Some courses involve an admissions assessment that is taken after we shortlist for interview. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will take the relevant assessment. The College that interviews you will let you know when and how you should take your assessment.
You don’t need to be registered in advance for these assessments.
Find out if you need to take a College admissions assessment
If your course isn't listed below, check the Admissions Assessments page for information on your course.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Monday 27 November 2023
Assessment format
Essay/text response element (60 minutes, plus 30 minutes reading time)
Specimen and example papers
Archaeology Admissions Assessment Specification
Archaeology Admissions Assessment Past Paper 1
Archaeology Admissions Assessment Past Paper 2
Archaeology Admissions Assessment Past Paper 3
Archaeology Admissions Assessment Past Paper 4
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Friday 24 November 2023
Assessment format
Writing skills (30 minutes)
Graphic and spatial ability (30 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Architecture Admissions Assessment Specification
Architecture Admissions Assessment Past Paper
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment format
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment:
- Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes)
- Discursive response in English (20 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Specification
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Past Paper
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment format
Latin (or Greek) skills assessment interview (20 minutes)
Specimen paper and resources
Classics Admissions Assessment Specification
The specification paper references the OCR Vocabulary lists for Classical Greek and Latin. These lists can be found below.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment format
Language aptitude assessment interview (20 minutes)
Specimen paper
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Friday 24 November 2023
Assessment format
Architecture admissions assessment:
Writing skills (30 minutes)
Graphic and spatial ability (30 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Architecture Admissions Assessment Specification
Architecture Admissions Assessment Past Paper
If you are applying to St Edmunds College or Hughes Hall for Economics, the assessment arrangements below will apply to you.
October applicants
If you are applying by the October application deadline, you will need to take the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) or an equivalent College set admissions assessment (if you are invited to interview).
If you take the TMUA, you will need to register for this in advance. More information can be found on the TMUA page.
If you choose to take a College admissions assessment instead, you do not need to register in advance. The relevant College will provide details about the assessment format and how to take the assessment.
March applicants
If you are applying as part of the March application round, you will need to take a College set admissions assessment (if you are invited to interview).
You do not need to register in advance for a College assessment. The relevant College will provide details about the assessment format and how to take the assessment.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Wolfson College
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the College.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Wednesday 22 November 2023
Assessment format
Essay/text response element (90 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Hughes Hall, St Edmund's, Wolfson
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the College.
History Admissions Assessment (HAA)
Colleges that ask you to take the assessment
Christ’s, Clare, Emmanuel, Fitzwilliam, Gonville & Caius, Hughes Hall, Jesus, Lucy Cavendish, Magdalene, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Pembroke, Peterhouse, Queens’, Robinson, St Catharine’s, St Edmund's, Selwyn, St John’s, Sidney Sussex, Trinity Hall
Assessment date
Thursday 23 November 2023
Assessment format
- Essay/text response element (60 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
HAA Specimen Paper 1
HAA Specimen Paper 2
HAA Specimen Paper 3
College specific assessment
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Wolfson
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the relevant College.
Language Assessment
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Assessment format
For post-A Level languages:
- Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes)
- Discursive response in English (20 minutes)
For languages from scratch (ab initio):
- Discursive response in English (40 minutes)
- Language Aptitude Test (20 minutes).
Specimen and example papers
For post-A Level languages:
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Specification
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Past Paper
For languages from scratch:
History Assessment
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Clare, Emmanuel, Fitzwilliam, Gonville & Caius, Hughes Hall, Jesus, Lucy Cavendish, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Pembroke, Peterhouse, Robinson, St Edmund’s, St John’s, Sidney Sussex, Trinity Hall, Wolfson
Assessment date
Thursday 23 November 2023
Assessment format
History Admissions Assessment (HAA):
- Essay/text response element (60 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
HAA Specimen Paper 1
HAA Specimen Paper 2
HAA Specimen Paper 3
History Assessment
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Christ’s, Clare, Emmanuel, Fitzwilliam, Gonville & Caius, Hughes Hall, Jesus, Lucy Cavendish, Magdalene, Murray Edwards (plus additional assessment, see below), Newnham, Pembroke, Peterhouse, Queens’, Robinson, St Catharine’s, Selwyn, St John’s, Sidney Sussex, Trinity Hall
Assessment date
Thursday 23 November 2023
Assessment format
History Admissions Assessment (HAA):
- Essay/text response element (60 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
HAA Specimen Paper 1
HAA Specimen Paper 2
HAA Specimen Paper 3
College specific Assessment
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Murray Edwards (plus additional assessment, see above), St Edmund's, Wolfson
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the relevant College.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Assessment format
Structured comparison of images (60 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Hughes Hall, King's, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Peterhouse, St Edmund's, Wolfson
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the relevant College.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Friday 24 November 2023
Assessment format
Three data questions (60 minutes)
Changes to assessment format
For 2023, the format of the Linguistics Admissions Assessment has changed. It no longer contains an essay question. This has been replaced by a third data question.
Specimen and example papers
Linguistics Admissions Assessment Specification
Linguistics Admissions Assessment Past Paper 1
Linguistics Admissions Assessment Past Paper 1 Answer Key and Marking Criteria
Linguistics Admissions Assessment Past Paper 2
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Churchill, King’s, Magdalene, St Edmund’s
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the relevant College
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Assessment format
- Discursive response in Foreign Language (40 minutes)
- Discursive response in English (20 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Specification
Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment Past Paper
Applicants combining a modern language with Classical Latin or Greek
Applicants wishing to combine a modern European language with Classical Latin or Classical Greek will have their classical language assessed. They will also need to take the MML written assessment (see above).
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Clare, Girton, Homerton, Jesus, Magdalene, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Peterhouse, Queens’, Robinson, Selwyn, St Edmund’s, St John’s, Trinity and Trinity Hall.
Assessment format
Colleges will assess aptitude, knowledge base and potential through tasks at the time of interview.
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
All Colleges
Assessment date
Monday 27 November 2023
Assessment format
- Multiple choice logic problems (20 minutes)
- Essay (40 minutes)
Specimen and example papers
Colleges that ask you to take an assessment
Gonville & Caius, Homerton, Hughes Hall, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Selwyn, Wolfson
Assessment format
Details will be provided by the relevant College.