The most important thing to check while seeking admission in UK is the validity of ones' academic qualification in relation to the institute and the course that he or she aspires to join and pursue. The Universities and other institutes are not bound by any regulation in UK and are independent to recognize and accept a particular international qualification for admission into a specific course. The best guide for such information is the prospectus of the chosen institute /university which would carry entry requirements for all the programs that it has to offer. A student must satisfy the particular requirements of the program, which may include specific grades in named subjects at A-Level examination or GCSE examination for admission in undergraduate and A-Level courses or at graduate level for admission in postgraduate courses.

Broadly class Xth of CBSE with 75% marks is considered equivalent to GCSE and such students can seek admission for A-level courses. Similarly those with outstanding grades in class XII of CBSE or equivalent are eligible for admission in undergraduate degree courses, and those with lesser marks may get admission in vocational and foundation/bridging courses. However universities like Oxford, Cambridge and London School of Economics do not give credence to any of our class XII qualification for admission in undergraduate courses.  

All international students, whose mother tongue is not English, must have or gain English Language qualification, which is acceptable to the university or the institute to which he or she is seeking admission. Among many qualifications acceptable for this purpose are a score of 550 or more in the paper based test and 220 or more on the computer based tests of TOEFL, an overall score of 5.5 in IELTS.

Undergraduate programmes
Overseas applicants for full-time degree and diploma courses as well as HND courses are required to apply for admission through UCAS (University and Colleges Admission Service). UCAS forms may be obtained from the offices of British Council at various cities. The forms are available from 1st September onwards and the closing date is 30th June of the following year. Deadlines for submission of forms is 15th October for Oxford and Cambridge and 15th December for all the other member universities/institutes of UCAS   However for high demand courses in subjects like business and finance, medicine etc it is advisable to submit forms earlier, by November/December. A candidate can choose and apply for a maximum of six institutions at a time. UCAS sends copies of the form to all the institutions mentioned in the form by the candidate. An institution may offer or reject admission straightaway or offer a conditional admission subject to the result of the qualifying examination. Some universities, before making an offer, may like to invite the candidate for an interview. The candidate is communicated the result through UCAS and in case he has a clear offer and accepts it, he has to send the acceptance through UCAS. Students have further opportunity for admission through UCAS Clearing Scheme. This scheme enables universities to offer vacant places to suitable applicants outstanding in the UCAS files.

Postgraduate programmes
In case of postgraduate courses and doctorate programs a candidate has to apply directly to the university and not through UCAS. The application is assessed mainly on the basis of academic track record, score in IELTS/TOEFL and research proposal in case of research programs.  The references given by the candidate also matter. For management programmes no work experience is required as is the case in the USA and Canada. Since postgraduate courses are more sought after, it is advisable to begin the process early. Generally the applications for such courses are accepted between November and March.

Once a candidate has a confirmed offer from an university/institute it should be ensured that all necessary documents like the evidence of required qualification to enter the desired course, the offer of the university/institute etc are available for fulfilling the immigration rules. These would also be required for applying an entry clearance, on the basis of which the Visa is issued.