Applying for reconsideration in August

We give some applicants the chance to have their application reconsidered. This happens if you meet our eligibility criteria and you're interviewed but not offered a place at Cambridge. We call this the ‘August Reconsideration Pool’.

Find out if you can apply for reconsideration

We will have told you that you may be eligible to apply for reconsideration in your decision letter or email.

Check the eligibility criteria

How to apply for reconsideration

We won’t contact you about reconsideration in August, even if you achieve the right grades and there are places available on your course.

If you want to be reconsidered, you will need to take the following steps once you have your exam results in August.

1. Check that the Cambridge course you applied for has places available. You can only be reconsidered for the course that you originally applied for.
2. Check that you have achieved at least the minimum offer grades for the Cambridge course that you applied for. If you applied for Mathematics or Mathematics with Physics check the entry requirements below. Achieving the minimum offer does not guarantee you will be offered a place at Cambridge.
3. If your course has places available and you have achieved the minimum offer, register your interest by completing the online form between 8.30am and 1pm (UK time) on 14 August 2025. You will need to have your UCAS Personal ID number to hand as it will be required for identity verification.
4. Be available to be contacted. Make sure that you check your emails regularly (including your junk/spam folder). We'll contact you to confirm your details and explain the next steps in the process via email. In some cases, an administrator at the Cambridge Admissions Office may call you. Keep your phone on and close by.

We will only communicate with you about the reconsideration pool. We will not communicate with your UCAS nominated representative about your application for reconsideration.

Mathematics and Mathematics with Physics applications

To be reconsidered for Mathematics or Mathematics with Physics, you will need to have taken STEP 2 and 3. You can find out how to register for STEP on the OCR website.

The entry requirement for applicants to be reconsidered for these courses is:

• A*A*A (with A* in both Maths and Further Maths) with at least grade 1 in STEP papers 2 and 3

or

• A*A*A* (with A* in both Maths and Further Maths) with at least grade 1 in STEP paper 2 or 3 (both papers to be taken). Free online resources are available via the University’s STEP Support Programme

Next steps after applying for reconsideration

If you’re eligible, your application will be considered by the Cambridge Colleges alongside the other applications that we receive. As it will be a competitive process, your final grades and your performance in the original application process will be important.

Important dates

• Friday 15 August 2025 (evening) - we will usually let you know the outcome of your application.
• Tuesday 19 August 2025, 9am (UK time) – if you are made an offer, this is the deadline for accepting your offer. If you do not respond with your decision by the deadline you will not be able to take your place.

Important information about the process

• We won't interview you again as part of the August Reconsideration Pool.
• We expect that most of the available places will be for October 2025 entry. However, you may be given an offer for deferred entry. This means you would start at Cambridge in October 2026.
• If you get an offer through the Reconsideration Pool, you will usually get accommodation. You will also be eligible for the Cambridge Bursary in the same way as those offered a place during the main cycle.
• If you accept your offer, the College offering you a place will send you more information. This will include information about how we will confirm your acceptance with UCAS.
• If you choose not to accept your offer or you don’t accept your offer by the deadline, then we will take no further action.

Courses available in August 2025

A list of courses with places available will appear here by the end of the day on Wednesday 13 August 2025.

Why Cambridge reconsiders some applications

We do this as part of our commitment to outreach and access. We want to increase the number of students who meet our widening participation (WP) criteria at the University. We also want the best-qualified students to study here in Cambridge.

Students apply to Cambridge a year before the start of the course. At that point, they may not be demonstrating their full potential. Students from under-represented backgrounds who go on to achieve outstanding results can be reconsidered through the August pool. This means that the best applicants are offered a place, even if they reach their potential later in the process.