Cambridge requires applicants for around half the courses to complete a Cambridge-specific pre-interview assessment in early November, and in a few subjects, these may include a thinking skills component. The list of subjects that require a pre-interview assessment is on the university website (this is updated by July each year for the next year's assessment details). Our overall interview rate is high (70-80% in most subjects), but your chance of being invited for interview will nonetheless improve if you do well in the pre-interview assessment. Note that if a pre-interview assessment is required for your course, you must be registered for it by 1 October (if applying for Computer Science or Medicine) or 15 October (if applying for another course that requires a pre-interview assessment).
Applicants for a number of other courses will be asked to sit a shorter test at interview (an at-interview assessment), and if you are applying for Mathematics, offers will include scores in the STEP examination (check the relevant subject page for requirements in your subject). If your assessment is at interview, you do not need to do anything to register in advance - it will be organised for you automatically if you are invited for interview.
Action needed: Put the registration and assessment dates in your diary!
If a pre-interview assessment is required for your course (check), please put the registration and assessment dates in your diary now, as you must be registered on time and available to sit the assessment on the test date in order to make a valid application:
Preparation:
| July 21 | Details of assessments updated on the university website (note that the list of subjects that require a pre-interview assessment may change from year to year). |
| Sept 21 | Registration opens (see below) |
| 30 Sept 21 | Deadline for schools to register to become a test centre (see below) |
| late Sept 21 | Registration deadline if you have require a modified paper or adjusted exam arrangements e.g. due to a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness |
| 1 Oct 21 (17:00 UK time) |
BMAT and TMUA registration deadline Relevant if you are applying for Medicine or Computer Science. You must know your candidate number by this date. If you miss this first deadline you can apply by 15 October if you pay a fee. |
| 15 Oct 21 (18:00 UK time) |
Registration deadline for all other subjects.
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The pre-interview assessment itself:
| Wednesday 3 November 2021 | Pre-interview Admisisons Assessment date for Chemical Engineering, Economics, Engineering, Medicine, and Natural Sciences The scheduled start times for international centres will vary, depending upon where they are in the world. |
| Thursday 4 November 2021 | Pre-interview Admisisons Assessment date for Computer Science, English, and Land Economy The scheduled start times for international centres will vary, depending upon where they are in the world. |
Academic Preparation Tips
- Specimen papers/example questions are available on the university website if you follow the links for your subject. Doing practice papers in timed conditions is an excellent way to prepare and gets you used to the assessment format and question style.
- If you are applying for an essay-based subject, it is worth researching an considering how you might structure an essay (see this information, for example).
- If you are applying for an essay subject, your assessment will usually involve writing by hand for at least an hour - so practice before the assessment.
Where can I sit a pre-interview assessment in my country?
You have a choice about where to sit your assessment.
- If you organise it early enough, you can ask your school to apply to become a test centre so that you can sit the assessment at your school, which is likely to be that most convenient option for you. The deadline for schools to apply to become a test centre will be in late September 2021.
- There is an alternative option: In most cases you will find that there are one or more 'authorised test centres' in your country where you can register to sit the assessment. Scroll down to the bottom of the Find a Test Centre page and enter your country and the assessment that you need to take to find local authorised centres. If registering via an authorised centre, you may need to pay an administration fee – speak directly with the centre to confirm costs. It’s always best to check with your school first if they can administer the assessment for you to avoid this cost. Please note that open centres may set an earlier deadline than the standard ones for accepting entries - it is your responsibility to check if this applies at your centre.
If you are not able to find a centre where you can sit a required pre-interview assessment, please contact Cambridge Assessment for help.
How to register
- Information about registering is given if you scroll down this page. You cannot register yourself. Please ask the Exams Officer at your test centre, or your school if you are taking it at school, to register you.
- It is important to ask for your candidate entry number as proof that your registration is complete. Please ensure that you know your candidate entry number as you will be asked for it in one of the Cambridge application forms.
- You must give your centre your name, date of birth and UCAS number exactly as they have been entered on your UCAS application.
- As late registrations are not accepted, ask your centre to register you for the assessment well before the registration deadline and ensure that you receive your candidate entry number. This is done separately from your UCAS application.
- It is important to ask for your candidate entry number as proof that your registration is complete. Please ensure that you know your candidate entry number as you will be asked for it in one of the Cambridge application forms.
Covid 19 updates
As we approach the time of the Admissions Assessments, make sure that you are aware of any Covid-19 related updates