (school performance, home postcode, time in care and so on), part of the UK's widening-participation policy. Criteria differ by university and international applicants are generally not eligible.
Common mix-up Our A-level requirements pages list the standard offer, not contextual offers.
typical offer · standard entry requirements · 标准 offer（典型要求）
The A-level grades a university publishes for a course, such as A*AA or AAB, usually with required subjects and any admissions test. It is the baseline for offers, not the average grades of those admitted, which on competitive courses are often higher.
subject requirements · required subjects · essential subjects · preferred subjects · 必修科目（科目要求）
An A-level a course insists you have taken, usually at a stated grade: Chemistry for medicine, Mathematics and Physics for most engineering. Courses also set choose-from options and recommended subjects that are not hard requirements.
foundation · year 0 · international foundation · 预科（基础年 · Year 0）
A one-year bridging course before the degree. A university's own integrated foundation year leads straight into Year 1; International Foundation programmes, often run by partners or a university's international college, require set grades to progress. It is not a substitute for A-levels, and Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses do not admit from international foundation programmes.
defer · deferral · gap year · 延期入学（Gap year）
Asking at application to start a year later (an option on the UCAS form), or agreeing a one-year deferral after an offer. Most courses allow it if you explain how you will use the year; some, including a number of medicine courses, restrict deferrals.
tariff · ucas points · tariff points · UCAS 积分（Tariff）
UCAS's points scale for comparing qualifications: at A-level, A* is 56, A 48, B 40, C 32, D 24 and E 16. Some universities express offers in points (for example 128); Oxford, Cambridge, the G5 and most selective courses use grades, not points.
supercurricular · wider reading · 超课程学习（学术拓展）
Learning that goes beyond the syllabus in the subject you are applying for: reading, lectures, competitions, essays, online courses. Oxford, Cambridge and selective courses weigh this, not unrelated extra-curricular activity, and the third UCAS question asks about it.
A-levels, GCSEs and their international versions, plus the vocabulary of grades, boards and papers.
gce a level · advanced level · A-level
The two-year sixth-form qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually three or four subjects graded A* to E. University offers are expressed in three A-level grades. International versions include Edexcel IAL and CAIE International A-levels.
as · advanced subsidiary · AS（A-level 第一年）
A stand-alone qualification at the level of the first year of an A-level, graded A to E. Since the 2015 reforms in England the AS no longer counts towards the A-level and many schools have dropped it; international A-levels (IAL, CAIE) keep a modular structure in which AS results do count.
top grade · A* 成绩
The top A-level grade, introduced in 2010 and set by each board's grade boundaries. Most selective G5 courses ask for at least one A*. GCSEs no longer use A*; the top GCSE grade is 9.
gcses · general certificate of secondary education · GCSE（英国中学会考）
The Year 10 and 11 qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually eight to ten subjects, graded 9 to 1 in England (9 highest). Universities mostly look at English and Mathematics (often grade 6 or above); medicine and some other courses weigh the whole GCSE profile.
international gcse · cambridge igcse · edexcel international gcse · IGCSE（国际 GCSE）
The international version of GCSE, set mainly by Cambridge International (CAIE) and Pearson Edexcel and widely taken at international schools. Universities treat it as equivalent to GCSE; grading is A* to G or 9 to 1 depending on board and subject.
grade 9 · 9-1 · 9 to 1 · grade 4 · grade 5 · grade 6 · GCSE 9 到 1 分制
England's GCSE scale since 2017, from 9 (highest) to 1. Roughly, 9 to 7 covers the old A* to A and 6 to 4 the old B to C; 4 is a standard pass and 5 a strong pass. A university asking for 'grade 6 in English and Maths' means this scale.
further maths · fm · a level further maths · 进阶数学
A second mathematics A-level taken alongside Mathematics, covering complex numbers, matrices, further calculus and more. Widely recommended for mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science and economics; a few courses require it, and nearly all Oxbridge mathematics applicants take it.
extended project · extended project qualification · EPQ（拓展项目）
The Extended Project Qualification: an independent research project (a 5,000-word dissertation, or an artefact with a report) worth half an A-level (28 Tariff points for an A*). Some universities make slightly lower alternative offers for a strong EPQ; Oxford and Cambridge do not count it in offers but may discuss it at interview.
