UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Are my qualifications acceptable?

If you wish to apply for an undergraduate place at Cambridge you need to be studying towards a
qualification of an equivalent standard to A Levels and be hoping to achieve top marks in it. It's likely
that you'll also be asked for a particular level of achievement in the subject area you're hoping to
study at university.
Entrance requirements for a range of international qualifications can be found in the international
students’ pages. If you are in any doubt, to check the appropriateness of your qualifications you
should contact the Cambridge Admissions Office in the first instance, enclosing brief details of the
courses that you have taken/are taking, together with your achieved/expected grades and indicate
clearly the subject that you are intending to study at the University.
Do I need an English language qualification?
It is essential that your English language skills are good enough for you to undertake an intensive and
challenging academic course that is taught and examined in English.
If your first language isn't English, you may also be asked to achieve a specific English language
requirement as part of the conditions of your offer.
Does Cambridge run an English language course?
Yes. The University’s Language Centre runs Academic Development and Training for International
Students.
What are the fees for international students?
The level of tuition fees for international students varies depending on the course you are studying. In
addition to University tuition fees, all overseas fee status students normally have to pay College fees.
Full details can be found at in the International students finance section.
Is there any additional financial help for international students?
The amount of financial support available for international students is very limited, but at Cambridge
this includes Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust awards; College awards;
and a small number of country-specific scholarships. Few full scholarships are available at
undergraduate level, and most support is a partial contribution to your overall costs and is means-
tested. For more information see the International students section.
Is the application process the same for applicants form countries outside the EU?
International applicants need to submit a UCAS application and a Cambridge Online Preliminary
Application (COPA).
Each year the University conducts interviews in certain overseas countries. If you would like to be
considered for an interview in one of these countries an earlier application deadline may apply.
See international applications for information and deadlines.

What qualifications are acceptable?

The majority of applicants apply with A Levels, although other school/national examinations at an
equivalent level (such as Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate, Welsh
Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, German Abitur, Italian Maturita, and International
Baccalaureate) are also acceptable. Information about typical requirements for a range of
qualifications can be found in Entrance Requirements.
Are there any subject requirements?
This depends upon the course you are planning to study. For many courses at Cambridge
qualifications in certain subjects required and all Colleges expect such subjects to be passed,
normally with an A or A* grade at A Level/grade 6 or 7 at Higher Level of the IB (or equivalent). Our
other courses don’t have particular subject requirements but Admissions Tutors will expect high
grades in the subjects most relevant to the course applied for and expect you to have read enough
about the course to know what studying it entails.
Subject requirements and preferences are given in the relevant course entry. Please also check
College-specific requirements with the College(s) you’re considering applying to.
What grades do I need?
Whatever school or college system you are being educated in, we require top grades in the highest
level qualifications available for school/college students – most successful applicants to the University
ultimately exceed the conditions of their offer.
Please see the entrance requirements for typical requirements for the most common qualifications, or
contact the College you are thinking of applying to.
What's the University's position on exam resits?
While it’s becoming less common to be able to resit exams, should the opportunity be available your
application is unlikely to be adversely affected by your resitting one or two modules – we appreciate
that even very capable students may have a ‘bad day’ when an exam doesn’t go quite to plan.
However, there would be concern about your potential to be successful at Cambridge if you needed to
resit numerous exams, particularly if only a marginal improvement could be achieved. This is because
once at the University, students are regularly assessed by exam and there's no opportunity to resit
any exams (with the exception of professional qualifying examinations in Medicine and Veterinary
Medicine).
You should state your intention to resit any exams in your SAQ. Where there are particular reasons
for underperformance in qualifications it’s useful if these can be outlined in the school/college
reference. In some cases, it may be appropriate for your school/college referee to complete
an Extenuating Circumstances Form.
What's the University's position on qualifications taken early?
Although the University's in favour of stretching and challenging learners, this shouldn't be at the
expense of levels of achievement and we'd discourage students from being entered for public
examinations early unless top grades will be obtained.
There are also potential disadvantages to taking qualifications early in subjects where the knowledge
and understanding will be required at university. Students who haven't studied a key subject in a
structured way in the year before they arrive at university can find their knowledge has atrophied.
Where students are successfully taking qualifications early, we'd still want to see evidence that they
can cope with a workload equivalent to three A Levels taken simultaneously; and offers are normally
made on the qualifications being taken in Year 13 (or equivalent). However, individual circumstances
are taken into account when assessing each application – seek advice from a College admissions
office if you have particular queries.
If a student has taken A Level Mathematics early and is applying for a course that requires it, please
refer to the A Level guidance in the Entrance requirements section.
Is there an age requirement?
There’s no age requirement for admission to Cambridge, although the vast majority of
undergraduates are 18 years or older when they start their course. If you’ll be over 21 when you start
your course you are classified as a mature student.
All students must demonstrate that they have the maturity and personal skills to cope with university
level study, and will be able to gain full benefit from the course when admitted.
Applicants who’ll be under 18 on admission should seek advice from a College Admissions Tutor as
early as possible to discuss their application. If they’re considering Medicine, they should also read
the advice regarding age requirements for this course in the Medicine course entry.
Applicants who would be under the age of 16 on admission may also be subject to additional
requirements and restrictions in order to comply with legislation.
Can I take a gap year and defer my entry?
Around six per cent of students accepted to Cambridge takes a gap year before starting their studies.
This year out can be a useful time in which to improve skills, earn money, travel and generally gain
maturity and self-reliance.
You should state on your UCAS application if you wish to defer entry. You’ll probably be asked about
your plans at interview, so be prepared to talk about your year out.
If you’re applying for Mathematics, most Colleges have a preference for immediate entry. However, if
you’re applying for Engineering many Colleges generally prefer applicants to take a year out, to gain
some industrial experience. Please note that it’s not possible to defer entry for the Graduate Course in
Medicine.
What work experience do I need to have?
Work experience isn't expected or required. However, for vocational courses, such as Medicine and
Veterinary Medicine, having some relevant work experience in an appropriate setting is useful and
recommended. It demonstrates commitment to your intended profession and gives you the
opportunity to acquire greater understanding of the realities and pressures associated with that
career.
What extra-curricular activities will help my chances of admission?
Our admissions decisions are based on academic criteria (ability and potential) and so we expect to
see evidence you your ‘super-curricular’ activities – your wider engagements with the area(s) of
academic interest, such as reading and other explorations relevant to the course you’ve applied for.
Your participation (or not) in specific extra-curricular activities that aren’t relevant to the course
applied for are not taken into account and don’t affect your chances of being made an offer of a place
at Cambridge.
However, when composing your personal statement, you should consider the importance that your
other university choices may place on extra-curricular activities.