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Writer's pictureAkash Gandhi

UCAS Personal Statement Changes In 2025 (For 2026 Entry) - The Ultimate Guide


UCAS Personal Statements are changing for the 2026 entry admissions cycle. This comes after the 2023 UCAS Report: The Future of Undergraduate Admissions which highlighted adviser and student concerns about inequality.


In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the NEW UCAS Personal Statements and what this means for you if you are applying to study medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine in 2024, 2025 or 2026. 


Do I need to write the new personal statement for UCAS? Who does this affect?

The new personal statement changes only affect students starting Year 12 in September 2024, or those looking to start university in September 2026. 


If you are starting Year 13 in September 2024 -  this does not affect you, you will still be expected to submit the original personal statement. 



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Changes To The Personal Statement In 2025 For 2026 Entry Summary

  1. The UCAS personal statement has not been scrapped, it has been changed

  2. There are no changes in personal statements for students applying to university in 2024 (for 2025 entry). 

  3. The personal statement changes apply to students applying to university from September 2025 onwards (for 2026 entry). 

  4. The new personal statement is split into 3 sections:

    1. Motivation

    2. Preparation

    3. Extra-curriculars 

  5. Each section has a question prompt to be answered via your UCAS application.

 

 


Has The UCAS Personal Statement Been Scrapped?


No, the UCAS personal statement has not been scrapped. 

 

However, from September 2025 onwards, students applying to medical school, dental school or veterinary school, will be expected to write in a different essay format to that of previous years

 



What Are The Changes That Have Been Made To University Personal Statements?


Previously university personal statements were free-form, where students could use all 4000 characters to describe their university motivations in whatever structure they decide. 

 

For students applying to university for 2026 entry, a new scaffolded personal statement will be required. 

 

In this new personal statement, students will be required to answer 3 distinct, consecutive questions relating to their university applications. 

 

 


Why Are University Application Personal Statements Changing? 


In 2023, UCAS ordered a review of the university admissions process which highlighted issues with the use of personal statements and other admissions concerns such as widening participation and entry grades.

 

In this report, opinions were sought from over 1,200 UK students, 200 teachers and over 100 universities and colleges. 

 

In summary, concerns regarded how personal statement writing opens the door to further inequality due to its weight in admissions decision-making. 

 

The current free-text personal statement format arguably widens the gap between higher-income applicants and students from a disadvantaged background. 

 

Students with access to high-quality advice, guidance and personal statement resources are likely to be able to produce a statement which is regarded more favourably in their university application. 

 

In this report, UCAS identified that a structured personal statement design would help reduce the amount of support required by students to ensure more equitable conditions. 

 



What Are The Three Questions In The New UCAS Personal Statement?

 

The new personal statement is split into 3 sections. 

 

By breaking down the 4000 characters into more manageable, focused questions, students will be able to more easily address each aspect of their university subject motivations. 

 

Each section requires you to focus your writing on 1 prompt question. 

 

The questions for each section are as follows:

 

  1. Why Do You Want To Study This Course/Subject?

  2. How Have Your Qualifications and Studies Helped You To Prepare For This Course Or Subject?

  3. What Else Have You Done To Prepare Outside of Education, and Why Are These Experiences Useful? 

 

These questions mirror previous personal statement content advice from UCAS, and as such there’s no expected change to the type of content you need to include in your medicine, dentistry or veterinary personal statement.

 

However, these questions have been released to help make it clearer what needs to be included. 

 


Do The UCAS Personal Statement Changes Affect My Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine Personal Statement?


In summary - yes they will. 


The new UCAS personal statement changes will affect all personal statements for all courses - this includes those applying to study medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine for 2026 entry onwards.


However, the content of these personal statements is largely the same, you will still talk about your work experience, volunteering, and supra-curricular and extracurricular activities, just simply this time it will be structured differently from 2025 for 2026 entry onwards.


How Long Is The New UCAS Personal Statement?

The new UCAS personal statement from September 2025 onwards is still required to be 4000 characters long, including spaces. 

 

Can I Still Put Extenuating Circumstances In My Personal Statement?


Previously, students have used the personal statement as a medium through which to explain their extenuating circumstances. 

 

A new section of the university application has been produced for extenuating circumstances, which allows students to describe their situation in free text as before. 

 

Students will also be encouraged to discuss their circumstances with the university admissions teams during their application. 

 


Are Personal Statements Changing For 2024 Or 2025 Entry?

Personal statements are not changing for 2024 entry or 2025 university entry. 

 

The changes only apply to students who are applying to university in September 2025 for 2026 entry. 


How Can I Prepare For The New Personal Statements?

The best way to prepare for the new style of personal statement is to become familiar with the new sections and prompt questions. 

 

You may consider drafting some ideas for each prompt or speaking to your friends and family about each section. 

 

Remember that a personal statement is forged from many drafts, and it’s never too early to start thinking about your first one! 



Can I Submit A Video As My Personal Statement?

The 2025 (2026 entry) changes to the UCAS personal statement do not allow for multi-media submissions. 

 

Rather, students are still expected to produce a literary essay of 4000 characters spread across the 3 given sections. 

 

However, UCAS has announced that this restructuring of the personal statement hopes to pave the way for further changes, such as the inclusion of multi-media submissions such as video-based statements - watch this space!



UCAS Personal Statements: Frequently Asked Questions


Has the UCAS personal statement been scrapped?

No, the UCAS personal statement has not been scrapped but has been modified starting from the 2026 entry admissions cycle.

 

What are the new changes to the UCAS personal statement for the 2026 entry?

The new personal statement is structured into three sections with specific question prompts about motivation, preparation, and extra-curricular activities.

 

When do the changes to UCAS personal statements take effect?

The changes apply to students applying for university entry from September 2025 onwards, affecting those entering university in 2026. Students applying in 2024/25 Iie those starting Year 13 in September 2024) should continue with the current personal statement structure. 

 

Why are UCAS personal statements changing?

The changes aim to address inequalities and ensure a more equitable admissions process, as highlighted in the 2023 UCAS Report. The new format should help to level the playing field in the university application process. 

 

What are the three sections in the new UCAS personal statement format?

The sections are Motivation, Preparation, and Extra-curricular activities, each with a specific prompt to guide student responses. These structured questions should help guide students in scaffolding their answers, such as explaining work experience, course preparation through other experiences and how this makes them ready to succeed on their chosen course. 

 

What are the new questions in the UCAS personal statement?


The three new UCAS personal statement questions are:

  1. Why do you want to study this course/subject?

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

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


Is there a character limit for the new UCAS personal statement?

Yes, the new UCAS personal statement still has a character limit of 4000 characters, including spaces.

 

Can I explain extenuating circumstances in the new personal statement?

No, with the changes to the personal statement, a separate section has been created for students to describe their extenuating circumstances.

 

Will personal statements change for 2024 and 2025 entry?

No, the personal statement format remains the same for students applying in the 2024 and 2025 application process.

 

How can students prepare for the new UCAS personal statement format?

Students should familiarise themselves with the new sections and prompt questions, and consider drafting ideas and discussing them with others.

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