UCAS personal statement changes

Why are UCAS changing personal statements?

Personal statements are a way to help your application stand out. They can demonstrate your passion for the subject or skills that will help you to succeed. This can help universities decide whether to make you an offer or not.

However, many students find writing a personal statement stressful. It can be hard to condense yourself into two sides of A4 paper. What do you include? What do you not include?

That is why UCAS have introduced a new, more structured personal statement made up of three questions. This will give your personal statement a clear focus and allow you to share your achievements in different parts of your life. This should be a maximum of 4000 characters, including spaces.

What are the new personal statement questions?

1. Why do you want to study this course or topic?

This question allows you to express your interest in the subject, including what motivates you to study this course. Is it a longstanding passion of yours, or does it align with your career goals?

You should also demonstrate your knowledge about the subject, so admissions officers can feel confident it's the right course for you. You could do this by discussing the kind of topics you will be studying. For example, if you want to study law, does one type of law interest you more than others and why?

2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course?

This is your chance to show that you have the ability to succeed on your course. You should talk about the knowledge you already have in this subject, such as key theories or areas that you have enjoyed studying.

You should also read the course description and modules to identify the skills you will need. That could include essay writing, critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Don't just write a long list of skills - provide evidence and show how they would help you on your course. Here are some examples:

• Analytical skills - Studying English and History at A Level has helped to develop my analytical skills. These are essay-based subjects, which require the ability to analyse and evaluate evidence. This will help me when studying history, as I will be able to interpret and analyse primary and secondary sources.
• Teamwork skills - My A Level Business course has included a group presentation about the marketing mix. We divided the different areas between us and then suggested improvements, which we implemented together. For example, I suggested using more visual aids to the presentation. This would prompt us during the presentation and help the audience understand what we were talking about. The rest of the team agreed and we added this in our slideshow. The ability to raise suggestions and discuss this with a team will help me during group projects in my degree.

3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences helpful?

This is your chance to show who you are outside of education and demonstrate how it can help your studies. This can include sports, hobbies or volunteering.

For example, if you want to study business and have volunteered in a charity shop, you could talk about how this made you interested in management. Or if you're part of a football team, you could talk about the teamwork and communication skills this has taught you. 

You could also discuss any wider reading you have done around the subject. Synthesise the ideas in the book and present your thoughts about it. This again demonstrates your interest in that area.

Where next?

The UCAS personal statement changes will affect people applying to start university from September 2026. Students applying to start university in September 2025 will not be affected.

Check out some more of our advice for applying to university.