Choosing a university is undoubtedly a big decision. It’s somewhere you’ll spend at least three years, possibly away from friends and family for the first time. So you want to make sure it’s the best fit – both academically and personally.

Universities normally set admissions on A Level grades, which means you’ll see things like “AAA” or “AAA-AAB” on their prospectus and website pages.

Whether you’re planning with predicted AAB grades or working with final exam results, we explain everything you need to know about applying to university with AAB grades.

From what AAB means, to what universities you can apply to and what courses you can choose, you’ll be able to make your university applications with confidence.

What does AAB mean for university?

AAB means that, if you’re taking A Level exams, a university expects you’ve achieved these grades across your subjects. For instance, this might be an A in English Literature, an A in History and a B in Economics. If specified by the university, these grades are the minimum requirements students need for entry.

While it always helps to study A Levels that relate to your university application, universities don’t normally ask for specific grades in individual subjects. This is more common for subjects like Medicine, however, where a high grade in subjects like Biology or Chemistry might be necessary.

Most people apply to universities and courses with entry requirements at the top of their predicted grades – usually with a “back-up” if things don’t go to plan. 

So if you’re applying to universities asking for AAB and don’t quite achieve these grades, you might have to look at other universities through the UCAS clearing system.

 

What is AAB in UCAS points?

An A Level student who achieves two As and one B grade will have a UCAS score of 136.

How is this worked out?

Well, each qualification (for instance A Level, AS Level or BTEC) is worth a set number of points. Within this, each grade is awarded a different score. So, an A grade at A Level is worth 48 points while a B is worth 40 and a C equates to 32 points.

For AAB:

A Level A Grade = 48 points

A Level A Grade = 48 points

A Level B Grade = 40 points

Add it all up, and you get 136. It’s that simple!

You’ll sometimes see UCAS points referred to as a “tariff” and you can check your total with the handy UCAS Tariff Calculator.

As well as A Level grades, most universities say how many UCAS points you need for admission. This allows students from all over the world to convert their qualifications. 

 

What is equivalent to AAB?

The University of Sheffield published a useful table showing the different international and European qualifications – and how they equate to A Level grades.

Using this table, you can see that AAB is equivalent to 33 in an International Baccalaureate (for instance). It equals 13.5 in the French Baccalaureate and BBC/BCC in Hong Kong A Levels.

You can also use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to figure out your score. There are so many qualifications featured on their list, including AS Levels, T Levels, BTECs, City and Guilds Technicals, Music and Dance qualifications.

If your points add up to 136 (the AAB total) – then they are equivalent to AAB!

 

How good is AAB at A level?

There’s no single answer to how “good” or “bad” grades are. So ask yourself, is AAB good for you?

Are these grades in line with what you’ve done in class, or what your teachers predicted? Does AAB allow you to apply to the universities and courses you want? If so, then AAB is great for A Level!

If you’d be disappointed with these grades, or you think they’d prevent you from taking your next academic steps – then it might be time to think about improving your grades.

Working with an academic coach is one of the best ways to do this, as you’ll receive personalised 1-1 tuition. While traditional academic coaches work with specific subjects, a study skills tutor helps students achieve their potential through time management, exam skills and revision techniques.

In terms of the percentage of students achieving AAB grades (or better) at A Level, the mean for England was 18.9% in 2021/22 and 24.4% in 2020/21. This is significantly up from 2016/17, when the percentage mean value was just 13.2%.

So as you can see, AAB certainly is an impressive achievement.

 

What universities can you go to with AAB?

If you think there aren’t many universities you can go to with AAB, think again!

There are loads of well-respected institutions that take students with AAB. You can use the UCAS search tool to look for specific courses, universities and entry year. What’s more, you can also filter results for entry requirements and UCAS Tariff points.

So, for example, if you want to study History with a 2023/4 entry – and you have 136 UCAS points (that’s equivalent to AAB) – there are over a 130 universities to choose from.

This includes providers such as the University of Birmingham, Bristol, Queen Mary (London),  the University of Exeter and Cardiff University… to name just a few.

Even for competitive subjects such as Law, there are still hundreds of universities to choose from.

 

Can you get into the Russell Group with AAB?

Yes, you can go to a Russell Group university with AAB!

There are 24 Russell Group universities, representing world-class, research-led institutions. They include universities such as the University of Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Sheffield.

This group also includes the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. While you’re unlikely to get into Oxford or Cambridge with AAB, many other Russell Group universities accept AAB students.

If you have a specific Russell Group university in mind, you can use the UCAS search tool to see what courses they offer for students with AAB grades (or 136 UCAS points). To give just one example, there are over 100 courses available from the University of Warwick for AAB students.

 

Can you do Medicine with AAB?

Medicine is one of the most competitive courses out there. So it stands to reason that the best universities will only take students with the very best grades. 

Nonetheless, there are still plenty of universities that accept students with AAB grades.

Again, you can search via the UCAS tool. In addition, there’s a handy guide from the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) that lists Medicine courses and their entry requirements.

Universities such as Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brunel University, the University of Dundee, St Andrews, and Kent and Medway School all consider students with AAB grades. 

Do remember, most universities ask for specific A Levels such as Biology, Chemistry or Maths for medical courses. So if you’re unsure whether you’ve got the right subjects, check individual admissions pages.

 

Do you want help improving your A Level grades or coaching for university applications? If so, get in touch with our expert team of academic coaches for a no-obligation chat. We help students achieve their full potential and would be delighted to support you.