With fewer year 12 students taking AS levels when you apply to university, you apply with only your predicted grades and your GCSE results. This has increased the emphasis on additional exams before interview to help selection of the best candidates.
If you are sitting a combined subject, then expect to take the admission test for both.
Oxford
Biomedical Sciences - Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Chemistry - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) Section 1
Classics or Classics and Oriental Studies - Classics Admissions Test (CAT).
Classics and English - Classics Admissions Test (CAT) and English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
Classics and Czech (with Slovak) or Classics and Celtic - Classics Admissions Test (CAT) and Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT)
Computer Science or Computer Science and Philosophy - Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT)
Economics and Management - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Engineering - Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
English Language and Literature - English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
English and Czech (with Slovak) or English and Celtic - English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT) and Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT)
European and Middle Eastern Languages - Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT) and Oriental Languages Admissions Test (OLAT)
History or History and Economics - History Aptitude Test (HAT) and Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
History (Ancient and Modern) or History and English or History and Politics - History Aptitude Test (HAT)
History and Portuguese - History Aptitude Test (HAT) and Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT)
Human Sciences - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Law - National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)
Materials Science - Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
Mathematics or Mathematics and Computer Science or Mathematics and Philosophy or Mathematics and Statistics- Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT)
Medicine - Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Modern Languages (Modern Greek and Arabic; Modern Greek and Beginners' Russian; Modern Greek and Linguistics)- Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT)
Music – Practical test
Oriental Studies or Religion and Oriental Studies - Oriental Languages Admissions Test (OLAT)
Philosophy and Czech (with Slovak) or Philosophy and Celtic - Modern Languages Admissions Tests (MLAT)
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Physics or Physics and Philosophy - Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
Psychology (Experimental) or Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Cambridge
A large number of course require submission of one or pieces of work before interviews. Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic; Archaeology; Architecture; Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; Classics; Economics; Education; Geography; History; History and Modern Languages; History and Politics; History of Art; Human, Social, and Political Sciences; Music
Several more can require assessment at interview. Engineering; Linguistics; Modern and Medieval Languages; Philosophy; Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion
Chemical Engineering – pre interview assessment check
Computer Science – check
English Literature - English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
Land Economy - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Law - Cambridge Law Test
Natural Sciences – Natural Sciences Admission Assessment (NSAA)
Maths - Sixth Term Examination Paper in Mathematics (STEP)check
Medicine - Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Modern and Medieval Languages - Modern and Medieval Languages Test check
Psychological and Behavioural Sciences - Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) and essay
Veterinary Medicine check
You can focus your personal statement on your desire to go to Cambridge. To help with this, within 48 of submitting your UCAS application you’ll be asked to fill in the SAQ to give Cambridge some more specific information about you.
This will be sent via email and you’ll need to complete it by the 22nd October.
There are a number of different sections to this. They are going to ask for a photograph and some personal details. BMAT Number (if applying for medicine); Education (any specific modules or units you’ve covered in you A-Levels); Qualifications. And any additional Information that you want them to know about you and why you are applying to Cambridge.