Oxbridge Interview / The Cambridge interview / Economics
Cambridge Economics interview: ten applicants per place, TMUA first, then a December problem
Ten applicants per place, the most competitive course here. The TMUA comes first; in December expect a problem you have to work through aloud, and to show your workings.
Updated September 2026Cambridge Economics had 10 applications per place in the 2025 cycle and accepted 164, the most competitive ratio on this site. All applicants sit the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) at an authorised centre; written work is not usually requested. The course gives a deep grounding in core, pure and applied economics using mathematics, statistics and history, in a faculty that counts Marshall, Keynes and several Nobel laureates among past members. Interviews are run by the college assessing you: main period 7 to 18 December 2026, online or in person depending on the college, most applicants having one or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour with two or three interviewers. Cambridge says it assesses your understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, critical and independent thinking, curiosity and enthusiasm. Cambridge adds that if interviewers ask a problem-solving question, which usually happens for science and mathematics-based courses, you may be asked to share your workings, and the college will confirm how.
Merra is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, any college or UCAS.
Merra: practise it out loud before it counts
Merra's Cambridge Economics practice is a spoken mock in the college-interview style: five questions you reason through aloud, one follow-up each, about fifteen minutes, then spoken feedback and a written report. No whiteboard, no written workings, one interviewer.
- 1Sign up free — no card, 2 free coaching sessions available until used.
- 2Practise out loud — answer unseen discussion questions with an AI tutor.
- 3Get readiness feedback — see how you reasoned and how you handled the push, with a recording and transcript.
No card details required. Your first 2 coaching sessions are free.
Practise an Cambridge-style Economics 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 an Cambridge-style Economics interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscriptionHow this interview works
- 1Register for and sit the TMUA at an authorised assessment centre in the autumn. Written work is not usually requested.
- 2Invitations mostly in November. Main interview period 7 to 18 December 2026; winter pool mid to late January. Online or in person by college.
- 3One or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour, two or three interviewers. Some colleges provide material to read beforehand.
- 4Expect at least one problem-solving question: Cambridge says you may be asked to share your workings, and the college will confirm arrangements in your invitation.
- 5Also expect questions on why you chose economics, key issues in the subject, and topics from your personal statement or school work. Cambridge assesses understanding, readiness, critical thinking, curiosity and enthusiasm.
- 6Outcomes 27 January 2027.
Interview questions
Cambridge does not publish interview questions for this course. The questions below are Merra practice questions written to the course as Cambridge describes it and to what Cambridge says interviews assess; they are not Cambridge's. Merra cannot see your workings; the problem questions are ones you can reason through aloud.
“A landlord raises rents in a city by 10%. Talk me through what happens to the number of people living there over one year and over ten.”
“Why might a minimum wage rise not reduce employment? Now tell me when it would.”
“If a firm's cost per unit falls as it makes more, what stops it from taking over the whole market?”
“Pick a current economic problem in the UK. What would an economist want to measure before proposing anything?”
“A study finds that people who go to university earn more. Does university cause higher earnings? How would you check?”
“Why did the 2008 crisis spread from housing to everything else?”
“Is GDP a good measure of how well a country is doing? What would you replace it with?”
“Why economics as a full degree rather than as part of a joint course?”
Pricing
FAQs
How competitive is Cambridge Economics?
In the 2025 cycle there were 10 applications per place and 164 students were accepted.
Which test do I need for Cambridge Economics?
The TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission), taken at an authorised centre; you must register in advance.
Is written work required?
Not usually.
Will I have to solve problems in the interview?
Cambridge says you may be asked to share your workings if interviewers ask a problem-solving question, which usually happens for science and mathematics-based courses. The college confirms how.
When is the interview?
Main period 7 to 18 December 2026, usually one or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour, online or in person by college.
Official information
For the official course page and admissions details.
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 an Cambridge-style Economics interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscription