Verification in admissions
Verification in admissions means checking and confirming that the information provided to support an application to study, a student visa application, or a tuition fee assessment is genuine.
For qualification verification, we check that the academic and English language qualifications used to make an offer are authentic.
This ensures all students are fully qualified to study at the University and helps to protect the value of a Manchester degree.
When do we verify qualifications?
We aim to verify all qualifications during the application process. Students are usually not allowed to register for a programme of study with us until their qualifications have been confirmed as authentic.
In rare cases, we may ask to see qualification documents when a student registers or later during their studies. We advise that all new students bring their original qualification documents with them when they come to Manchester.
How do we verify qualifications?
For many applicants, we automatically confirm the authenticity of their qualifications when we receive their results. This includes undergraduate applicants whose results come to us through UCAS.
For other applicants, we usually use online verification services offered by exam boards or universities. If your exam board or university offers this service, please grant The University of Manchester access to it. If your exam board or university doesn’t offer an online verification service, we may verify your qualifications through our external partner, Qualification Check. You may need to give consent to verify your documents as part of this process.
Qualification Check and the verification process
Qualification Check allows us to verify your certificates and transcripts directly with institutions in more than 195 countries. This partnership has been approved following a detailed risk assessment of Qualification Check, including their privacy notice and how they handle personal information. Qualification Check has been approved by the University’s Information Governance Office and the company is a Crown Commercial Supplier.
Using Qualification Check helps us to verify your documents quickly. Your information will be deleted within 12 months or sooner if you request it.
Below are some frequently asked questions with regards to our verification process, requests for consent and our partner Qualification Check.
FAQs
We are dedicated to ensuring that all students are admitted to our programmes with accurate and complete information. To do this, we conduct further checks on the qualifications and documentation submitted by applicants either directly with your awarding organisation or through our partner, Qualification Check.
This ensures all students are fully qualified to study at the University and helps to protect the value of a Manchester degree. There is nothing to be concerned about, we will just contact your awarding organisation (exam board or university) and ask for clarification that the information that you provided in your application is correct.
We are dedicated to ensuring that all students are admitted to our programmes with accurate and complete information. To do this, we conduct further checks on the qualifications and documentation submitted by applicants either directly with your awarding organisation or through our partner, Qualification Check. This ensures all students are fully qualified to study at the University and helps to protect the value of a Manchester degree.
The University is proactively undertaking additional checks on qualifications awarded by institutions in countries considered to be higher risk by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
We will be undertaking checks if and when you have met the conditions of your offer or you have no conditions remaining, whichever occurs sooner. Therefore, it is vital that you complete and return your consent form as soon as requested, to enable us to verify your qualifications to ensure your CAS can be issued once our verification process is complete.
We are asking applicants to list all achieved qualifications and those you are currently studying, on the consent form. We will primarily check your undergraduate degree or any other qualification that you are using for entry to the University but reserve the right to check all of your qualifications.
We will be checking your qualifications directly with the awarding institution or via our partner Qualification Check. You must record carefully the name of the awarding institution on your consent form.
Please list both universities on your consent form. We are asking applicants to list all achieved qualifications and those you are currently studying on the consent form. We will primarily check the overall awarding institution but reserve the right to check all your qualifications.
There is no cost to offer holders. The University of Manchester will pay the required fee directly to Qualification Check or your awarding organisation. You will not be asked to pay a fee for your qualifications to be verified.
Please email the Student Admissions team with your University ID and Application Number and a member of the team will support you with resubmitting your form.
Please complete your consent form now. We are asking all offer holders to complete the form shortly after they are made an offer to the University. We will only request the verification check on your qualification once you have accepted and met the conditions of your offer. By completing the form now, there should be limited delays in getting your qualification verified once you have met the requirements of your offer.
Please email the Student Admissions team with your University ID and Application Number. Please include a description of the issue and provide screenshots to help us resolve the issue.
Before uploading your document, please check that your file is one of the following formats/extensions:
- Word (.doc, .docx)
- PDF (.pdf)
- Plain text (.txt)
- Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tff, .tiff only)
Please also ensure:
- The file name does not include characters from different alphabets such as Chinese, Arabic or Russian.
- The file name does not include any spaces, punctuation or symbols, for example [ ].
- The file name does not exceed 64 characters in length (including the extension such as .docx).
- The file size does not exceed 10MB.
- The file is not password protected.
For institutions that have changed their name, please use the name of the institution as it was at the time you studied there on the consent form.
Institutions that we are verifying qualification with require a hand signed signature, meaning the consent form must be printed and signed using pen and paper. Signatures done digitally ‘by hand’ will not be accepted and will result in us having to return your form to you to ask you to complete the form again.
Official translation into English
If your certificates or transcripts are in a language other than English, you need to provide official, authenticated English translations with them.
Official translations are also required by UK government visa regulations.
The translation must be on official letterheaded paper, stating that it is an accurate translation of the original, and include the following:
- The translator or translation company's name and contact details.
- The translator or company's credentials or qualifications.
- The date of the translation.
- The translator's full name and signature, or the full name and signature of an authorised official from the translation company.
- Translations must be completed by an official translator or translation service. We cannot accept translations from agents unless the agency provides a recognised translation service and the translator has appropriate credentials, such as NAATI, CATTI or NAETI. English language modules studied as part of the agent's degree (eg TEM-4 or TEM-8) are not considered valid credentials.
Verification of Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) clearance certificate and other UK immigration documents
If you submit an ATAS clearance certificate or UK immigration documents to support your application, this evidence may be verified with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) or the Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration).
Admissions fraud prevention
The University is committed to admitting students based on accurate, genuine and complete information.
Please note:
- It's your responsibility to ensure that the information you provide is accurate, complete and free from false or misleading information.
- You must provide additional information or consent for the University to verify details through a third party if requested.
- If we find that you, or anyone acting on your behalf, has provided fraudulent, false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information in connection with your application, the University may cancel your application, withdraw an offer or terminate your student contract (if an offer has been accepted but you’ve not yet registered).
- The University will inform the FCDO or the Home Office (UK Visas and Immigration) of any fraudulent, false or inaccurate information provided during the admissions process.