Cambridge Interview Dates 2026: Courses, Colleges, Format
By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 26 October 2026 · Updated 28 October 2026
Cambridge interviews between 7 and 18 December 2026 at the College you applied to, with the winter pool in mid to late January 2027. This page sets out the interview dates for every Cambridge undergraduate course from the University's own course pages, how many Colleges interview online and how many in person, how many interviews to expect and how long they run, and the admissions assessments and written work that come first.
Key Takeaways
- Window: 7 to 18 December 2026 for every course except the Graduate Course in Medicine (1 and 2 December).
- Online or in person is the College's call: 14 Colleges interview online, four in person and eleven either way.
- One or two interviews: 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants; some Colleges give three or four.
- Winter pool: mid to late January 2027; a pooled applicant may be interviewed again.
In This Article
- Cambridge interview dates 2026 at a glance
- Interview dates by course
- Before the interview: the admissions assessments
- How this page was built
- What to do next
1. Cambridge interview dates 2026 at a glance
Cambridge interviews between 7 and 18 December 2026 for every undergraduate course in the main round, and most applicants are interviewed: the College you applied to, or were allocated to, runs them. One course sits outside the window: the Graduate Course in Medicine interviews on 1 and 2 December 2026. The Foundation Year interviews within the main period but with its own format, two interviews of up to 30 minutes each, online. The winter pool, where Colleges consider strong applicants another College could not take, runs in mid to late January 2027 and can mean a further interview.
Whether your interview is online or in person depends on the College, not the course: 14 Colleges interview online, four in person and eleven either way, and the College table on what a Cambridge interview is like lists each one. Cambridge publishes the period, not a day-by-day timetable: the dates below are what each course page says, and your College's invitation gives the day and time. The Medicine page is the one that says when to expect that invitation: "invitations mostly in November (some early December)".
2. Interview dates by course
For 27 of the 32 courses the course page says the same thing: interviews between 7 and 18 December 2026, one or two of them for most applicants (three or four for some) adding up to 35 minutes to one hour in total, online or in person depending on the College. The courses whose pages say something different:
| Course | Interviews | Length | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | varies by College (1-2 in the department's examples) | varies by College (for example 25 minutes each at Caius and Peterhouse; one of 30-40 minutes at Churchill) | online or in person depending on the College |
| Law | varies by College | varies by College | online or in person depending on the College |
| Mathematics | varies by College (most applicants 1-2; some 3-4) | about 20-40 minutes per interview | online or in person depending on the College |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | 2 at most Colleges | 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants (varies by College) | online or in person depending on the College |
| Veterinary Medicine | commonly 2 (varies by College) | commonly 25 minutes each, same day | online or in person depending on the College |
Graduate Course in Medicine: 1 and 2 December 2026, normally up to ten stations of five minutes per station, online. Foundation Year: 7 to 18 December 2026, two interviews of up to 30 minutes each, online, with the winter pool in mid to late January 2027.
3. Before the interview: the admissions assessments
Nine of the 32 courses set an admissions test before the interview, and the course page says which; the others have no pre-registered test, though a College may set its own assessment. Written work, where a course asks for it, is requested by the College after the application; the page on what a Cambridge interview is like lists which courses ask for it.
| Course | Admissions assessment and other steps |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic | none (no admission assessment) |
| Archaeology | none (no admission assessment) |
| Architecture | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT), pre-registered admission test |
| Classics (3-year course) | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Classics (4-year course) | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Computer Science | Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA), pre-registered admission test; Peterhouse and Trinity also require the CSAT |
| Design | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Economics | Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA), pre-registered admission test |
| Education | none (no admission assessment) |
| Engineering | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) (Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics), pre-registered admission test |
| English | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Environment, Law, and Economics | none (no admission assessment) |
| Geography | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| History | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| History and Modern Languages | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| History and Politics | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| History of Art | none (no admission assessment) |
| Human, Social, and Political Sciences | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Law | National Test for Law (LNAT), pre-registered admission test |
| Linguistics | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Linguistics and Modern Languages | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Mathematics | Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA), pre-registered admission test |
| Medicine, MB and BChir | UCAT required: overall cognitive subtest score used for interview selection and possibly offers; SJT not used for 2027 entry; no minimum; decisions made by the Colleges; offer checks: DBS (or overseas equivalent), vaccinations, blood test, occupational health assessment |
| Modern and Medieval Languages | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Music | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Natural Sciences | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT), pre-registered admission test |
| Philosophy | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | no pre-registered admission test (College assessment only) |
| Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion | none (no admission assessment) |
| Veterinary Medicine | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT), pre-registered admission test |
4. How this page was built
Interview dates, the number and length of interviews, the mode and the College list come from each course's page in the University of Cambridge's undergraduate course directory and the Colleges' own interview pages. Each page was read on 18 October 2026 and the figures were exported on 21 October 2026; nothing on this page is estimated, and where a university does not publish a figure the page says so. Universities change interview arrangements between cycles, so treat the course page you are applying to as the final word and this page as the way to compare courses side by side.
5. What to do next
Keep 7 to 18 December 2026 clear and check your College's row on what a Cambridge interview is like so you know whether you are travelling or setting up a quiet room with a good connection; that page also sets out what happens in the room. Cambridge offer rates by course shows how many applicants each course makes offers to. Then practise answering out loud, with someone who will ask you why: the guide to how to prepare for a Cambridge interview covers what to practise, and the mistakes Oxbridge interviewers see most what tutors notice.
FAQ
When are Cambridge interviews in 2026?
The main interview period is 7 to 18 December 2026 for every undergraduate course. The Graduate Course in Medicine interviews on 1 and 2 December, and the winter pool runs in mid to late January 2027.
Are Cambridge interviews online or in person?
It depends on the College: 14 interview online, four in person and eleven either way. The College table on the Cambridge interview format page lists each one.
How many interviews does Cambridge give?
One or two interviews for most applicants and three or four for some, adding up to 35 minutes to one hour in total.
What is the Cambridge winter pool?
After the December interviews, strong applicants a College cannot take are placed in a pool for other Colleges to consider in mid to late January 2027. Some pooled applicants are invited to a further interview.
Does Cambridge interview everyone?
No. Cambridge interviews most applicants, but only those shortlisted after the admissions assessment and application review. Most course pages say "shortlisted applicants" without a share; Human, Social, and Political Sciences (around 75% of applicants), Mathematics (over 80% invited in recent years), Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (about two thirds of applicants), Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion (approximately 80% of applicants), and Veterinary Medicine (more than half or more than 70% of applicants, the page gives both) give one.
References
- University of Cambridge: undergraduate courses - https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses