Can I apply to both Oxford and Cambridge?

Usually not in the same year. Exceptions are very limited, for example for some applicants who already have a degree or for certain specific circumstances. Check both universities' guidance.

Which Oxbridge courses need an admissions test?

Many do, but it varies by course and changes over time. Check the course page on the Oxford or Cambridge website for the current test and registration deadline.

How do I prepare for an Oxbridge interview?

Read widely in your subject, practise explaining your thinking aloud, and do mock interviews with unfamiliar problems. The aim is to show how you reason, not to recite prepared answers.

Oxbridge Application Timeline: From Year 12 to Offer

The Oxbridge application timeline

By the Top Tutors Online editorial team · Updated 4 November 2026 · 3 min read

The short answer

Oxford and Cambridge applications go through UCAS with an earlier deadline of 15 October, and you can apply to only one of the two in the same year. Many courses also need an admissions test, and shortlisted applicants are interviewed, usually in December. Strong applicants start in Year 12 with wide reading in their subject, then focus on the personal statement, test and interview practice.

Key points

You can apply to Oxford or Cambridge, not both, in the same year (with rare exceptions).
The UCAS deadline is 15 October at 6pm UK time for the year before entry.
Many courses need an admissions test, often taken in October or earlier.
Interviews are usually in December; decisions arrive in January.
Super-curricular reading and thinking matter more than extracurricular lists.

Year 12: build genuine interest

Admissions tutors look for students who think deeply about their subject. In Year 12, read beyond the syllabus: books, articles, lectures and podcasts. Keep notes on what you read and what you think about it. Visit open days, compare courses and colleges, and check the subject requirements and admissions test for your course on the university website.

Summer before Year 13: draft and prepare

Draft the UCAS personal statement, focused on your academic interest.
Find out whether your course needs an admissions test and register by the deadline, which is often in the summer or early autumn.
Begin practice with past or specimen papers for the test.
Prepare any written work your course asks for.

September to October: apply

Submit your UCAS application by 15 October at 6pm UK time. This early deadline also applies to most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses. Some Cambridge courses ask for an additional online questionnaire after you apply. Sit any admissions tests on the dates set for your course.

November to December: interviews

Shortlisted applicants are invited to interview, usually in December, and many interviews now take place online. Interviews feel like a short tutorial: a tutor introduces an unfamiliar problem, text or data and asks you to think aloud. They are testing how you reason and respond to new ideas, not what you have memorised.

January: decisions

Decisions are usually released in January. Offers are normally conditional on final grades. Some strong applicants not offered a place at their first-choice college may be offered a place elsewhere through the pooling system or by another college.

How we help

Our Oxbridge admissions tutors help with course choice, reading lists, personal statements, admissions tests and mock interviews, with tutors who know the subject and the process. See our admissions consultancy for a full programme.

This guide gives general information and was correct when last reviewed. Exams, deadlines and rules change, so always check the official website of the exam board, school, university or regulator.