Significant Changes in UCAS Applications

xhesika leka
May 17
2 min read

Updated: Jul 11

✏️ What’s Changing in the UCAS Personal Statement?

If you're applying to university for the 2026 entry, expect your personal statement to look very different from previous years.

Instead of writing one long, free-form piece (up to 4,000 characters or 47 lines), you will now answer three specific questions. Each question has a minimum character count of 350 and a maximum combined limit of 4,000 characters (including spaces).

Here are the new personal statement questions:

Why do you want to study this course or subject?
How have your qualifications and studies prepared you for this?
What experiences have you pursued outside of education that prepare you, and why are they important?

🤔 Why Is the Format Changing?

The new structure was introduced by UCAS to improve clarity and equity in the application process. The aim is to give students a clear framework to follow. The new three-question format is designed to:

Make writing your statement more manageable.
Help you remain focused and structured.
Reduce the gap between students with access to quality support and those without.

This change is not just about formatting; it represents an accessibility reform. The content you include still matters, but now everyone understands what is expected. University admission teams have clear guidelines on what to look for in personal statements, reducing guesswork.

💡 What’s Not Changing?

Even though the format has changed, the content focus remains mostly the same. You will still need to:

Show your interest in the course.
Back it up with relevant experiences.
Reflect on your academic strengths and learning journey.
Demonstrate skills, insight, and enthusiasm.

You just need to express these in a more structured way.

🎓 How EasyUniPrep Can Help

Crafting a compelling personal statement has always been challenging. The new format doesn’t lessen the need for smart strategy and guidance.

At EasyUniPrep, we offer affordable, high-quality tools designed to help you stand out and feel confident:

🔍 Personal Statement Review

Receive tailored feedback from an Oxford graduate, our co-founder who successfully received offers from all five of her university choices. We assist you in polishing your personal statement content and structure and provide actionable line-by-line feedback, significantly enhancing your statement.

Find Out More

🎓 Online Course: The Ultimate Uni Personal Statement Guide

Our personal statement course will assist you in:

Breaking down each question with clarity along with guidance on structuring your answers.
Learning techniques that help you showcase your strengths effectively.
Avoiding clichés while maintaining personal and powerful answers.
Observing real-life examples of compelling personal statement responses.

Find Out More

💼 Work Experience Courses

Are you struggling with what to include in Question 3? We provide work experience courses covering:

Finding Work Experience Opportunities.
Maximizing Work Experience Opportunities.

These courses will help you create content for your statement, beyond merely polishing it.

Find Out More

✨ Additional Resources

All of our resources are:

📱 Accessible online via our website and available 24/7.
💰 Affordable—no expensive consultations required.
🧠 Written by recent graduates who understand what admissions teams seek today.
📝 Structured, clear, and genuinely useful. No generic advice here.