About James Thornton
James Thornton spent 14 years working in sixth form education in the East Midlands, most recently as head of UCAS and careers at a large sixth form college with over 1,200 students. In that role he oversaw the UCAS application process for hundreds of students each year, advised on qualification choices and tariff point planning, and trained staff across the department in UCAS procedures and entry requirement guidance.
He holds a Level 6 IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) qualification and is a trained UCAS adviser. He has worked with students across a full range of qualification types, including A-Levels, BTECs, T Levels, Scottish Highers, the International Baccalaureate, and Access to HE programmes.
Why He Built This Site
During his time in careers guidance, James saw the same confusion arise year after year. Students did not know how to calculate their UCAS points accurately, particularly when combining different qualification types. The official UCAS tariff table is comprehensive but not easy to use quickly, and many students were making university choices based on incorrect totals.
UCAS Point Calculator was built to solve that problem — a clean, fast, accurate tool that handles every qualification type in a single calculation and gives students the correct figure they need to make informed decisions.
Editorial Standards
All tariff point values on this site are taken directly from the official UCAS Tariff published by UCAS. James reviews the figures whenever UCAS updates the tariff and updates the calculator and reference tables accordingly. Every page on this site is written to be accurate, practical, and free from unnecessary padding.
If you believe any information on this site is incorrect or out of date, please use the Contact page and James will look into it promptly.
Qualifications and Experience
| Qualification / Role | Detail |
|---|---|
| Level 6 IAG Qualification | Information, Advice and Guidance — highest level of professional careers qualification in the UK |
| UCAS Trained Adviser | Completed UCAS adviser training programme and maintained accreditation throughout career |
| Head of UCAS and Careers | 14 years in sixth form education, final role leading UCAS applications for 300+ students annually |
| Qualification Experience | A-Levels, BTECs, T Levels, IB, Scottish Highers, EPQ, Access to HE across multiple cohorts |
Disclaimer
James Thornton is the named author and content reviewer for UCAS Point Calculator. The information on this site is provided for guidance only and does not constitute official admissions advice. Always confirm entry requirements directly with universities and through the official UCAS website at ucas.com.