UCCA was created in response to concerns during the 1950s that the increase in university applications was unmanageable using the systems then in place, where each student applied individually to as many institutions as they chose.
Its First and Second Reports had already made a number of recommendations aimed at harmonising admissions procedures across different universities.
The actual application process remained largely unchanged during the life of the organisation, except for minor details.
Copies of the application were sent to these universities (unlike UCCA's modern counterpart, UCAS), which could make various kinds of offer: unconditional, or conditional on grades achieved in the subsequent A-level examinations.
In August, when the exam results were published, students who achieved their required grades (or who fell short of them, if the university had enough places available) would receive confirmation of their offer.
For clearing in particular, this system proved too complex, and universities with spare places on particular courses developed the practice of stating their minimum requirements in terms of an aggregate score: reckoning A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, a required score of 9 meant they were prepared to consider any candidate with three Cs or equivalent, regardless of subject.