ib · international baccalaureate · ibdp · IB 国际文凭（与 A-level 换算）
The two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma: six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level) scored out of 7 each, plus up to 3 core points, 45 in total. UK universities publish separate IB conditions; typical equivalences are A*A*A to around 41 or 42 points (HL 7,7,6), A*AA to 38 to 40 (HL 7,6,6) and AAA to 36 to 38 (HL 6,6,6), but each university sets its own.
y12 · y13 · sixth form college · 高中最后两年（Sixth form）
The name for Years 12 and 13 in England, the two A-level years for 16- to 18-year-olds (roughly the last two years of high school in China). UCAS applications go in during the autumn of Year 13; Year 12 is when subjects are chosen, directions settled and admissions tests prepared.
awarding body · exam boards · 考试局
The organisation that sets, marks and certifies an exam. In the UK the main A-level and GCSE boards are AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC (Eduqas); international schools mostly sit Cambridge International (CAIE) and Edexcel's international versions. Syllabuses and paper formats differ by board; universities do not distinguish between them.
cie · caie · cambridge assessment international education · cambridge international a level · 剑桥国际考评（CAIE / CIE）
Cambridge Assessment International Education, the international arm of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which sets Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International A-levels (CIE is the older name). One of the commonest boards at Chinese international schools, with June and November series (March for some subjects). It has nothing to do with admission to the University of Cambridge.
ial · international a level · pearson edexcel international · Edexcel 国际 A-level（IAL）
Pearson Edexcel's A-level for candidates outside the UK: modular (AS and A2 units sat separately, with units resittable), with January, June and October series, and common at Chinese international schools. UK universities treat it as equivalent to the domestic A-level.
spec · spec code · syllabus · syllabus code · subject code · 考纲与规格编号（如 9MA0）
A board's formal statement of a subject's content and assessment, identified by a code: Edexcel A-level Mathematics is 9MA0, AQA A-level Chemistry 7405, CAIE Mathematics 9709. Past papers and mark schemes are filed by code, and codes are not interchangeable between boards.
marking scheme · 评分标准
The board's official marking document for each paper, listing the marking points, acceptable answers and common deductions question by question. Marking your own practice against it shows exactly where marks are lost; every paper in our library links to its mark scheme.
boundaries · grade boundary · 分数线（等级分界）
The minimum raw mark for each grade, set by the board after each exam series and adjusted to the paper's difficulty, so the same grade needs a different mark in different years. Modular exams convert raw marks to a uniform scale before adding them up.
retake · resits · 重考
Sitting an exam again to improve the grade. In England the whole A-level is resat the following June (GCSE English and Mathematics also have a November series); IAL and CAIE allow unit resits and extra series in January, October or November. Most universities accept resit grades; Oxford, Cambridge and medicine may look at the first attempt.
mocks · 模考
School-run practice exams, usually between November and January of Year 13, using past or adapted papers. They are a major basis for predicted grades and often the 'latest results' a university asks the school about.
ielts · english requirement · language requirement · toefl · 英语语言要求（IELTS 等）
The English condition set for applicants whose first language is not English: typically IELTS overall 6.5 to 7.5 with no component below 6.0 to 7.0, or a stated GCSE / IGCSE English grade in lieu. It appears among the offer conditions and also feeds into the student visa.
The tests some courses add on top of grades: who sits them, when, and which have been replaced.
admissions tests · entrance exam · 入学考试
An extra test some courses require on top of A-level grades and the UCAS form, mostly sat between October and January. The common UK ones are the ESAT, TMUA and TARA (run by UAT-UK), the UCAT (medicine and dentistry), the LNAT (law) and STEP (Cambridge mathematics); the MAT, PAT, TSA, BMAT and NSAA have been withdrawn or replaced. Whether you need one, and which, depends on the course's official page.
engineering and science admissions test · ESAT（工程与科学入学考试）
The Engineering and Science Admissions Test, run by UAT-UK; it replaced the NSAA and ENGAA in 2024. Mathematics 1 plus two more modules (Mathematics 2, Physics, Chemistry, Biology), 40 minutes and 27 questions each, scored 1.0 to 9.0. Required for Cambridge engineering and natural sciences and most Imperial engineering and physics courses; Oxford uses it from 2027 entry. October and January sittings.
