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Undergraduate Study

 

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

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 will either take your assessment:

  • before we shortlist for interview. You need to be registered for this type of assessment in advance and you will take it at your own school or college, or an open test centre. 
  • 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 provide details of when and how you will take your assessment. Find out more about College assessments

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. On average, typical applicants to the most selective undergraduate courses will gain around half of the available marks. Almost no one gets full marks.

Find out which assessment you need to take

The table below will shows what type of assessment is required for each course for 2024 entry. Click on the link in the table to find out more about your assessment and whether it is required at all Cambridge Colleges.

Course Admission test
Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic

No admission assessment.

Archaeology

College admission assessment.

Architecture

College admission assessment.

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

College admission assessment, if you are combining a Middle Eastern language with a European language.

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)

You must register in advance for this test.

Classics (3-year and 4-year)

College admission assessment.

Computer Science

Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA)

You must register in advance for this test.

Design

College admission assessment.

Economics

Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA)

You must register in advance for this test.

Education

College admission assessment.

Engineering

Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA)

You must register in advance for this test.

English

College admission assessment.

Geography

College admission assessment.

History

College admission assessment.

History and Modern Languages

College admission assessment.

History and Politics

College admission assessment.

History of Art

College admission assessment.

Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS)

College admission assessment.

Land Economy

No admission assessment.

Law

National Test for Law (LNAT)

You must register in advance for this test.

Lingusitics

College admission assessment.

Mathematics

College admission assessment.

Medicine (Standard Course A100)

BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)

You must register in advance for this test.

Medicine (Graduate Course)

No admission assessment.

Modern and Medieval Languages (MML)

College admission assessment.

Music

College admission assessment.

Natural Sciences

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)

You must register in advance for this test.

Philosophy

College admission assessment.

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

College admission assessment.

Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion

No admission assessment.

Veterinary Medicine

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)

You must register in advance for this test.

Further information

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