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If you’re applying to start an undergraduate course at university in 2026, the way you’ll complete your UCAS personal statement is due to change.

Here we’ll explain the UCAS personal statement changes you can expect.

Is UCAS getting rid of personal statements?

No, the UCAS personal statement hasn’t been scrapped. You’ll still need to write one to start university in 2026, but UCAS is updating the format.

What are the UCAS personal statement changes for 2026 onwards?

Just as it is now, your personal statement will be an important part of your . It will still be where you’ll explain why you want to study your chosen course and why the universities you’re applying to should offer you a place.

However, instead of writing one long piece of text, you’ll write three separate sections, each answering one of three questions:

• Why do you want to study this course or subject?
• How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
• What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

UCAS are introducing these questions to help shape your personal statement and make it easier to write. They’ve designed the personal statement questions as a starting point and to ensure you include everything about yourself that’ll make you a great student - the qualities universities want to see before making you an offer. 

The total word limit for the personal statement will still be 4,000 words (including spaces) as it is now, but your answer to each question will need to be at least 350 characters.

With the structure of the three questions, these UCAS personal statement changes will make it simpler to showcase your achievements and shine in your application. 

When is the UCAS personal statement changing? 

The three question format for the UCAS personal statement will be introduced for applications to start university from 2026. 

So, if you’re applying to start uni in 2025, you’ll write your personal statement as normal. If you’re not sure where to start or you need a little inspiration for this, take a look at our guide to writing a great personal statement. 

You’ll find tips and advice for writing a personal statement that shows how brilliant you are, from when and how to start, to what to include and how to structure it. You can also sign up to our personal statement hub to receive videos, get top tips and download help sheets.