test of mathematics for university admission · TMUA（大学入学数学考试）
The Test of Mathematics for University Admission: two 75-minute papers of 20 multiple-choice questions on mathematical reasoning, scored 1.0 to 9.0. Required for Cambridge maths, computer science and economics, Imperial maths and computing, LSE and UCL economics and Warwick computer science; Oxford switched to it from the MAT for 2026 entry. Sittings in October and January; Oxford and Cambridge accept October only.
test of academic reasoning for admissions · TARA（入学学术推理测试）
The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, a new UAT-UK computer-based test that Oxford uses from 2027 entry for most of the humanities and social-science courses that previously sat its own tests such as the TSA and HAT. It assesses critical thinking and problem solving and shares the October and January sittings with the ESAT and TMUA.
university clinical aptitude test · ukcat · UCAT（医学入学考试）
The University Clinical Aptitude Test, the roughly two-hour computer-based test required by almost every UK medical and dental school, covering verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and situational judgement (abstract reasoning was dropped in 2025). Sat once per year between July and September and valid for that cycle only; most schools use it to shortlist for interview.
national admissions test for law · LNAT（法律入学考试）
The National Admissions Test for Law, required by Oxford, Cambridge (since 2024 entry), UCL, LSE, KCL, Durham, Bristol, Glasgow, Nottingham and SOAS among others: 42 multiple-choice reading questions in 95 minutes plus an essay, taken on computer. Testing starts in September; deadlines vary and Oxford applicants must sit it by 15 October.
sixth term examination paper · STEP（第六学期考试）
The Sixth Term Examination Paper, Cambridge's hard mathematics exam administered by OCR: STEP 2 and STEP 3 (STEP 1 was withdrawn in 2021), three hours each, graded S, 1, 2, 3 and U. Cambridge mathematics offers usually require grade 1 in both; Warwick and some others accept it for a reduced offer. Sat in June alongside A-levels.
mathematics admissions test · MAT（数学入学考试）
The Mathematics Admissions Test, a 2-hour-30-minute paper set by Oxford's mathematics department and dominated by long-answer problems, formerly used for Oxford mathematics and computer science and by Imperial and Warwick. Oxford moved to the TMUA for 2026 entry and Imperial had already done so, so its use has narrowed sharply; check your course's current requirement before preparing.
physics aptitude test · PAT（物理能力测试）
The Physics Aptitude Test, Oxford's two-hour physics and mathematics paper formerly required for physics and engineering science. From 2027 entry Oxford uses the ESAT instead, so the PAT is no longer sat; its past papers remain good practice for the ESAT's physics and mathematics modules.
thinking skills assessment · TSA（思维技能测试）
The Thinking Skills Assessment, Oxford's critical-thinking and problem-solving test (50 multiple-choice questions plus a writing task) formerly used for Economics and Management, PPE, Experimental Psychology, Geography, Human Sciences and others. From 2027 entry Oxford uses the UAT-UK TARA instead.
biomedical admissions test · BMAT（已停考）
The BioMedical Admissions Test, formerly used by the medical schools at Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL and others, was sat for the last time in October 2023 (for 2024 entry). From 2025 entry every former BMAT school uses the UCAT instead. Treat any guide that still mentions the BMAT as out of date.
nsaa · engaa · natural sciences admissions assessment · engineering admissions assessment · NSAA / ENGAA（已被 ESAT 取代）
Cambridge's former admissions assessments for Natural Sciences (NSAA) and Engineering (ENGAA), last sat in 2023 and replaced by the UAT-UK ESAT from 2024. Their past papers remain useful practice for the ESAT's mathematics and science modules.
university admissions tests uk · uat · UAT-UK（英国大学入学考试机构）
University Admissions Tests UK, the not-for-profit body set up in 2023 by Cambridge and Imperial and later joined by Oxford, which runs the ESAT, TMUA and TARA. Tests are computer-based at Pearson VUE centres, with October and January sittings; its site esat-tmua.ac.uk has free past papers and specimens.
Before reading admissions statistics, check the denominator and the grouping, or you will be comparing different things.
offers per application · offer 率（每份申请）
Offers made divided by applications received for a course or university in one cycle; our admissions-data pages calculate it per application. It measures the chance of being offered a place, not of enrolling, and conditional offers later missed still count as offers.
