Foundation Year, Pre-degree course

Application deadline

All applicants for this course must apply via UCAS by 13 January 2027 (6pm UK time).

Typical offers require

120 UCAS Tariff Points:

• academic points only
• no specific subjects are needed

Use the UCAS Tariff Points Calculator to check that your grades meet the required level.

Check the information on this page for a list of qualifications that we accept.

You will also need to show that you meet our eligibility requirements before you are considered.

Qualifications

Before applying, you need to check that you have, or are likely to achieve, the right grades in suitable qualifications.

The Cambridge Foundation Year uses UCAS Tariff Points for admissions but you do need to check what we include carefully.

Accepted qualifications

• A levels, including where A levels are combined with other qualifications listed below (eg BTEC, WJEC, Cambridge Technicals).
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
  • UCAS Tariff value is calculated based on points from 3 Higher Level subjects and the Extended Essay or Reflective Project component only.
• The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP).
  • UCAS Tariff value is calculated based on points from Higher Level subjects and the career-related study component only.
• Access to HE Diploma, and Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP)
• Scottish Highers, Advanced Highers and a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers. You can also combine these with other qualifications.
  • If you are taking 3 or more Advanced Highers: 120 UCAS Points from your best 3 Advanced Highers.
  • If you are taking one or 2 Advanced Highers with Highers: 120 UCAS Points from your Advanced Highers and your best 2 or 3 Highers.
  • If you are not taking Advanced Highers: 120 UCAS Points from your best 5 Highers.
• Cambridge Advanced Nationals.
  • All subjects taught are accepted.
  • You can combine them with any other qualifications including A levels or other suitable Level 3 qualifications.

BTEC Nationals, WJEC Applied Qualifications and Cambridge Technicals are generally accepted, but with some important restrictions:

• vocationally oriented courses (such as Animal Management, Aviation Operations, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Production Arts Practice, Travel and Tourism, Sport, Esports etc) are not usually sufficient on their own. These must be supported by other qualifications, typically one or more A levels in relevant subjects
• Extended Certificates, Certificates, and Subsidiary Diplomas may be accepted when combined with other qualifications to meet our typical offer and subject requirements. However, not all BTEC combinations are acceptable: each application is considered carefully in context.
• Some Diplomas and Extended Diplomas are acceptable, particularly where the subject content is academic in nature and relevant to our course, or where supported by other qualifications.

Qualifications that we may consider

• T-levels in a subject relevant to the academic study of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. For example, we would consider applicants studying Education, Early Years, Legal Services, Agriculture or Land Management and Production. We do not accept T-levels in Accounting, Animal Care, Finance, Management and Administration, or Marketing.
• Creative and performing arts qualifications usually need to be supported by other qualifications, typically one or more A levels in relevant subjects. Qualifications are generally accepted where there is a written component to the assessment (for example, coursework essays, project or written examination). This includes BTEC Nationals, UAL Level 3 Diplomas and ABRSM Music Theory. However, graded speech and drama, dance, and music performance examinations (for example LAMDA, Trinity College, RAD, ABRSM etc) do not count towards the 120 UCAS points.

Qualifications that don't count towards UCAS points

• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), Core Maths, AS levels, Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate, Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales: while we welcome the completion of these qualifications as preparation for higher level study, they cannot be used towards the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
• Voluntary Qualifications or Awards are not considered appropriate preparation for this course and should not be included in your UCAS Tariff points calculation.

If your qualification isn't listed or you are unsure

If you are unsure whether your qualifications meet our entry requirements contact us. Email foundation.year@admin.cam.ac.uk before the application deadline. Give information about your qualification type and level.

Previous Higher Education study

We do not normally accept applicants who have already completed study to FHEQ Level 6 or above (a Bachelor’s degree or higher).

Those with grave extenuating circumstances, such as refugees or asylum seekers, who have studied to FHEQ Level 6 may be considered.

If you believe your circumstances mean you should be considered, contact foundation.year@admin.cam.ac.uk before applying.

We don't usually consider applications from:

• students enrolled at other UK universities
• applicants who have already completed a Foundation Year elsewhere

However, we may consider an application if:

• you have exceptional circumstances
• you are looking to change to a different subject area

We would need a strong letter of support from your current institution, which provides an assessment of your potential for study in your intended new subject area and/or confirmation of relevant exceptional circumstances which mean that commencing study at a different institution is more appropriate.

We welcome applicants who have undertaken some HE-level study. For example, life-long learning programmes. If this applies to you, get in touch providing full details of:

• your Level 3 qualifications (for example A levels)
• when you took those qualifications
• what courses and modules you studied at HE-level, including how they were graded and assessed

English language requirements

If your first language isn’t English, your English language skills must be good enough for you to take the course.

Throughout the admissions process, we will assess your English language skills and your academic ability. Check our English language requirements for details.

Qualifications from outside of the UK

The Cambridge Foundation Year is for applicants ordinarily resident in the UK. But, we appreciate some applicants may have completed their studies outside of the UK.

If this is the case, we advise you to check if your qualification is listed in the UCAS Tariff Calculator.

If it is not listed, you are welcome to contact us at foundation.year@admin.cam.ac.uk. In your email, please provide:

• the qualification’s full title
• the country in which you studied
• the grade(s) you achieved

Previous qualifications and re-sits

We recognise that even the best students can have 'bad days' when an exam doesn’t quite go to plan. Therefore, we’re not concerned if an applicant has retaken or is planning to retake a few modular units where the results obtained are anomalous within the wider results profile.

A higher number of retakes would also be acceptable if justified by circumstances beyond your control. Your circumstances would need to be made clear in your application (reference and Extenuating Circumstances Form).

If you are currently studying Level 3 qualifications, greater weight may be given to these. Any offer may be conditional on achieving all or part of the 120 points specifically from these qualifications

Admission assessment

If shortlisted for interview, you will need to take a written assessment. You will be given details in your interview invitation.

You do not need to register for the Foundation Year admission assessment. There are no charges.

Find out more and access a sample paper from the Foundation Year website.