Details of the application process can be found below. You can also find useful information on our Application FAQs page.
Information relevant to all applicants.
- Mature Students Academic Requirements
As a mature student at Cambridge you are expected to have achieved an equivalent academic standards as those required of school leavers. The intensive nature of Cambridge courses, with the requirement to produce independent work every week, does require rigorous academic preparation. Therefore, if you do not already meet our academic entrance requirements, we would recommend a course of study such as an Access to HE Diploma, A level(s) or Open University programme in order to enhance subject knowledge, essay writing, independent study and examinations skills. Further guidance on such qualifications can be found on the . You may also find guidance for mature students on the .
If unsure about the suitability of your qualifications for entry to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, please contact our Undergraduate Administrator by email at ug-admissions@wolfson.cam.ac.uk well in advance of an application.
We are looking for students with the academic ability and potential to flourish at Cambridge. The typical A level offer is A*AA or A*A*A, depending on the course (or equivalent grades in alternative qualifications). Competition for places at Cambridge is traditionally very strong, and Admissions Tutors have to choose between highly-qualified candidates. Places are offered to those who demonstrate greatest academic potential and who are best suited to the course for which they have applied. While grades are important, they comprise only part of our decision-making process.
Other vital information includes:
Academic potential and aptitude. Specific subject requirements are given on our subjects pages. We will be looking for an indication of your ability to think critically and independently, and a willingness to argue logically, while remaining open to new ideas. Interviews require you to grapple with concepts, ideas or problems you may be unfamiliar with.
Enthusiasm and commitment. We are looking for students who passionately want to immerse themselves in their subject and are not merely interested in the degree result at the end – important though this is. You may demonstrate this by the reading you have done around a subject, work experience and relevant extra-curricular activities.
Motivation and self-discipline. The teaching and learning system at Cambridge requires students to be extremely self-disciplined and hard-working. Successfully balancing academic work with other commitments provides important evidence of your time management skills.
- How to Apply
All Mature applicants follow the standard application procedure for the , applying through UCAS by either the standard deadline in October, or the second deadline for mature applicants in January. Once your UCAS application has been received you will be prompted by email to complete the form. The email will give a link to the form
As part of My Cambridge Application you should upload all academic transcripts including any university study. A personal statement and reference must be provided as part of your UCAS application. You may be asked to take an admissions assessment or submit written work.
Please note you must be 21 years old by 1 October in the year of entry to qualify as a mature candidate and this rule of eligibility is strictly applied.
- Dates and Deadlines
October Round (all subjects)
- September: In some subjects, registration deadlines for assessments (see the Admissions assessments dropdown below)
- 15 October: Undergraduate UCAS application deadline for all courses including the Graduate Course in Medicine. This must be submitted by 18:00 hrs (UK time).
- 22 October: Deadline for the submission of the My Cambridge Application online form, and written work if the subject requires it. This must be submitted by 18:00 hrs (UK time).
- December: Interviews held in December
January Round (all subjects except Medicine, Graduate Course in Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine)
- December/January: In some subjects, registration deadlines for assessments (see the Admissions assessments dropdown below)
- 13 January: Many mature students returning to education, and especially those currently studying on a one-year access course, can apply during our January admissions round . The UCAS application must be submitted by 18:00 hrs (UK time).
- 20 January: January round deadline for the submission of the My Cambridge Application online form, and written work if the subject requires it. This must be submitted by 18:00 hrs (UK time).
- March/April: Interviews held in March or April.
- UCAS Personal Statement and Reference
The personal statement allows you to tell us about your subject interest, and the process of writing a personal statement can often help you better understand your own academic interests and intellectual motivations.
Admissions decisions at Cambridge are based solely on academic criteria (ability and potential). Personal statements are often used as a basis for discussion at interview. In a personal statement we are looking for you to explain your reasons for wanting to study the subject demonstrate your enthusiasm for and commitment to their chosen course express any particular interests within the field outline how you have pursued your interest in the subject in your own time.
