Admissions assessments and written work

The information below relates to applications for entry in 2024, or deferred entry in 2025.

Admissions Assessments

Our course-specific assessments are designed to supplement the information in your application and provide a gauge of your abilities – to assess skills (such as comprehension and thinking skills) and, where appropriate, levels of current knowledge and understanding relevant to the course applied for.

Pre-Registration Assessments

These are admissions tests conducted by external providers.

If your chosen subject requires you to take a Pre-Registration assessment, then you or your school must have registered you by:

  • 15th September 2023 (UK time) for the LNAT
  • 15th September 2023 (UK time) for all other pre-registration assessments, if modified papers are required, e.g. enlarged print
  • 29th September 2023 at 18:00 (UK time) for all other pre-registration assessments

Courses with pre-registration assessments

 

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Computer Science

Economics

Engineering

Law (LNAT)  

Medicine (BMAT)

Natural Sciences

Veterinary Medicine  

 

Cambridge College Registered Assessments

These are admissions tests conducted by the Cambridge Colleges. Applicants invited to interview will receive information about these assessments, which will take place in the second half of November 2023.

See the University of Cambridge admissions assessments page:

  • Dates for each assessment
  • Assessment formats
  • Specifications and example papers

Courses with Cambridge College registered at interview assessments

 
Architecture

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - if you are combining with a European Language, the MML assessment will need to be taken

Classics (3 year and 4 year)

Design

English

History

History and Modern Languages - the MML assessment will need to be taken

History and Politics the History assessment will need to be taken

History of Art

Linguistics

Modern and Medieval Languages

 

Other Assessments

  
Mathematics

Applicants for Mathematics who recieve an offer after interview will be required to take Sixth Term Examination Papers, known as STEPin June 2024.

Music 

All Music candidates invited to interview at Queens' College will be required to sit a 60-minute test which consists of four tasks:

  • Spotting errors and adding a missing voice-part to sections of a chorale.
  • Providing an answering phrase in a song with piano accompaniment.
  • Writing two short paragraphs in response to very broad questions about the history of music.
  • Reading a short passage of text in preparation for a discussion in the interview.

At the Music interview itself, you will be asked to analyse a short movement from a string quartet, to discuss the passage of text from the test, and to comment on extracts from various musical scores. You will also be asked about work you have covered at A-level (or equivalent) and your wider musical interests.

Written work


Key information

  • The deadline for all written work is 18:00 on Thursday 2 November 2023 (UK time)

  • ALL work must be original and not re-written or corrected for Cambridge
  • ALL written work must be in English, except where required to be in a Modern Language if specified for certain courses
  • We usually receive written work of 1000 – 3000 words  
  • We are happy to look at versions of IB extended essays and EPQs. We want to see extended prose if at all possible.
  • Providing essays written by hand can be useful in showing us how you perform under exam conditions
  • Our preference is for work which has been marked by your teachers

  • ALL submitted work must include a completed University of Cambridge cover sheet, available to download here: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/written-work-portfolio

How to send us written work


Please submit written work to the following link: https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_29QAA1PQHGxzV7E


Subjects which require written work


Only the subejcts listed below require written work to be submitted as part of an application.

For details including how many items to provide and types of written work, please click on the subjects below for specific requirements: 

Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic


Applicants for Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses and marked by your school teacher. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subjects you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge.

Architecture


Applicants for Architecture should submit an architecture portfolio as a 6-page PDF.

If you are called for interview, you will then be asked to show your full portfolio. This could be as set of photographs or a Powerpoint of images, but it should be enough images of finished and sketch work for you to talk about for 10-15 minutes. In the full portfolio we would like to see any graphic work in any medium on any subject which is currently of interest to you – please do not feel you should restrict your samples to only those with architectural references. Please place most important work first. It is essential that your portfolio contains at least three drawings from life- this might be still-life as well as figure drawings but should include at least one human figure drawing or portrait. In addition, you can show sketchbooks if you have them but do not worry if you do not have them available.

Classics 3 years


Applicants for Classics (3 years) should submit two examples of their written work. This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses or one recent essay and a composition into Latin or Greek, marked by your school teacher. 
 

Classics 4 years


Applicants for Classics (4 years) should submit two examples of their written work. This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses and marked by your school teacher. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subjects you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge. 

Design


Applicants for Design should submit a PDF (6 A4 pages, and less than 15MB in size) of their own artwork. 

If invited to interview, applicants are expected to show a portfolio of recent work at the interview but this isn't expected to be work of an architectural nature (e.g. plans or sections). We want to see something that illustrates your interests, experience and ability in the visual and material arts. This may include drawings, paintings, sculpture and/or photography may also be included. It's usually sufficient for three-dimensional work to be exhibited in photographs.

A sketchbook with ongoing drawings is extremely helpful and applicants are encouraged to take one to the interview. It may be in any media (pencil, charcoal, crayon etc.) and should include a variety of subject matter. The work can be material prepared for school-leaving examinations but creative work executed outside of formal courses is also welcome.  

Education


Applicants for Education should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise two essays written as recently as possible. They should be written on subjects as part of your current course and (if possible) marked by your teacher. They should be in essay format (not science coursework or a timed exam) and can be extracted from an EPQ. If you do not have any essays that you can send, our preference is for candidates to ask their teachers to set them essay-writing tasks in the subject applied for.

English


Applicants for English should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise two essays written as recently as possible. They should be written on a literary subject as part of your current English course and (if possible) marked by your teacher. We would like one extended piece of (revised) coursework and if at all possible, a handwritten piece composed in class or an examination, under timed conditions. If you do not have any essays that you can send, our preference is for candidates to ask their teachers to set them essay-writing tasks in the subject applied for.

History


Applicants for History should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise two essays written as part of your current courses and preferably marked by your school teacher. Drafts of extended projects and coursework are acceptable as well. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subject you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge. It is helpful if one the essays was produced under timed/exam conditions. If you are including work based around sources, please ensure that you include the source material as well.

History and Modern Languages


Applicants for Hisotry and Modern Languages should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise two essays written in English as part of your current courses (please do not include any essays written in language courses) and preferably marked by your school teacher. Drafts of extended projects and coursework are acceptable as well. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subject you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge.

History and Politics


Applicants for History and Politics should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses and marked by your school teacher. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subject you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge.

Human, Social and Political Sciences


Applicants for Human, Social and Political Sciences should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses and marked by your school teacher. These can be in any subject, but it would be most useful if they are in the subject you consider to be most relevant to your intended course at Cambridge.

Modern and Medieval Languages


Applicants for Modern and Medieval Languages should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise two essays written as recently as possible. These should be recent examples of writing completed for school, one of which should be in one of the languages you intend to study at University and (if possible) marked by your teacher.

Music


Applicants for Music should submit two examples of their written work. 

Please send at least one example of each of your recent music theory (harmony and counterpoint) and essay work for A Level (or equivalent) in Music. If you compose and would like to submit original compositions, please send these at the same time. You may be asked questions about the work that you submit during the interview so please make sure you keep a copy of everything you send.

Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion


Applicants for Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion should submit two examples of their written work. 

This should comprise of two essays written as part of your current courses and marked by your school teacher. At least one of the two essays should be in the area of theology, religious studies, or philosophy; but if none are available, then essays from other subjects (history, literature, ancient history, politics, etc) are fine. Ideally these essays should be on subjects with a religious angle.