If you are applying to Oxford and Cambridge for an undergraduate degree, you must be aware of the notoriously fierce competition. However, there are ways in which you can improve your chances of getting in. Let’s find out.

Deadlines 

The applications to Oxford and Cambridge are required to be submitted through the UCAS by the deadline, which is 15th of October. The general deadline for other universities is January 15th, therefore, students will have to get their personal statement ready much in advance.

Pre-interview Exams

Applicants will be required to sit for additional pre-interview exams depending on the course they are applying for. These exams include:

• The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
• Classics Admission Test (CAT)
• The History Aptitude Test (HAT)
• Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)

These are different assessment tests for different courses. Students applying to Oxford and Cambridge should visit the respective university websites and check their required assessment tests.

IELTS Requirement

These two universities also have a much higher IELTS requirement and therefore students should make sure they check that before applying to these universities. These may vary from course to course and the requirements may not be as high for all courses. 

Interview Requirements

Both Oxford and Cambridge interview all their applicants before they offer them admission. Students who pass the pre-interview assessment tests are offered interviews. And the students who pass the interview round are admitted. 

Oxford University requires all shortlisted applicants to go to Oxford and give in-person interviews, however, Cambridge University does send its admissions officers to many countries around the world to interview international applicants.  

To improve your chances of admission, contact the counselors and university-specific mentors at UniRely who can give you some more tips and first-hand information about these two universities.