As part of your UCAS application you will be required to provide a reference from a Referee.
You can find further advice and guidance on the University of Cambridge .
- Guidelines for Referees
Below are some general guidelines which you can provide if your referee is not used to writing references for Cambridge applicants.
Assessors use all modes of available information to identify the students most suited to Cambridge. One such source is the UCAS reference.
Predicted Grades & Actual Results
Predicted grades should be clearly stated where relevant. The candidate will have declared all grades achieved so far, and it is helpful if these can be placed within the context of the standard of the college’s teaching and the candidate’s personal background – i.e. are these grades fair to and representative of the candidate?
Student's Personal Circumstances - Section 2
Referees should signal if a student’s academic performance has been adversely effected by personal difficulties. If an applicant's education has been interrupted due to illness, additional information would help to set this properly into context.
No disability of any sort will affect an application, and knowledge of an applicant’s circumstances will help the College to plan appropriate support for the student, both at interview and after admission.
Student Specific Comments - Section 3
Comments on any of the following can be helpful:
- The student’s technical ability in the subject he or she is applying for;
- The progress made in each of the student’s subjects and an assessment of the student’s written and verbal skills;
- The student’s holistic potential;
- The student’s level of self discipline, maturity, self motivation and commitment;
- The student’s enthusiasm for the subject;
- The suitability of the match between the candidate and the course he or she has applied for;
- The student’s willingness and ability to argue logically and lucidly;
- The student’s intellectual flexibility;
- Other interests or activities in which the student has performed outstandingly.
Student's Comparative Ability - Section 3
We encourage the use of any form of objective ranking, as for instance a student’s class position in appropriate subjects, or comparison with other candidates applying to a comparable university in the same or previous years.
You can find further information on the website.
- Written Work
For some subjects applicants will be asked to submit written work details of which can be found under the 'Entry Requirements' section of the . The submission deadlines can be found under the 'Dates and Deadlines' section of this webpage.
Usually you should send written work that you have produced as part of your current, or most recent, academic course. Ideally these will be marked by a teacher, tutor or lecturer, however this is not a requirement. If your course does not include any essay work, or you are not currently taking a relevant course, we would recommend that you complete sample essays between 1000-2000 words in your own time. Choose your own questions, or talk to a teacher. Please indicate clearly when and under what circumstances the work was done.
Written work should be uploaded via the Qualtrics form (applicants in relevant subjects will be sent a link) as scanned PDF or Word documents.
Further guidance is also available on the University of Cambridge though note it is targeted at standard-age applicants in schools so it is possible that some information may not apply.
- Admissions Assessments
You can find further information regarding tests and assessments for all subjects on the University of Cambridge . Applicants for Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Medicine (Graduate), Natural Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine are required to pre-register for the admissions test. Registration deadlines are earlier than application deadlines. Registration deadlines will be earlier for candidates requiring access arrangements. Please check with the body administering the test.
Applicants intending to apply in the January Round can find the registration deadlines and test dates for the ESAT, TMUA, and LNAT admission assessments on the webpage.
Applicants for Architecture, AMES*, Classics, Design, History & Modern Languages, Linguistics, and MML do not need to register. Those shortlisted for interview will sit a t. These will be held online and for most subjects usually takes place in the week or two preceding interview.
*For AMES only applicants wishing to study a European language will be required sit a college assessment.
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ does not provide specimen assessment papers. However, the University of Cambridge website has specimen papers for some subjects. If a course has specimen and/or past papers available, these will be available on the t page.
- Interviews
Interviews are a key part of the Cambridge admissions process, and are co-ordinated by the colleges at undergraduate level. Everyone with a realistic chance of being offered a place to study at Cambridge is invited to attend an interview – that's around 75 per cent of applicants each year. So if you receive an interview invitation it means we are seriously considering you for a place at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½. Remember, the interview is just one part of the admissions process, so don't think of it as make-or-break, it's just another chance for you to shine!
