30 July 2025

Pre-requisites

Ensure that administrators setting up decision making have the required permissions as detailed in the table Admin permissions. For more information on roles and permissions, go to What is authorisation?

Admin permissions

Task	Authorisation area	Permission
View admissions settings	Web apps	Settings - Use Application
Add offers, academic conditions, and so on	Reference data	Reference data - Edit

Set up the decision engine

Set up the decision engine as follows:

1. Log in as administrator and with the required permissions as defined in the pre-requisites.

2. Add the reference data required for offers as detailed in the table Reference data.

   Reference data

   Reference data	Description	Related topics
   Academic conditions	Academic conditions, such as 136 UCAS tariff points or higher. Attention. Academic conditions may require values from the reference data for qualifications an points types.	How to add academic conditions
   Qualifications	Qualifications, such as City and Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England.	How to add qualifications
   Points type	Points, such as UCAS tariff points.	How to add application types points
   Non-academic conditions	Non-academic conditions, such as a valid student visa. Note that non-academic conditions are clearance checks.	How to add clearance checks

3. Add the offers that combine academic and non-academic conditions to define the entry requirements of programmes. For example, 136 UCAS tariff points including A level grade A in biology and physics.

   For more information, go to How to add offers.

4. Add the entry points. Entry points that define the dates of entry for programmes, delivery locations, and so on. Entry points require the following mandatory information:

   Code

   Enter a unique value, such as PD-ADNURSE-2022-09-01

   Description

   Description that is used to select the entry point, such as Adult Nursing PGDip - 2022 - September start - Year 1.

   Admissions programme

   Select the admissions programme associated with the entry point, such as Adult Nursing PGDip.

   Academic year and Occurrence

   Enter the academic year, such as 2022/3, and occurrence of the entry point in the academic year, such as Summer intake.

   Mode

   Select the mode of study, such as Full-time

   Month of entry

   Select the starting month for the entry point, such as September.

   Block

   Select the year of study for the entry point, such as Year 1.

   Entry points can then be configured for application and confirmation reviews, to allow applicant withdrawals using the applicant portal, whether available in clearing, and so on, as required.

5. Add the standard offers used with programmes. Standard offers enable an entry point to be linked to multiple offer libraries that create the entry requirements for the programme assigned to the entry point.

   Entry point

   Select the entry point, such as Computer Science BSC (Hons) - Year 1 September.

   Offer 1

   Select the main decision, such as 136 UCAS tariff points including A level grade A in biology and physics.

   Offer 2

   Select the additional conditions, such as a valid student visa.

   Days to respond

   Enter the number of days an applicant has to respond to an offer. The number of days start when the offer is published.