This article first appeared in UC Advanced magazine issue#20.
In the UK, Clearing is a process where students who have not secured a university place, or have changed their mind on which course they wish to attend, call universities directly after A-level exam results are published, to see if they can claim a placement.
As A-level results dropped in August, students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland scrambled to secure university places through Clearing, and many were forced to wait more than three hours on hold to do so, according to new data from 8×8, Inc.
With more than 22,000 undergraduate courses still open, phone lines across the UK on Thursday 14 August 2025 were quickly overwhelmed. Whilst Clearing technically runs until October, the first few days are critical, with some places awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Clearing is high-stakes for students and universities alike as every second on hold adds stress and the risk of losing a place or funding,” comments Maxine Eunson, Head of Public Sector and Universities at 8×8, Inc.
For students this year calling “8×8-powered” universities, the experience looked very different. Average wait times dropped to just six seconds, and most calls were resolved end-to-end in under eight minutes.
After the first weekend of Clearing, data shared with 8×8 from a number of UK university bodies revealed:
Some applicants were on hold for more than three hours before reaching the relevant university employees.
- 80% of call volume took place on the Thursday of exam results being received.
- 8×8-supported universities recorded wait times of less than eight seconds for a call to be answered, and
- total call handling times were around eight minutes. In some cases, calls handled were under two minutes.
- Universities without an 8×8 solution had average wait times of above 16 minutes.
