UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

UNIVERSITY ADMISSION ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016

www.ugc.ac.lk
Essential Facts on University Admission
1. Selection of students to Courses of Study in Arts Stream is done mainly on the All
Island Merit basis.
2. Selection of students to Courses of Study in other streams (Physical Science, Bio
Science, Commerce, Engineering Technology & Biosystems Technology) is based
on 40% all island Merit, 55% district merit and 5% as an additional placement
for students in 16 educationally disadvantaged districts.
3. Once you get selected to a Course of Study of a stream (Bio- Science, Physical
Science, Arts, Commerce, Engineering Technology or Biosystems Technology ),
entering into a preferred Course of Study and preferred University will be based
only on Merit.
4. University Grants Commission (UGC) will always attempt to satisfy your request
to get you into your most preferred Course of Study and the most preferred
University, once you achieve the minimum qualifications for admission.
5. In achieving the said objective, it is the responsibility of the UGC to be fair to all,
when selecting the preferences.
6. In general, the eligibility to apply for a particular course of study (study
program) will depend on your GCE (A/L) subject stream. Most of you will,
usually, prepare a list of courses based on your A/L subject stream.
7. However, there are Courses of Study, which you may be eligible to apply
irrespective of your A/L subject stream. Few examples are Course of Study in
Project Management, Course of Study in Translation Studies and Course of Study
in Film and Television Studies. Details of such Courses are given in page 67 -86
of the Admissions Handbook to be published in near future.

8. It is also important to know that there are some Courses of Study that are open
to students of several streams but with specific A/L subject combinations. Few
examples are, Course of Study in Law, Course of Study in Information
Technology. The details of such Courses of Study are in pages 67-86 of the
Handbook.
9. Please note that, to be eligible to some courses, you should have satisfied certain
specific requirements at your GCE (O/L) Examination. For example, to be eligible
for a Course of study in Law, you should have obtained at least a credit pass for
English at the GCE (O/L) Examination. The details of such O/L requirements are
given in pages 115 of the Handbook.
10. There are also some Courses of Study where you have to pass an Aptitude test.
Aptitude Tests are conducted by the Universities/Higher Education Institutes. If
your desire is to enter into a Course of Study for which an Aptitude test is a
must, please communicate with the Registrar of the University or Senior
Assistant Registrar of the Institute, to find the dates of the Aptitude test. The
University/Higher Education Institutes will publish press notices calling
applications for Aptitude tests. Students are advised to be vigilant and apply for
the Aptitude tests responding to such press notices. The details of the Courses of
Study that require an Aptitude test are given in page 116 of the Handbook. The
contact phone numbers of the relevant Universities/Institutes are given in page
228 of the Handbook.
11. Following points will help you to identify and prepare a list of study pogrammes
for which you are eligible to apply.
12. When you are identifying your order of preference, you must consider both the
University and the Course of Study of your interest.
13. UGC will select you for the most preferred Course of Study of a University as
requested by you, if you are eligible, and have reached the required Z score for
the same.
14. You will never be admitted to a Course of Study of a University that you have not
requested.

15. The Study programmes offered by Universities are identified by identifiers

called UNI-CODEs.
16. UNI-CODE is a unique number given to identify a particular Course of Study
and the University/HEI where the course is offered. Details of UNICODEs are
given in pages 110-114 of the Handbook.
17. Every character of the UNI-CODE is important and therefore at the time of
filling the application, please remember to write every character precisely and
accurately.

Steps to follow before you start filling the application

1. Read the Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year 2015/2016, in full.
2. Make a list of Courses of Study and Universities which you are eligible to apply
with their UNI-CODEs. Examples of filling the application using UNI-CODEs
are given in pages 87-88 of the Handbook.
3. Re-arrange the list of Courses of Study and Universities for which you are
eligible, in your order of preference.
4. Decide on the Courses of Study and Universities, you wish to apply for.
5. Do not depend on the cut off marks of the previous year, given in pages 192195 of the Handbook, because the cut off marks may vary from year to year.
6. Rewrite the list of Courses of Study and Universities which you wish to apply, in
order of preference, by using UNI-CODEs. Write every character clearly and
accurately.
7. Complete filling a copy of the paper application form as a guide, before you
commence filling the application.

