Grades, A*AA.
The standard Durham M101 offer — and how Supported Progression drops it by a grade for contextual applicants.
Durham Law
GRADES
Grades at a glance
For 2024/25 entry to Durham's M101 LLB Law, the standard A-Level offer is A*AA in any subjects.[1] Durham doesn't require Law A-Level or a specific subject mix. The contextual route (Supported Progression) lowers the offer to ABB for eligible applicants.[2]
Three things to know up front
A*AA
Standard A-Level
Durham's M101 LLB Law standard offer at A-Level. The A* can be in any of your three subjects. General Studies, Critical Thinking and the EPQ are not counted toward the offer.[1]
ABB
Supported Progression
A drop of one grade from the standard offer, for students who complete Durham's Supported Progression programme. Eligibility is tied to POLAR4, school performance and household indicators.[2]
9-9-9
Strong GCSE profile
Durham doesn't publish a GCSE cut-off for Law, but its course pages signal that highly competitive applicants present a strong GCSE record. [DATA GAP: Durham publishes no Law-specific GCSE distribution.]
The A-Level offer
Durham M101 asks for A*AA at A-Level.[1] Unlike LSE or UCL there's no required A-Level subject and no preference between essay and non-essay subjects. The Law Faculty has said applicants from any A-Level combination are considered on equal terms.
| Qualification | Standard offer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level (M101) | A*AA | Any three A-Level subjects. EPQ, Critical Thinking, General Studies excluded from the offer. |
| A-Level (M102 Foundation) | BBB | Law with Foundation route — additional widening-participation criteria apply. |
| International Baccalaureate | 38 | Including 6,6,6 in three Higher Level subjects. |
| Scottish Advanced Highers | AAB | Three Advanced Highers, or two Advanced Highers plus an additional Higher at A. |
| Welsh Baccalaureate | A*AA | Standard A-Level offer with the Welsh Bacc Skills Challenge Certificate at A. |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D2, D3, D3 | Or A-Level / Pre-U combination at A*AA-equivalent. |
Two things this offer tells you about Durham
- One A*, not three. Durham's bar sits below Cambridge (A*A*A) and matches the standard Oxford and LSE A-Level offer. The A* can be in any subject — there's no "must be in your essay subject" rule.
- No subject requirements. Durham doesn't ask for Law, History, English Literature, or any essay subject. UCL accepts only "essay/discursive" A-Levels for Law and Bristol prefers them; Durham doesn't.[1]
Durham counts your three best A-Levels. Sitting a fourth doesn't penalise you, but it doesn't help either — the offer is set on the best three.
Contextual offers
Durham runs Supported Progression — its widening-participation programme — and gives eligible students a reduced offer of ABB for Law, against the standard A*AA.[2] That's a meaningful drop: one A* turns into a B, one A holds.
Who's eligible
Supported Progression is a year-long programme rather than a flag on your UCAS form. To apply, you need to meet at least one of the following:
- Live in a POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2 postcode (low HE-progression area).
- Be eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in secondary education.
- Attend a state school whose 5-year average A-Level performance is below the national average.
- Be a care leaver, estranged from your family, a young carer, a refugee, or from a Gypsy/Roma/Traveller background.
You apply in Year 12. If you're accepted onto Supported Progression and complete the programme, Durham gives you an alternative offer at the lower threshold.[2] The standard programme runs from autumn of Year 12 through summer of Year 13 and includes a residential at Durham.
Figure 1 · Durham Law offers — standard vs contextual
Standard offer
Supported Progression offer
The grade gap
Durham Supported Progression programme — alternative offer for Law M101.[2]
Why this matters strategically
Two A-Level grades is a lot of headroom. A predicted-AAB student at a non-selective state school sits well below the typical Durham Law applicant in the standard funnel. With Supported Progression they can apply at their actual predicted level and still hit the offer. The programme also removes uncertainty — an SP offer in advance tells you what you're aiming at.
The programme is competitive — there's a cap on places and selection involves a personal statement and reference. But the conversion rate from SP completers into Durham places is high.
Apply to Supported Progression in Year 12, not Year 13. The programme runs across the full year before your application cycle. If you're starting Year 13 and only now hearing about it, you're a cycle late.
GCSEs
Durham doesn't publish a numerical GCSE cut-off for Law, and unlike Oxford it doesn't use a contextualised GCSE algorithm at shortlisting. GCSEs feed into the holistic UCAS review alongside personal statement, reference, and predicted A-Levels.[1]
That said, Durham's Law admissions team has consistently signalled in outreach that competitive applicants come in with a strong GCSE profile — typically a mix of grade 9s, with no grade below a 6/B in subjects that count for the offer.
| University | GCSE rule | How it bites |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford (M100) | cGCSE algorithm | 80% of shortlist rank for 2025/26 (school-contextualised). |
| Cambridge (M100) | Holistic | Reviewed alongside everything else; no formal threshold. |
| UCL (M100) | English Lang + Maths grade 6/B | Hard floor, but no broader GCSE rule. |
| Durham (M101) | Holistic | Reviewed in UCAS context; no formal threshold or algorithm. |
| LSE (M100) | Strong GCSE profile | Holistic but explicit signal that GCSEs matter. |
In practice: predicted A*AA with 6× grade 9, 2× grade 8 looks competitive at Durham. The same candidate with 9, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6 is still in the pool but leaning more on personal statement and reference to land the offer. [DATA GAP: Durham doesn't publish offer-holder GCSE distributions for Law.]
Strategy
Durham doesn't interview and doesn't run a numeric shortlisting algorithm — selection is the LNAT plus the whole UCAS form. The strategy varies sharply by applicant profile.
Predicted A*A*A · strong GCSEs
Durham is comfortably in your range. With a competitive LNAT (target band: top quartile) you're well placed for an offer. Use your personal statement to show interest in the specific Durham programme — the substantive module mix, the Castle/Stockton split, college life.
Watch: The 32% Home offer rate isn't a formality. Don't let Durham become an unconsidered backup.
Predicted A*AA · solid GCSEs
You meet the standard offer profile. The LNAT and personal statement are doing decisive work — you're competing with applicants at your level, and Durham can't separate you on grades alone.
Strategy: Maximise LNAT preparation. A score in the top third visibly differentiates you in a pool where most applicants have the same predicted grades.
Predicted AAB-ABB · POLAR4 Q1/Q2
You're outside the standard offer profile, but Supported Progression maps directly onto your situation. Apply to SP in Year 12. If you're already in Year 13, check whether you meet the contextual flags — Durham may still apply a reduced offer.
Strategy: SP first, then LNAT. The contextual route is the meaningful one.
International applicant
The 80% Overseas offer rate looks generous, but Durham's bar (38 IB / A*AA / national equivalents) is still high.[3] The personal statement matters more — Durham can't see your school's context the way it sees a UK applicant's.
Strategy: Lean hard on the LNAT essay — it's the equaliser across school systems.
Sources cited on this page
Each numbered claim above links here. Click any link to open the primary Durham source.
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[1]
Durham Law School — M101 LLB Law course page COURSE
Standard A*AA A-Level offer, IB 38 with 6,6,6 at Higher Level, no subject requirements. Source for all standard-offer figures.
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[2]
Durham — Supported Progression programme PROGRAMME
Durham's widening-participation programme. ABB alternative offer for M101 Law to eligible students. Year 12 entry, residential, contextual flags.
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[3]
Durham — Undergraduate Applications 2024/25 Cycle REPORT
Department-level applications, programme offers, and alternative-programme offers. Separate Home/Islands and Overseas/EU breakdowns.