Oxbridge Interview / The Cambridge interview / Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion
Cambridge Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion interview: what to expect
Three applicants per place, no test, two essays, and a course that starts from the fact that six in seven people worldwide call themselves religious.
Updated September 2026Cambridge's Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion course had 3 applications per place in the 2025 cycle and accepted 51. There is no admissions assessment; you submit two pieces of written work. Cambridge frames the course around the fact that six out of seven people worldwide describe themselves as religious, and lets you choose from perspectives including history, the careful reading of ancient scriptures, philosophy and the study of living religions. 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. Interviews for this course commonly explore a religious, philosophical or textual question and your submitted writing.
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 TRPR practice is a spoken mock in the college-interview style: five questions across scripture, philosophy of religion and religion in history, one follow-up each, about fifteen minutes, then spoken feedback and a written report. No pre-reading, 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 Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion 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 Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscriptionHow this interview works
- 1Submit two pieces of written work. There is no admissions assessment for this course.
- 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; you may be given a passage to read beforehand.
- 4Expect questions on your essays and reading, and an unfamiliar religious, philosophical or textual problem to think through aloud.
- 5Cambridge assesses understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, critical and independent 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.
“Could there be evidence for God that would convince an atheist? What would it look like?”
“Take a story from any scripture. What changes if you read it as history, and what changes if you read it as literature?”
“Six in seven people describe themselves as religious. Does that tell you anything about whether religion is true?”
“Why did a religious movement you know about spread when it did?”
“Can a religious rule be wrong? Who gets to say?”
“What did one of your essays argue? What would a believer and a sceptic each say against it?”
“Is 'religion' one thing? Try to define it so it includes Buddhism and excludes football.”
“Why study religion academically rather than as a believer or a critic?”
Pricing
FAQs
How competitive is Cambridge TRPR?
In the 2025 cycle there were 3 applications per place and 51 students were accepted.
Is there an admissions assessment for Cambridge Theology?
No.
Is written work required?
Yes, two pieces.
Do I need Religious Studies A level?
Check the course page for recommended subjects; the interview tests thinking about religious and philosophical questions rather than syllabus knowledge.
When is the interview?
Main period 7 to 18 December 2026, 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 Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscription