The information below is for entry in 2026, or deferred entry in 2027.
Interviews are a standard part of the Cambridge admissions process. The main focus of our interviews is to assess your academic potential, motivation and suitability for your chosen course. Questions are therefore discussion-based, predominantly academic and subject-related; they will be relevant to the course you have applied for and may be related to any information you provide in your written application. The interviewers aim to find out what you know, not what you don’t; they will, however, challenge you to think for yourself and show how you can apply your existing knowledge and skills to unfamiliar problems. You might find it helpful to watch the interview videos prepared by the University.
There is excellent advice on preparing for interviews on the University’s website. We understand that many applicants find the interview process daunting, but our best advice is to try to relax and be yourself. If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty, long-term health condition, injury or other particular need, we will make every effort to meet your requirements, but make sure you let us know well in advance of your interview(s).
If you are suffering from any illness or injury that may affect your interview(s), or if you are going to be delayed or have any problems or emergencies during the interview(s), please email the Queens’ College Admissions Office as soon as possible (admissions@queens.cam.ac.uk).
If you are to be invited for interview, we will email you with the details. All Interviews will take place online in the first three weeks of December. All interviews will either take place at your home or at your school. We will try to give you as much detail as we can in advance of your interview but it is not always possible to tell you who will be interviewing you, so please do not ask us until nearer the date.
If you are not available for important reasons* at any time during the interview period, it is essential that you inform the Queens’ Admissions Office as quickly as possible. It is your responsibility (and not your school’s) to inform us of this. While we try to allocate interviews to take into account important reasons, please be aware that we are constrained by the availability of interviewers and the timeframe.
*Possible exemptions are for important appointments or illness only – e.g. hospital appointments, operations, exams or tests.
If Queens’ is unable to accept you and yet we wish to pool your application, then you may be called for another interview at Colleges which may be interested in taking you. If another College wishes to interview you, you will be told in January by telephone or e-mail. If you cannot be contacted at the address on your UCAS form, please inform us before Christmas giving the email address and, if at all possible, telephone number at which you can be contact from in early January.
If you have any queries that are not answered by the Cambridge University Admissions Website or Queens’ College Admissions Website then please do contact us at admissions@queens.cam.ac.uk
We will send out most interview invitations during November.
The main interview period will be the first three weeks of December.
Make sure you have told us if there are any difficult interview dates, using the My Cambridge Application form (deadine 22 October).
If you have taken or are currently taking modular A-levels we require you to email us an official breakdown of your UMS (e.g. listed on Exam Board or School headed paper or form. It must contain your name and when you took the exams).
If you are taking non-UK qualifications or are currently at University, you must send us a complete transcript of all your latest academic qualifications if you have not already attached them to My Cambridge Application. If your first language is not English, you must email us with details of any English language qualifications.
If any documents required are not in English, you must provide a certified translation from your school or an authorised, official translator.
Our Data Protection Statement should be read when making an application.
These films provide advice about what an online Cambridge interview might be like, and how best to prepare yourself, as well as dispelling some common myths.
Please be aware that interviews will take a variety of different forms. However, in all cases, we want to give you the opportunity to show us what you can do and, most importantly, how you think. Talk us through your thought process and approach, explaining the assumptions you are making; provide evidence for your claims and be prepared to back up your answers and arguments. Do not be afraid to consider new ideas but ask questions and seek clarification if you are unsure. We want to give you the chance to shine and try to enjoy your interview too. It is an excellent opportunity to talk about your subject with other people who are also very interested in it and want to hear from you.
Candidates selected for interview will be contacted by email with full details, including dates and times, materials if required and how to accept an interview invitation.
If you have any enquiries, please email admissions@queens.cam.ac.uk
Information about how your personal information will be used by us in connection with the administration of this event/activity, and for related purposes, is available at http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/how-we-use-participant-data. Please contact dpo@queens.cam.ac.uk with any questions in the first instance.
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