Common mix-up Compare like with like: some universities count applicants (people), others applications (forms). A person can hold up to five choices, so the two differ.
acceptance rate · admission rate · admit rate · success rate · 录取率 / 入读率
What people loosely call the acceptance rate is two different figures in UK data: the offer rate (offers ÷ applications) and the acceptance or admit rate (students placed ÷ applications; UCAS calls the placed students 'acceptances'). Oxford and Cambridge publish mainly the second (around 15% to 20%); it is not directly comparable with offer rates.
applications · 申请数 vs 申请人数
One person submits up to five UCAS choices, so 'applications' counts forms and 'applicants' counts people. Universities disclose differently: Imperial, LSE and UCL mostly report applications, Oxford and Cambridge applicants. Check the denominator before reading any rate.
admitted · intake · places · enrolled · 入读人数（录取确认数）
The number of students finally placed on a course, called acceptances by UCAS and admitted or intake by universities. It is far smaller than the number of offers, since applicants who miss conditions, firm another university or withdraw drop out. 'Applicants per place' is applicants divided by this figure.
country of domicile · home country · 常住地（居住地口径）
The country or region you normally live in, as declared at application, which is not the same as nationality: a Chinese national who has lived and studied in the UK for years is UK-domiciled. Cambridge and Oxford split their 'China (mainland)' and 'Hong Kong SAR' figures by domicile; LSE publishes both bases.
primary nationality · citizenship · 国籍口径
Counting by passport. Imperial and LSE split their 'China (mainland)' and 'Hong Kong SAR' figures by primary nationality, so a Chinese passport holder schooled in the UK for years is still included. Nationality, domicile and fee status are three different groupings and should not be mixed.
home fees · overseas fees · international fees · home student · international student · 学费身份（Home / Overseas）
Whether you pay Home or Overseas (international) fees, decided by residence history and immigration status rather than nationality or domicile alone; broadly, three years' ordinary UK residence before the course is needed for Home status. Some Imperial and Edinburgh data are grouped by fee status, and most international applicants fall under Overseas.
cycle · entry year · 2027 entry · 申请周期（入学年份）
A round of applications named by the year of entry: '2027 entry' means applications made between September 2026 and September 2027 for a start in autumn 2027. Requirements and statistics are labelled by entry year, so check which cycle a figure refers to.
suppression · small numbers · 数据抑制（小于 5 不公布）
Universities blank out cells of five or fewer (shown as <5 or *) so individuals cannot be identified. Figures for Chinese applicants on small courses are therefore often missing, and rates involving a suppressed cell cannot be computed; our tables keep the gaps rather than estimate.
freedom of information · foi request · 信息公开申请（FOI）
The UK's Freedom of Information Act lets anyone request data from public bodies, universities included. Many course-level or nationality-level admissions figures that universities do not publish on their sites come from FOI responses (UCL's course data, for example); they are official but follow the definitions and years of the response.
Degree abbreviations, course variants and the common names for groups of universities.
bsc · ba · bachelor of science · bachelor of arts · 理学士 / 文学士（BSc / BA）
The two commonest titles for a three-year UK bachelor's degree: BSc (Bachelor of Science) and BA (Bachelor of Arts). The split follows university tradition rather than content: nearly every Oxford and Cambridge undergraduate degree, mathematics and natural sciences included, is a BA. Scottish four-year degrees are often MA (St Andrews, Edinburgh and others).
meng · msci · mmath · mchem · mphys · integrated master · 本硕连读学位（MEng · MSci · MMath 等）
A four-year (five in Scotland) undergraduate degree that finishes at master's level: MEng in engineering, MSci in science, MMath, MChem, MPhys and so on. You apply and pay as an undergraduate (international fees included); offers are typically half a grade above the three-year BSc or BEng, and most universities let you switch between the two during the course.
