How to Get Into Oxford or Cambridge

Oxford and Cambridge: shared features

The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are both collegiate universities in England with rigorous, tutorial-style teaching and competitive admissions. They share several features that make their process different from most UK universities: an earlier application deadline, additional assessments for many courses, and interviews.

This guide explains the common steps so you can plan. Every detail — deadlines, which tests apply to your course, and what to submit — is set by the universities and changes from year to year, so confirm everything on the official Oxford and Cambridge admissions pages.

You normally apply to only one

A key rule: in the same admissions cycle you can normally apply to either Oxford or Cambridge, but not both. (There are narrow exceptions, such as certain Organ Award applications — check the official guidance.) You should therefore research both and decide which university and course suit you before you apply.

Both universities welcome international applicants and assess them on academic merit. Choosing between them comes down to course structure, college system, and personal fit, not prestige alone.

The earlier UCAS deadline

Oxford and Cambridge have an earlier UCAS deadline than most UK courses — historically in mid-October, well before the standard UCAS deadline for other universities. Missing it usually means you cannot apply that cycle.

Because the deadline is early, international students should start preparing their UCAS application, references, and any registration for admissions tests months in advance. Confirm the exact current date on UCAS and the university sites.

Admissions tests and submitted work

Many Oxford and Cambridge courses require an admissions test and/or examples of written work as part of the assessment. Test requirements vary by course and are updated regularly — for example, some subjects use mathematics or subject-specific assessments — so you must check the current requirement for your exact course and register by the stated deadline where needed.

Note that the BMAT, formerly used for some medicine applications, has been discontinued (its final sitting was in autumn 2023); UK medical and dental admissions now generally use the UCAT. Always verify which test, if any, your chosen course requires directly on the official admissions page.

• Check whether your course requires an admissions test, and register on time
• Prepare any written work the course asks you to submit
• For medicine/dentistry, the UCAT is the standard UK admissions test (BMAT discontinued)

Interviews

Shortlisted applicants are invited to interviews, typically held in December. Interviews are academic and subject-focused — they explore how you think and reason about your subject rather than testing memorised facts. International applicants may be interviewed online or in person depending on the university's current arrangements.

There is no way to "guarantee" an offer; admission is competitive and decisions rest with the universities. Prepare by knowing your subject deeply and being ready to discuss problems aloud.

Choosing a college (or open application)

Both universities are made up of colleges. When you apply you can either choose a specific college or make an open application, where the university assigns you to a college for consideration. Your choice of college does not change the degree you receive, and an open application is assessed on the same academic basis.