Oxbridge Interview / The Cambridge interview / Law
Cambridge Law interview: the December college interview after the LNAT
Seven applicants per place. Every one sits the LNAT; only Pembroke asks for written work; then a December conversation about legal reasoning with two or three tutors.
Updated September 2026Cambridge Law had 7 applications per place in the 2025 cycle and accepted 232 students. All applicants sit the LNAT at an authorised centre; written work is only required by Pembroke (two pieces). The course itself lets you explore law beyond the fundamental subjects, with first-year topics such as Criminal Law and Constitutional Law before specialising in years two and three, and Cambridge's own guide to interviews says you are likely to discuss topics with two or three interviewers, apply your knowledge to new situations, materials, problems or scenarios, and may be given material to read before the interview. 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.
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 Law practice is a spoken mock in the college-interview style: five legal-reasoning questions, one follow-up each, about fifteen minutes, then spoken feedback and a written report. One interviewer, no pre-reading.
- 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 Law 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 Law interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscriptionHow this interview works
- 1Register for and sit the LNAT at an authorised assessment centre in the autumn. Cambridge uses it alongside your application.
- 2Written work: only Pembroke requires it (two pieces). Other colleges do not ask for written work for Law.
- 3Invitations mostly in November, some in early December. Main interview period 7 to 18 December 2026; winter pool interviews mid to late January 2027. Format is set by the college (see the college table on Cambridge's interviews page).
- 4Most applicants have one or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour, with two or three interviewers. Some colleges provide material to read beforehand.
- 5Expect to be asked to apply reasoning to new scenarios rather than to know law; Cambridge says interviews assess understanding, readiness, critical and independent thinking, curiosity and enthusiasm.
- 6Outcomes for October applicants are released on 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.
“A shop sign says 'shoplifters will be prosecuted'. Someone picks up an item, walks to the door, and puts it back. Have they done anything wrong? Where's the line?”
“Should the law ever punish someone for something they didn't intend? Give me a case where it should.”
“If Parliament passed a law saying it could never be repealed, would that work? Why or why not?”
“Two people plan a burglary; one backs out at the door. What should happen to each?”
“Is it worse to convict an innocent person or to let a guilty person go free? Now: how many guilty people going free equals one innocent conviction?”
“I'll describe a contract in three sentences. Tell me who you think should win and what you'd need to know to be sure.”
“What's a legal decision from the last year you'd have argued the other way?”
“Why law at Cambridge rather than a more vocational route?”
Pricing
FAQs
How competitive is Cambridge Law?
In the 2025 cycle there were 7 applications per place and 232 students were accepted.
Do I need the LNAT for Cambridge Law?
Yes. All applicants are required to take the LNAT at an authorised assessment centre and must register in advance.
Is written work required for Cambridge Law?
Only at Pembroke, which requires two pieces. Other colleges do not ask for written work.
When and how is the Cambridge law interview held?
Main period 7 to 18 December 2026, online or in person depending on your college, usually one or two interviews totalling 35 minutes to an hour with two or three interviewers.
Do I need legal knowledge?
Cambridge says interviews ask you to apply your knowledge to new situations and scenarios and assess how you think; most applicants have not studied law.
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 Law interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscription