Admission tests and assessments

Many applicants need to take a written or verbal test as part of their Cambridge application. Your test will be relevant to the subject you’ve applied for. We take your performance into account alongside the other elements of your application.

If you need to take a test for your course, you will either take it:

• before we shortlist for interview. You need to be registered for this type of test in advance and you will take it at a test centre near you.
• after you’re invited to interview, if you are shortlisted for interview. You don’t need to be registered for this type of assessment. The Cambridge College that interviews you will make arrangements for the test. They will provide you with details of when and how you will take your assessment. Find out more about College assessments.

Your assessment will test:

• your skills (for example, your writing and language skills or mathematical problem-solving ability)
• your subject knowledge
• your understanding of topics related to your chosen course

You don’t need to get every question right

We don’t expect that you will answer every question correctly. The assessments are designed to challenge you.

Some strong applicants may not even complete the paper in the time given. Almost no one gets full marks.

How we use admissions tests

Tests taken before we shortlist for interview

Colleges use these test results to help them decide whether to invite you to interview. There's no pass or fail mark for the tests, but a strong performance is usually needed to get through to interview.

If you're shortlisted for interview, your test score will be looked at together with the rest of your application before the College decides whether to offer you a place.

Tests taken after you're invited to interview

Colleges will consider these results alongside all the other elements of your application when they decide whether to offer you a place.

Find out which assessment you need to take

If you're applying for 2027 entry, you will need to take a pre-registration test for the courses in the table below. Click on the link in the table to find out more about each test. You need to register in advance for these tests.

For all other courses, there may be a College assessment. These assessments will be arranged by your College and you won't need to register in advance. We are expecting College assessment arrangements to be confirmed in April.

If you're a mature applicant applying in the January round, find out more about admissions assessments for mature students.

Further information

If you have any questions about our written assessments, please contact assessment@admin.cam.ac.uk.