Like Oxford, Cambridge runs its undergraduate admissions through UCAS, with an early deadline and a strong focus on subject-specific academic ability.
Application Requirements
- UCAS application – the standard route for all UK undergraduate admissions.
- My Cambridge Application – an additional short form most courses require, completed shortly after your UCAS submission.
- Personal statement – submitted via UCAS, focused on your interest in and suitability for your chosen course.
- Academic reference – from a teacher or school counselor.
- Admissions assessment – most courses require a written test; some (e.g., Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics) require the TMUA or ESAT, Medicine requires the UCAT, and Law requires the LNAT.
- Written work – some courses ask for samples of your graded schoolwork.
- Interview – most applicants with a good chance of admission are invited to interview, generally held in the first three weeks of December.
- English proficiency proof – IELTS Academic (typically 7.5 overall, no band below 7.0) or equivalent for non-native speakers.
Key Deadlines
- UCAS application deadline: 15 October (6pm UK time)
- My Cambridge Application: due shortly after, around 22 October
- Admissions tests: taken in October; some require registration well in advance
- Interviews: main round in December
- Decisions: released by the end of January
Important: you can only apply to one of Oxford or Cambridge in a given admissions cycle, not both.
Tips to Strengthen Your Application
- Show strong academic performance in your specific subject, not just an overall high average — Cambridge looks closely at course-relevant grades.
- Prepare for your admissions test early. Many of these tests require registration before the UCAS deadline, so don’t leave it until October.
- Use your personal statement to show subject passion. Cambridge wants evidence of independent reading, projects, or thinking beyond the classroom syllabus.
- Treat the interview as a mini-supervision. Interviewers want to see how you reason through unfamiliar problems in real time — practice thinking out loud about your subject.
- Understand the college system. You can apply to a specific college or make an open application and be allocated one — this doesn’t affect your course, only your day-to-day college life.
- Check English test validity. Some English proficiency test formats changed recently, so confirm your test and score are still accepted for your intended start date.
Good to Know
- Cambridge’s overall undergraduate acceptance rate is roughly 20%, though it varies by subject and college.
- About a quarter of Cambridge undergraduates come from outside the UK.
- Requirements, test formats, and deadlines can change — always confirm exact details on Cambridge’s official undergraduate admissions site before applying.