For shortlisted candidates there will be one or two interviews (in total lasting 40-50 minutes) which will be conducted online via Zoom. The interview format for Graduate Medicine is different from all other subjects details of which can be found on our subject page.
For some of our subjects specific interview instructions can be found under the 'Entry Requirements' section of the . You can find further advice and guidance on the University of Cambridge .
Additional information which maybe relevant for some applicants.
- Applying with a Disability, Specific Learning Difficulty, or Long Term Health Condition
At ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, we provide lots of support for students who might have a disability, a Specific Learning Difficulty (such as dyslexia or dyspraxia), or a long-term mental or physical illness. You can find further information about the available support .
Before applying to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, make sure you read .
When you complete your UCAS form, please tick the disability disclosure box and choose the most relevant category for you. All candidates who tick this box will be sent further information.
Additionally, some applicants are also required to take an admission assessment. Disclosing a disability, specific learning difficulty, or health condition in your UCAS application will also help us to make appropriate adjustments to the and interview process, if required.
If you require any appropriate adjustments for the admission assessment or interview please complete the Request for Adjustments form () (downloadable as a PDF) and submit it to the Undergraduate Administrator.
If your disability, Specific Learning Difficulty, or long-term illness has seriously disrupted or disadvantaged your education, we would also encourage you to . This provides additional context against which we can consider a candidate's academic record or, where appropriate, interview performance.
- Extenuating Circumstances
Most should be declared in your UCAS reference. This ensures that we have the information to accurately assess an applicant who has experienced particular personal or educational disadvantage.
It is not unusual for applicants to ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ to have extenuating circumstances and we actively take the context of an applicant's background into consideration in all cases. For this reason, in many cases minor incidences can be noted in the "My Cambridge application".
We look for potential as well as achievement in our applicants. While we taken into consideration any extenuating circumstances to explain past results or gaps in education, we still expect our applicants to have achieved, and be ready to achieve, the same academic standards as school leavers.
- International Students
Academic Requirements
Whatever system you are being educated in, undergraduate work at Cambridge is intense and very intellectually demanding and so the University has high academic entry requirements.
If you have not previously studied in the UK, check your to ensure the qualifications you hold are considered suitable preparation for entry on to your chosen course.
English Language Requirements
Your English language skills must be good enough for you to undertake an intensive and challenging academic course that is taught and examined in English. Therefore, if your first language is not English, you may be asked to achieve a as part of the conditions of any offer. It may also be necessary for you to have a language qualification to satisfy visa requirements.
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ considers that the Singapore Integrated Programme (SIP) can act as an acceptable English language qualification.
Student Visas
If you have previously held a Student visa for study at degree level in the UK and would require a Student visa for your new course, please notify us as early as possible, so that your circumstances can be reviewed in relation to the UKVI time limit on study at degree level.
Helpful links for international students:
There are also two specific course routes for applicants who already hold a degree.
- Affiliated Undergraduates
If you are a graduate with an approved degree from another university (equivalent to grade 2:1 in a UK honours degree) you can apply to take a Cambridge BA course as an student. If you hold an international degree a guide to their equivalencies can be found on the website.
Affiliated students take their BA degree in one year less than the standard route, for most subjects this means in two instead of three years.
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is one of three colleges to consider affiliated applications for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. UK home-fee students applying for the affiliated Medicine programme might also wish to consider the .
Affiliated applicants must follow the standard application procedure as stated on the You specify that you are an affiliated applicant when completing "My Cambridge application" (there is no separate UCAS course code).
- Graduate Course in Medicine
The Graduate Course in Medicine is an accelerated four-year programme. The emphasis is the acquisition of clinical skills by direct patient contact in hospital and community environments, and the integration of core medical science with clinical medicine.
The is open only to applicants who qualify for UK Home . For information about fee status, see .
Applicants must also register for the (UCAT). Registration deadlines are earlier than application deadline. It is important to check via the link above.
You can find further details on our Graduate Medicine subject page.