UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION
UNIVERSITY ADMISSION – ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024
www.ugc.ac.lk
The University Grants Commission (UGC) will entertain applications for admission to Sri Lankan universities
from candidates who have satisfied the minimum requirements for university admission at the G.C.E.
(Advanced Level) Examination held for the year 2023. The Commissioner General of Examinations has
already informed the candidates whether they have satisfied the minimum requirements for university
admission.
Candidates are informed that it is compulsory to apply for university admission online.
Minimum Requirements for University Admission
Candidates who are pronounced eligible for university admission by the Commissioner General of
Examinations should have obtained;
(a) At least ‘S’ grades in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within a maximum of three (03)
attempts.
(b) A minimum mark of 30% for the Common General Paper.
Note 1: Candidates who have not obtained 30% or above for the common general paper are
not eligible for registration for the courses of study of the universities for which they
have been selected based on the Z Score in the current academic year.
If such a candidate has obtained a minimum of 30% for the common general paper in
a previous attempt within three attempts allowed for university admission, the
previous achievement can be considered.
Candidates who have not obtained a minimum of 30% shall re-sit and obtain a
minimum of 30% for the common general paper in a next available year within three
attempts allowed for university admission, to be eligible to get registered for the
courses of study of the universities for which the candidates have already been
selected based on Z Score, in a future academic year.
Method to obtain the University Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/2024
A soft copy of the University Admission Handbook can be downloaded through the official
website, www.ugc.ac.lk after making an online payment of Rs. 1000/= to the University Grants
Commission.
Submission of Applications for University Admission Online
It is compulsory to apply for university admission online via the official website of the University
Grants Commission (www.ugc.ac.lk).
Note 2: Candidates are advised to read the SECTION 4 of the University Admissions
Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/2024 for the Application Procedure.
Note 3: Instructions to submit the applications for university admission online are given in
the SECTION 5 of the University Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year
2023/2024.
Note 4: Candidates who do not have internet facilities to apply for university admission
online are facilitated free of charge to apply for university admission online at
Regional and Study Centers of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL R&SC) and
Internet Technology Distance Learning Hub (ITDLH) under Ministry of Education
island wide during opening hours. Contact details of all such centres are given at the
end of the SECTION 5 of the University Admissions Handbook valid for the Academic
Year 2023/2024.
Note 5: The valid National Identity Card (NIC) of the candidate is a mandatory requirement to
apply for university admissions.
Note 6: If you have any difficulty in filling out the application form for University Admission
online you can contact the Government Information Center (1919) or UGC
Information Centre (011-2695301, 011-2695302).
Commencing Date of calling Applications
Applicants will be given the opportunity to submit their applications online for university admission for the
academic year 2023/2024 from 14.06.2024.
Closing Date for submitting Applications
The closing date for submitting applications will be 05.07.2024. Candidates are hereby informed that no
applications will be entertained after 05.07.2024.
Having completed the other requirements as given in the University Admissions Handbook, the printed
online application generated after submitting the application online should be sent by registered post
addressed to the Deputy Secretary/University Admissions, University Grants Commission, No. 20,
Ward Place, Colombo 07.
You must use the A4 sized envelope for this purpose.
The printed online applications should be sent only by registered post and candidates are not allowed to
submit applications to the UGC by hand.
Disqualifying for University Admission
The following categories of students do not qualify for seeking admission as internal students to a State
University or a Higher Education Institute under the UGC, in terms of the Section 1.7 of the University
Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/2024.
1. Students who sat for the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Examination on more than three (03) occasions.
2. Students who were/are registered as internal students to follow a course of study in a State
University/Higher Educational Institute established under the Universities Act No.16 of 1978 (as
amended). [List of all the Universities and Higher Educational Institutes covered under this section
is mentioned in Section 1.6 (8) and Section 1.6 (10) of the University Admissions Handbook valid for
the academic year 2023/2024].
3. Students who were/are registered under free education as internal students to follow a first degree
course in a State University/Institute established under any other Act of Parliament in Sri Lanka
other than the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 (as amended).
Which are;
i. Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka
ii. Buddhist & Pali University of Sri Lanka
iii. General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (As Enlisted Officer Cadets)
iv. University of Vocational Technology
v. Ocean University of Sri Lanka (Students who got registered in or after 2017)
4. Students who were/are registered in a College of Education as internal students to follow a course
of study.
5. Students who were/are registered under free education as internal students to follow a diploma
programme of three (03) years duration in a University College under the University of Vocational
Technology.
