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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’.
The August Reconsideration Pool is part of our commitment to widening participation. If you secure a place via the August Reconsideration Pool you will receive the same experience as those offered a place earlier in the cycle, including the same accommodation guarantee and automatic assessment for the Cambridge Bursary. You can apply for reconsideration while holding on to your firm choice.
Form now closed for 2026
The register your expression of interest form is now closed for the 2026 August Reconsideration Pool.
Courses available in August 2026
| Course | Minimum offer |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Archaeology | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Architecture | No spaces available through the August Reconsideration Pool |
| Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Classics (3 year course) | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Classics (4 year course) | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Computer Science | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Design | No spaces available through the August Reconsideration Pool |
| Economics | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Education | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Engineering | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| English | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Geography | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| History | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| History and Modern Languages | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| History and Politics | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| History of Art | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Human, Social, and Political Sciences | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Land Economy (now known as Environment, Law, and Economics) | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Law | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Linguistics | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Mathematics | A Level: A*A*A + STEP IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level + STEP |
| Medicine | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Modern and Medieval Languages | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Music | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Natural Sciences | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Philosophy | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | A Level: A*A*A IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
| Veterinary Medicine | A Level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level |
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. This is due to the agreement universities have with UCAS around communicating with applicants and offer holders.
If you want to be reconsidered, you will need to take the following steps once you have your exam results in August.
- Check that the Cambridge course you applied for has places available. You can only be reconsidered for the course that you originally applied for.
- 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.
- 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 13 August 2026. You will need to have your UCAS Personal ID number to hand as it will be required for identity verification.
- 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 Student Admissions and Access 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.
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 14 August 2026 (evening) – we will let you know the outcome of your application.
- Tuesday 18 August 2026, 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 2026 entry. However, you may be given an offer for deferred entry. This means you would start at Cambridge in October 2027.
- If you get an offer through the Reconsideration Pool:
- you will be guaranteed College accommodation. College accommodation is guaranteed for 3 or 4 years for single students without children. Those seeking accommodation for partners or dependents should discuss with the offering College
- you will also be considered for the Cambridge Bursary in the same way as those offered a place during the main cycle. You can contact your student finance provider to transfer your tuition fee and maintenance loans to Cambridge
- 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.
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
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.