CC/CX
Press 1 for Patience or Select 8x8 for Success In the UK, Clearing is a process where students who have not secured a university place, or have changed their mind on which course they wish to attend, call universities directly after A-level exam results are published, to see if they can claim a placement.
awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. “Clearing is high-stakes for students and universities alike as every second on hold adds stress and the risk of losing a place or funding,” comments Maxine Eunson, Head of Public Sector and Universities at 8x8, Inc. For students this year calling “8x8- powered” universities, the experience looked very different. Average wait times dropped to just six seconds, and most calls were resolved end-to-end in under eight minutes.
As A-level results dropped in August, students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland scrambled to secure university places through Clearing, and many were forced to wait more than three hours on hold to do so, according to new data from 8x8, Inc. With more than 22,000 undergraduate courses still open, phone lines across the UK on Thursday 14 August 2025 were quickly overwhelmed. Whilst Clearing technically runs until October, the first few days are critical, with some places
Maxine Eunson Head of Public
Sector and Universities
After the first weekend of Clearing, data shared with 8x8 from a number of UK university bodies revealed:
8x8.com
Some applicants were on hold for more than three
8x8-supported universities recorded wait times of less than eight seconds for a call
hours before reaching the relevant university employees.
to be answered, and total call handling times were around eight minutes. In some cases, calls handled were under two minutes.
80% of call volume took place on
Universities without an 8x8 solution had average wait times of above 16 minutes .
the Thursday of exam results being received.
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