6. Students who were/are registered as full time students to follow a course of study of three (03)
years duration or more in an under mentioned institute subject to the provisions made in the
paragraphs named “Important” below;
a. Higher National Diploma (HND) at an institution which comes under the Sri Lanka Institute
of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE)
b. National Diploma in Engineering Sciences (NDES) at Institute of Engineering Technology
(IET) of the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA)
Important:
However, a student who is registered as a full time student to follow a course of study of a three (03)
year duration or more to obtain a Higher National Diploma (HND) at an institution which comes
under the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE) and or National
Diploma in Engineering Sciences (NDES) at Institute of Engineering Technology (IET) of the
National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) is given the opportunity to
withdraw the registration within 60 days from the last date given for registration by the relevant
Institute and apply for university admission to follow a course of study in a University or a Higher
Educational Institute established under the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 (as amended) on the
basis of the results of a G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Examination held in a later year.
Please note that if the student has not withdrawn the registration from the above mentioned
institutions within the 60 days from the last date given for registration for a course of study
mentioned in paragraph 6 above, he/she will not be eligible to apply for university admission to
follow a course of study in a University or Higher Educational Institute established under the
Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 (as amended) on the basis of the results of a G.C.E. (Advanced Level)
Examination held in a later year, since he/she comes under paragraph 6 above.
However, a student who is admitted to fill a vacancy of a Higher National Diploma (HND) at an
institution which comes under the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education
(SLIATE) or National Diploma in Engineering Sciences (NDES) at Institute of Engineering
Technology (IET) of the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) mentioned
in paragraph 6 above will not be given the concession mentioned above to withdraw their
registration within the 60 days period and to apply for university admission again.
Note 7: Candidates who have withdrawn the registration from the institutions mentioned in
paragraph 6 above within 60 days from the last date given for registration for a course of
study should send a copy of the letter issued by the institution concerned regarding the
cancellation of registration, along with the application.
7. Students who have accepted a foreign scholarship channelled through the Ministry of Higher
Education to study courses at the first-degree level.
8. A student who has already obtained a first degree or relevant qualification from authorities
specified in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 above.
9. A student who has made a false declaration and/or produced forged documents for application and/
or registration for university admission in the current academic year or in a previous academic year.
Note 8: If the information provided by the candidate along with the application for university
admission or at the registration found to be false or inaccurate prior to his/her
admission to the University/ Higher Educational Institute, actions will be taken to cancel
the selections and the application for university admission submitted by the candidate
for that particular academic year and he/ she will not be allowed to apply for university
admissions in any of the future academic years.
Moreover, if the information provided by the candidate along with the application for
university admission or at the registration found to be false or inaccurate after his/her
admission to the University/ Higher Educational Institute, actions will be taken to
dismiss the student from the University/ Higher Educational Institute.
Other Important Information
a. Marking Preferences for the Courses of study of the Universities in the Application Form
In the academic year 2023/ 2024, there are 125 different courses of study conducted by 16 National
Universities, 02 Campuses and 02 Higher Educational Institutes under the UGC.
A unique code (a unique identity) is given to each individual course of study in a particular
university/campus/institute. This unique code is referred to as a “Uni-Code”. In total, there are 257
Uni-Codes. The list of Uni-Codes is given in page no. 141-147 of the University Admissions
Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/2024.
Candidates could apply for any number of Uni-Codes (i.e. any number of courses of study of
universities) to which they are eligible to apply. However, the candidates are not eligible to apply for
all 257 Uni-Codes. A choice for a candidate will depend on the subjects offered at the G.C.E.
(Advanced Level) Examination. However, each candidate can mark up to a maximum of 125 choices
in the application.
They should arrange their “Uni-Codes” from the highest preferred Uni-Code to the lowest preferred
Uni-Code. Sequence should indicate the decreasing interest to a Uni-Code, in the mind of the
candidate. Candidates are not allowed to enter the same Uni-Code more than one occasion in the
order of preference.
In the selection, the course of study and the university both will be considered together.
Candidates are strongly advised to mark the maximum number of Uni-Codes which they are eligible
to apply when filling the application. Candidates are considered only for the courses of study of the
universities for which they have marked preferences. Candidates will not be considered for the
courses of study of the universities to which they have not marked preferences. Accordingly, if
a particular candidate has not given a preference to a course of study of a university (Uni-Code) for
which he/she could have been selected according to the Z score, he/she would not be allocated to
that course of study and the university for which he/she has not indicated a preference. Instead
he/she would be considered for the next choice of course of study and the university (Uni-Code)
preferred by him/her.