You can now decide to use one of the two methods to submit your application to the
University Grants Commission.
a. On-line application
b. Paper application
Of the two methods, UGC strongly advise you to use on-line application method. This
method is simple, speedy, secure and accurate.
Also the acceptance of your application will be immediately acknowledged by a text
message to your mobile phone and to your e-mail, which you have provided when filling
the online application.
Essential facts regarding On-line application method
1. You must have used a valid National Identity Card (NIC) number at the
G.C.E.(A/L) examination in order to use the on-line system. However; if you have
used any other method other than your National ID to prove your identity at the
G.C.E. (A/L) Examination, you are not allowed to use the online application
method. You have to then use the paper application method.
2. Keep your NIC number ready, before you log-in to UGC online application
system.
3. If you have Internet facility at home, you can enter into the UGC web site
(www.ugc.ac.lk) from your computer.
4. If you do not have facilities or expertise with you, contact the Nanasala/NAC
Centers/ICT Centres close to your home. Pages 229-244 of the Handbook will
give the addresses and the phone numbers of the Nanasala centers, ICT Centers
and NAC centers. If you have facilities at school, you can obtain services from
your school too.
5. Please visit the centre closest to your home with the following seven (07)
documents.
i. Completed paper application which you have created as your guide.
ii. Nation Identify Card ( Prepare a scanned copy of both sides)
iii. Mobile phone number

The mobile phone number you provide should not be used for anyone else to
apply for University admission through online service in the same academic
year. This number is important as the activation code assigned to you by the
UGC when you make the online application will be sent to this mobile phone
number. All future correspondences of the UGC also be send to this phone
number.
iv. Valid personal email account
Verification link will be sent to this email account
v. A copy of the O/L and A/L Certificates
vi. School leaving certificate signed by the principal (This will apply only for
Private Candidates)
Note: If your A/L schooling period is less than one year or you have not attended any
school for A/L during the period from 01.08.2012 to 31.07.2015, you should
submit the following documents together with the printed signed online
application.
(a) Grama Niladhari Certificate
(b) Extract of electoral register for years 2012/2013/2014 and 2015.
vii. If there is a change in your name, an affidavit to confirm difference in name
6. University Grants Commission will pay the Nanasala/ICT/NAC centers for
providing the service for you. Therefore, the service they provide to you is free.
You need not pay any money.
7. Before you start filling the application online on your own or assisted by an
officer in the Nansala/ICT/NAC center, please read the instructions given in the
Section 3 (page 95-119)of the Handbook carefully.
18. Clear instructions are provided in Sinhala, Tamil and English in the web for
filling the application.
19. However, the application can only be filled in English.

Steps to follow when filling the online application

1. Enter into the UGC web site www.ugc.ac.lk from your computer.
2. Register as a user. Precise instructions on registering as a user are given in the
web application as you proceed. Once you complete the steps for registration,
you will immediately receive the Activation Code to your mobile and the
Verification Link to your e-mail account.
3. Login to the UGC Online Application System using the Activation Code,
Verification Link you just received and the National ID number. This step will
activate your account. Now you are ready to fill the online application. The
application has four sections. You can log out at any step before completing all
four sections at the same time and login later and continue from where you
stopped.
4. Section I is your personal details. Fill Section I.
5. Section II is your G.C.E (O/L) and G.C.E (A/L) results. Fill Section II.
6. Section III is your school details. Fill Section III.
7. In Section IV you inform the UGC, the Courses of Study you wish to follow and
the universities where you wish to be enrolled, in your order of
preference.
8. You have now finished filling the application on-line. Check carefully whether
all the information is true and correct.
9. Now submit the application online.
10. Get a printout of your application. When the application is printed, you get in
print, in addition to the 4 sections you have filled in, a Section 5; your
Declaration and Section 6. The Section 6 of the School Candidates should be
filled by the principal of school whereas the Section 6 of the Private Candidates
should be attested by a Commissioner for Oaths/Justice of Peace. In addition a

set of machine readable bar codes will be printed with your application. These
bar codes are for cutting and pasting on both sides of the supporting documents.
11. Cut and paste the appropriate bar code on the top right hand corner on
both sides of each supporting documents. The list of supporting documents to
be submitted to the UGC is given in page 118 of the Admissions Handbook.
12. Read the printed copy and check carefully the application details and the date
and sign the declaration in Section 05.
13. Submit the duly signed printed application with the supporting documents
under registered cover to the University Grants Commission to the
following address before the closing date.
Address:

Senior Assistant Secretary/University Admissions,

University Grants Commission,
No.20 Ward Place,
Colombo 7.

UGC will advertise the closing date for applications for the academic year
2015/2016 in near future.
IMPORTANT NOTES:

Online application will only be considered, if followed up with the duly signed
printed application to the UGC before the closing date.

Candidates are allowed to change the order of preference for UNICODES

indicated in the application via online or manually within one month from the
closing date for applications.

If you are selected for University admission, you will receive a letter from the
UGC, naming your Course of Study and the University. You will then have to
decide whether you wish to follow the Course of Study for which you are
selected.

If you decide to follow the Course of Study for which you are selected (ie. If you
accept the offer), then you will have to register online via the UGC web site.

If you decide not to accept the offer, you must not register for the Course of
Study of a University.

However; you may still continue to receive offers based on your higher
preferences, when UGC is filling vacancies. You can, at this stage, still decide to
register. Alternatively you can decide not to register.

Please note that, if you do not register within the stipulated date, UGC will select
the next student on merit for your place.

Please note that the official advertisement for calling applications for University
Admission for the Academic Year 2015/2016 will be published in the newspapers
by this weekend.

Chairman
University Grants Commission
20.04.2016