Admission assessments and submitted work
We ask most applicants to take a subject-specific written assessment as part of their application. This will take place either:
- before shortlisting for interview: pre-registration required
You must be registered in advance for these. - after shortlisting for interview: Cambridge College registered
You do not need to register for these. Colleges will provide you with details.
The assessments are designed to supplement the information in your application. They allow us to assess your writing and language skills, and your levels of knowledge and understanding relevant to your course.
Your performance in the assessment is not considered in isolation. It is taken into account alongside the other elements of your application.
For some courses, we might also ask you to submit one or two school/college essays, which may be discussed at your interview.
Check the Entry Requirements tab on course pages for more details about your course's requirements.
The tables below show which type of written assessment is required for each course for 2024 entry.
| Written assessment: pre-registration required |
|---|
|
All Colleges require applicants to these courses to take a written assessment, for which they must be registered in advance:
Please note, some Colleges may also require applicants to take a College-set written assessment as part of the interview process, in addition to the pre-registration assessment. See individual course pages for details. |
| See written assessments: pre-registration required for further details. |
| Written assessment: Cambridge College registered | |
|---|---|
|
All Colleges require applicants to these courses to take a written assessment, if shortlisted for interview:
|
Some Colleges may require applicants to these courses to take a written assessment, if shortlisted for interview:
|
| See written assessments: Cambridge College registered for further details. | |
| No written assessment |
|---|
|
No Colleges require applicants to this course to take a written assessment:
|
* All Colleges require AMES applicants wishing to study a European language to take the relevant MML admission assessment.
Students aged 21+ applying to a mature College
There may be different arrangements for mature students applying to a mature College (Hughes Hall, St Edmund's or Wolfson):
- If you're applying for Economics at one of the mature Colleges - you are not required to take the pre-registration assessment. You will take a common format written assessment as part of the interview process instead.
- If you’re applying for Economics at a standard age College - you will need to take the pre-registration written assessment.
- If you're applying for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Computer Science, Engineering, Law, Natural Sciences, Medicine, or Veterinary Medicine - you are required to take the relevant pre-registration written assessment, whether you're applying to a mature or standard age or College.
Further information
If you have any questions about our written assessments, please contact assessment@admin.cam.ac.uk.