Note 9: Candidates are advised to read the SECTION 3 of the University Admissions Handbook
valid for the academic year 2023/2024 for the instructions to use Uni-Codes for
indicating the order of preference.
Note 10: If a student is not getting registered to a selected course of study of a university (Uni-
Code), he/she will not then be considered for any other university to follow the same
course of study, under filling of vacancies even if the student has given higher
preferences for the same course of study in different universities in the application form
for university admission. Instead, his/her application will be considered for the next
course of study preferred.
Students are advised to read the example named “Important” given in page no 113-115 of
the University Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/2024 for further
clarifications in this regard.
Note 11: Candidates are permitted to change their order of “Uni-Codes” online within two (02)
weeks from the closing date for university admission applications as mentioned in
Section 3.3 of the University Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year 2023/
2024,
The duly signed and dated printed copy of the candidate’s new order of “Uni-Codes”
should be sent by the registered post to reach the Deputy Secretary/ University
Admissions, University Grants Commission, No. 20, Ward Place, Colombo 07 within two
(02) weeks from the closing date for university admission applications.
Candidates are advised to read the Section 3.3 of the University Admissions Handbook
valid for the academic year 2023/2024 for other required details in this regard.
b. Practical/Aptitude Tests
Candidates who wish to be considered for admission to the under mentioned courses of study
should apply and pass the practical/aptitude tests conducted by the respective universities. The
relevant university will publish a press notice calling for applications to sit the
practical/aptitude tests and the candidates should submit their applications for
practical/aptitude tests directly to the respective university.
The candidates may contact the Registrar of the respective university. The contact phone
numbers of the relevant Universities/Higher Educational Institutes which conduct the
practical/aptitude tests are given in page 195 of the Handbook. However, in order to
consider for the course of study, it is compulsory to fulfill the cut-off mark of the relevant
course of study in addition to passing the practical/aptitude test.
Course of Study University/Campus/Institute Uni-
Code
Arts (SP) - Mass Media University of Colombo(Sri Palee Campus) 020S
Arts (SP) - Performing Arts University of Colombo(Sri Palee Campus) 041S
Architecture University of Moratuwa 023G
Design University of Moratuwa 024G
Fashion Design & Product Development University of Moratuwa 034G
Music University of Sri Jayewardenepura 068C
Music University of Jaffna 068E
Music Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies 068Y
Music University of the Visual & Performing Arts 068Z
Dance University of Jaffna 069E
Dance Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies 069Y
Dance University of the Visual & Performing Arts 069Z
Art & Design University of Jaffna 070E
Drama & Theatre Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies 071Y
Drama & Theatre University of the Visual & Performing Arts 071Z
Visual & Technological Arts Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies 072Y
Physical Education University of Jaffna 081E
Physical Education Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka 081L
Sports Sciences & Management University of Sri Jayewardenepura 082C
Sports Sciences & Management University of Kelaniya 082D
Sports Sciences & Management Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka 082L
Visual Arts University of the Visual & Performing Arts 085Z
Landscape Architecture University of Moratuwa 097G
Film & Television Studies University of Kelaniya 100D
c. Registration for the selected Course of Study of the University
After issuing of the minimum Z-Scores (cut off marks) for University Admission for the Academic
Year 2023/2024 by the UGC, the successful candidates will be informed of their course of study and
the university to which they have been selected, by the UGC. If the candidate accepts the offer,
should make the payment of Rs. 50/= as the registration fee to the bank or online in credit of the
University Grants Commission and register online via the official website of UGC for the selected
course of study of the university on or before the last date given for registration, by the UGC as per
the Sections 1.6(5), 1.6(6) & 4.1 of the University Admissions Handbook valid for the academic year
2023/2024.
Also, if the payment is made to the bank, candidate should upload and send a scanned copy of the
Paying in Voucher to UGC when getting registered online, in order to verify the payment.
After the online registration, the students should send the duly signed printed form of the online
registration (Online Payment Receipt) along with evidence of required payment if paid to bank
[Paying-in-voucher], via registered post to reach the UGC.
Note 12: Please note that the online registration for the selected course of study of the university
is also a mandatory requirement for the academic year 2023/2024.
Note 13: At the end of online registration to the selected course of study of the university, all
students are required to download “Anti-ragging Declaration” made by the student and
to print it in an A4 sized paper on (both sides). It is compulsory to submit the duly signed
declaration to the university at the time of enroll. Please do not send this Declaration to
the University Grants Commission through post.
Chairman
University Grants Commission
20, Ward Place,
Colombo 07.
2024.06.14
