Application timetable
| July-October 2015 | Complete and submit your COPA together with the appropriate application fee. Open applications are processed by computer program and are allocated to Colleges shortly after the 15 October UCAS deadline, which thereafter take over the admissions process and will contact you directly. You must also submit a UCAS application by the relevant deadline. |
| 20 September 2015 | Students who would like to be interviewed in China, Malaysia, or Singapore: COPA must have been submitted UCAS application must have been submitted |
| 15 October 2015 | Students who would like to be interviewed in Australia*, Cambridge, Canada* or Hong Kong*: COPA must have been submitted UCAS application must have been submitted |
| 22 October 2015 | Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) must have been submitted by 12pm noon (UK time) |
| September-December 2015 | Applicants are interviewed. Overseas applicants may be asked to submit samples of their written work, and are required to sit an admissions test. See Interviews andAdditional Work or Tests for further information. |
| Late January 2016 | Applicants are notified of decisions. The possibilities are: ①application unsuccessful ②the offer of a conditional place, subject to obtaining specified examination grades ③the offer of an unconditional place |
| October 2016 | Academic year starts |
International entrance requirements
If you wish to apply for an undergraduate place at Cambridge, you need to be in the top one or two per cent of your year group, and doing very well in the subject area you'd like to study.
Typical offer levels for a range of qualifications can be found in the main entrance requirements section. If you're studying for a different education qualification, you should check the EU and international qualifications and get in touch as soon as possible to discuss the appropriateness of your qualifications for study at Cambridge.
In the first instance, you should contact the Cambridge Admissions Office for advice, providing:
brief details of the qualifications that you have taken/are taking
your achieved/expected grades
the subject you're interested in applying for at the University
You'll then be advised on course requirements, further information needed, and how you'll be assessed.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, 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. Therefore, you may be asked to achieve one of the formal qualifications listed below as part of the conditions of your offer*.
IELTS – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element
EU students – a high grade in English taken as part of a leaving examination (eg the European/French Baccalaureate, Abitur etc) may be acceptable
Cambridge English: Advanced – grade A or B
Cambridge English: Proficiency – grade A, B or C
Singapore Integrated Programme (SIP) – may be considered an acceptable English language qualification
A reasonable standard in spoken English is also required at the time of interview. For example, an overall IELTS score of 6.0 for sciences or 6.5 for arts and social sciences would be regarded as a reasonable score at the point of application.
The University Language Centre runs an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme for students who aren't native English speakers. Designed to help improve English language and academic skills relevant to your course through workshops and individual supervisions, attendance at the programme may be included as a condition of your offer.