Common mix-up MEng is the usual route to Chartered Engineer status. MSci is not MSc, which is a separate one-year postgraduate degree.
bachelor of engineering · 工学士（BEng）
The three-year Bachelor of Engineering. Most engineering courses run BEng and MEng side by side; the BEng asks slightly lower grades, the first two years are shared and transfer to the MEng usually depends on results.
mb bchir · bm bch · mb chb · mbchb · bachelor of medicine · 医学本科学位（MBBS 等）
The UK undergraduate medical degree, spelt differently but equivalent everywhere: MBBS (UCL, Imperial and others), MB BChir (Cambridge), BM BCh (Oxford), MB ChB (Edinburgh, Birmingham and others), literally Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Five to six years, often with an intercalated degree year, followed by two years of Foundation training.
bachelor of laws · law degree · 法学士（LLB）
The three-year Bachelor of Laws, the usual form of a qualifying law degree in England. Oxford's is called the BA in Jurisprudence and Cambridge's the BA in Law, with the same standing. No A-level in Law is needed to study it.
bds · bvsc · bvetmed · bvms · 牙医 / 药学 / 兽医学位（BDS · MPharm · BVSc）
Degree titles of three regulated professions: BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery, five years), MPharm (the four-year integrated master's required to register as a pharmacist) and BVSc / BVetMed / BVMS (veterinary, five to six years). Medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses are capped at four UCAS choices, and most require Chemistry and Biology.
hons · honours degree · first class · 2:1 · upper second · 荣誉学位与学位等级（Hons · 2:1）
The standard form of a UK bachelor's degree, written BSc (Hons) and so on, classified on graduation as First, Upper Second (2:1), Lower Second (2:2) or Third; a 2:1 is the usual threshold for postgraduate study and graduate employers. Students who finish below honours standard receive an Ordinary degree.
joint degree · combined honours · 联合专业（双主修）
A degree in two subjects at once, such as Economics and Politics. 'And' means roughly equal weight; 'with' means the first subject is the major (about two thirds). Subject requirements usually have to be met for both halves; our tools file joint degrees under the first subject and flag the second.
sandwich course · placement year · industrial placement · 实习年（三明治学位）
A full-time work placement inserted into the degree, usually as the third year, lengthening it by a year; courses are titled with Year in Industry or with Placement. Common in science, engineering and business, with much-reduced fees during the placement year; international students can take it on a student visa with the university's support.
study abroad · exchange year · 海外交换年
A year at a partner university abroad, compulsory in most modern-languages degrees and optional elsewhere; courses are titled with a Year Abroad and run a year longer. Since Brexit the Turing Scheme has replaced Erasmus funding.
russell group universities · 罗素大学集团
A self-selected association of 24 UK research-intensive universities founded in 1994, including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, LSE, Edinburgh, Manchester and Warwick. It is a membership group, not an official ranking or tier, and entry standards vary widely between its members and courses.
g5 universities · G5（英国五所顶尖大学）
A Chinese-language shorthand for five universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL and LSE. The term is rarely used in the UK itself, where 'golden triangle' (Oxford, Cambridge and the leading London universities) is the nearer equivalent. Requirements and offer rates differ widely across the five.
oxford and cambridge · 牛剑（Oxbridge）
Oxford and Cambridge together. They share a 15 October UCAS deadline, a rule that you may apply to only one of them in a year, interviews for almost every course in December, admissions tests for most courses, and admission through colleges.
colleges · collegiate · open application · pool · 牛剑学院制（college）
Oxford and Cambridge are federations of thirty-odd self-governing colleges: you belong to one (accommodation, small-group teaching and your application go through it) while courses and exams are run by the university. You can name a college or make an open application; Cambridge's pool passes strong applicants to other colleges with places. Standards are the same across colleges, and none is an easier way in.
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78 terms you will meet applying to UK universities, in five groups: the UCAS process (22), qualifications and grades (19), admissions tests (13), reading admissions data (10) and degrees and abbreviations (14). Each entry gives the English and Chinese names, common alternative names and a one- or two-sentence definition, some with a common mix-up, and links to the matching tool on this site: the Application Timeline, Course Finder, A-levels by Degree, A-level Requirements, Admissions Statistics, Past papers and the admissions test guides.
The definitions describe long-standing rules only, based on UCAS, UAT-UK, the UCAT Consortium and the universities' own pages. Specific deadlines and test dates are kept out of the definitions; see the Application Timeline for those. The glossary was last checked on 31 October 2026. Rules can change from one year to the next, so check the official page again before you apply.
Open site search from the magnifier in the top bar (or press ⌘K / Ctrl+K) to search universities, courses, past papers and terms at once. If it is still missing, email info@wisesprout.co.uk and we will add it to the glossary.