Students will be asked to write a personal statement if they apply through UCAS, but they may also be asked for a personal statement (or written work to that effect) when applying for apprenticeships and jobs. The personal statement is an important part of an application as it gives students the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and qualities that would ensure their success on the course and also their passion for the chosen subject.
For 2026 entry onwards, UCAS have introduced changes to the format of the personal statement:
There are a number of resources available for students to help them with this process:
The UCAS website has excellent advice regarding personal statements and how students should approach them, including a series of subject-specific personal statement guides:
Causeway Education also provides a free tool called OSCAR which all UK state schools can make use of to support the planning and writing of UCAS personal statements and teacher references.
