The Cambridge interview: what happens at your college, what's assessed, and how to prepare
Cambridge interviews most of its applicants. It tells you exactly what it's assessing: how you think, not what you know.
Updated September 2026Cambridge interviews most applicants, not just a shortlist, and it says why: 'interviews give us the opportunity to find out about your strengths, abilities and potential'. For 2026 entry the main interview period is 7 to 18 December, with winter-pool interviews in mid to late January for applicants another college wants to see. Most people have one or two interviews totalling thirty-five minutes to an hour, with two or three interviewers; some have three or four depending on subject and college. Whether it's online or in person depends on the college that's assessing you, and most colleges interview applicants outside the UK online. Some courses add a general academic interview with academics outside your subject; some colleges give you something to read before you go in. Cambridge publishes the list of what it's assessing: your understanding of the subject, readiness to study at a high level, critical and independent thinking, curiosity and openness to new ideas, and enthusiasm. Expect to be asked why Cambridge and why this course, about key issues in your subject, and about recent school topics or your personal statement, and then to apply what you know to something new. This page explains the December format, the college variation, what's assessed in Cambridge's own words, and how to practise the conversation before it happens.
Merra is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, any college or UCAS.
Subject interview guides
12 subjectsPractise a Cambridge-style interview
An AI tutor asks an unseen discussion question out loud, pushes once with a follow-up, then moves on — the same shape as the real thing, minus the science problems on paper.
Practise a Cambridge-style interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscriptionThe process
- 1Invitations mostly in November, sometimes early December; the number of interviews you get doesn't reflect how strong you are.
- 2Main period 7 to 18 December 2026; winter pool mid to late January; keep both free, interviews aren't rescheduled except in exceptional circumstances.
- 3One or two interviews, thirty-five minutes to an hour in total, two or three interviewers; check your invitation for pre-interview reading.
- 4Subject interview: discuss topics, apply what you know to new material or scenarios, explain the vocational side if you're applying for Medicine or Veterinary Medicine.
- 5Possibly a general academic interview on your wider interests and suitability.
- 6Practise the discussion part out loud on unseen questions with a follow-up, and practise talking about anything in your personal statement.
What Cambridge says it's assessing
Your understanding of the subject, your readiness for high-level study, critical and independent thinking, curiosity and openness to new ideas, and enthusiasm — a published list, in Cambridge's own words, that every subject interview draws on regardless of college.
The December format
Main round 7 to 18 December 2026, winter pool mid to late January for applicants another college wants to see, one or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour with two or three interviewers, online or in person depending on the college. Some colleges send pre-interview reading; check your invitation.
Subject interview vs general academic interview
The subject interview discusses your course directly and asks you to apply what you know to new material. A general academic interview, where a course adds one, looks at wider interests and suitability with academics outside your subject.
Discussion questions by course
Cambridge does not publish its own interview questions, so every course page below carries Merra-written practice questions built to what Cambridge says it assesses for that course — never presented as Cambridge's own.
Practising the conversation
Unseen question, position, reason, push — the same shape as Oxford's tutorials. Merra's Cambridge-style sessions cover the discussion questions and personal-statement openers below; they do not cover pre-reading or the on-paper problems that Natural Sciences, Maths, Engineering and Computer Science add.
Real interview questions
Grouped by area.
Why here
“Why Cambridge, and why this course?”
Follow-up: “Most of that's true of several universities. What's the thing you think is only true here?”
Law
“If the punishment for parking on double yellow lines were death, and so nobody did it, would that be a just law? An effective one?”
Economics
“Why do we tax cigarettes so heavily but not sugar, or only a bit?”
Follow-up: “If the tax works and people stop smoking, the government loses the money. Does it want the tax to work?”
HSPS
“Why do we let eighteen-year-olds vote but not sixteen-year-olds?”
History
“Can a historian be objective, or is all history written from somewhere?”
English
“Should poetry be difficult?”
Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
“Why do we forget? Wouldn't it be better to remember everything?”
Pricing
FAQs
When are Cambridge interviews?
7 to 18 December 2026 for the main round, mid to late January for the winter pool. Invitations mostly in November.
Online or in person?
It depends on the college assessing you; most colleges interview applicants based outside the UK online. You can't usually choose.
How many interviews?
Most applicants have one or two, totalling 35 minutes to an hour; some have three or four.
What does Cambridge assess?
Understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, critical and independent thinking, curiosity, enthusiasm, in its own published words.
Can you practise a Cambridge interview?
The conversation part: why the course, your personal statement, discussion questions with a follow-up. Pre-reading and science problems you practise separately.
Official information
For the official admissions process and interview dates.
More Oxbridge interview guides
Merra is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, any college or UCAS. Merra’s feedback is advisory only — it is not a guarantee of any offer or admission outcome.
The Oxbridge interview is spoken. Practise it that way.
Your first mock takes about 15 minutes: an unseen question, a follow-up, and feedback on how you reasoned. Free, no card.
Practise a Cambridge-style interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscription