Cambridge Interview Format: Online or In Person, How Long
By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 26 October 2026 · Updated 28 October 2026
Cambridge interviews are run by the Colleges, and 14 of them interview online, four in person and the rest either way. Most applicants have one or two interviews adding up to 35 minutes to an hour, with two or three academics in the room. This page sets out the format for every Cambridge course from the University's own course pages: the mode by College, the number and length of interviews, who interviews you, what they assess, and the assessments and written work that come first.
Key Takeaways
- The College decides the mode: 29 Colleges listed as online, in person or either.
- One or two interviews: 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants; some Colleges give three or four.
- Two or three interviewers: subject academics; some Colleges add a general academic interview.
In This Article
- What a Cambridge interview is
- Online or in person: by College
- The Cambridge interview format by course: how many, how long
- What is assessed
- Before the interview: written work and reading
- How this page was built
- What to do next
1. What a Cambridge interview is
A Cambridge interview is run by a College, with two or three interviewers in subject interviews: one or two interviews for most applicants and three or four for some, adding up to 35 minutes to one hour in total. Whether it is online or in person is the College's decision, and the Colleges are split. The course pages describe an academic conversation about the subject, with the Graduate Course in Medicine the one exception: normally up to ten stations of five minutes per station. The page on Cambridge interview dates gives the dates; this page is the interview process itself, from the invitation to the room.
2. Online or in person: by College
Fourteen Colleges interview online, four in person and eleven either way, depending on the course or the applicant. If you made an open application you are allocated a College, and the invitation tells you which, so you cannot plan for one mode until then. In-person Colleges give travel details with the invitation.
| College | Mode |
|---|---|
| Christ's | online |
| Churchill | in person |
| Clare | online or in person |
| Corpus Christi | online or in person |
| Downing | online |
| Emmanuel | in person |
| Fitzwilliam | online |
| Girton | online |
| Gonville & Caius | online or in person |
| Homerton | online or in person |
| Hughes Hall | online |
| Jesus | online or in person |
| King's | in person |
| Lucy Cavendish | online |
| Magdalene | online |
| Murray Edwards | online |
| Newnham | online |
| Pembroke | online or in person |
| Peterhouse | online or in person |
| Queens' | online |
| Robinson | online or in person |
| Selwyn | in person |
| Sidney Sussex | online or in person |
| St Catharine's | online |
| St Edmund's | online |
| St John's | online |
| Trinity | online or in person |
| Trinity Hall | online or in person |
| Wolfson | online |
3. The Cambridge interview format by course: how many, how long
The Cambridge interview format is set by the College within what the course page describes. For 25 of the 32 courses the page says the same thing: one or two interviews for most applicants and three or four for some, adding up to 35 minutes to one hour in total, with two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects. The courses whose pages say something different:
| Course | Interviews | Length | Interviewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects |
| Human, Social, and Political Sciences | varies by College (most applicants 1-2; some 3-4) | 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants (varies by College) | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects; interviewers from more than one HSPS subject |
| Law | varies by College | varies by College | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects |
| Mathematics | varies by College (most applicants 1-2; some 3-4) | about 20-40 minutes per interview | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects |
| Natural Sciences | varies by College (most applicants 1-2; some 3-4) | 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants (varies by College) | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects; biological or physical sciences interviewers by application stream |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | 2 at most Colleges | 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants (varies by College) | two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects |
| Veterinary Medicine | commonly 2 (varies by College) | commonly 25 minutes each, same day | commonly two interviewers per interview |
4. What is assessed
Twenty-two course pages share the same wording on assessment: understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, fit with the Cambridge learning environment, critical and independent thinking, curiosity, enthusiasm. The courses that add to it or say something else:
| Course | What interviewers assess |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | academic potential; how you approach and explain a problem |
| Environment, Law, and Economics | a mini-supervision: how you engage with the teaching style; getting to know you beyond the application |
| Human, Social, and Political Sciences | enthusiasm and curiosity, suitability of the course, wider reading, critical analysis |
| Law | forming and defending a logical argument, recognising counter-arguments, revising views on new information; no prior law needed |
| Mathematics | how you think about and tackle mathematical problems |
| Medicine, MB and BChir | Understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, fit with the Cambridge learning environment, critical and independent thinking, curiosity and openness, enthusiasm, motivation; understanding of vocational aspects of medicine |
| Music | skills, capabilities and potential to develop on the course |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | how you work through problems and take on new ideas |
| Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion | academic potential and why you want to study the subject |
| Veterinary Medicine | understanding of the subject, readiness for high-level study, fit with the Cambridge learning environment, critical and independent thinking, curiosity, enthusiasm; understanding of the vocational aspects of the course; passion for the subject and scientific ability |
5. Before the interview: written work and reading
Nine of the 32 courses set an admissions test before the interview; the page on Cambridge interview dates lists which. Written work is the other thing that comes first. For ten courses the page says: two pieces of written work; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation). The courses whose pages say something else:
| Course | Written work or pre-reading |
|---|---|
| Archaeology | one or two pieces of written work; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Architecture | your own artwork prior to interview; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Computer Science | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Design | your own artwork prior to interview; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Economics | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Engineering | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Environment, Law, and Economics | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Geography | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| History | two pieces of written work at all Colleges except Sidney Sussex; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| History of Art | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Law | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation); a problem or texts to read beforehand at some Colleges (for example Trinity, St Catharine's) |
| Linguistics | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Linguistics and Modern Languages | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Mathematics | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Medicine, MB and BChir | My Cambridge Application by 22 October 2026; any pre-interview reading or tasks are set by the College in the invitation; no written work to submit |
| Music | representative written work and musical material; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Natural Sciences | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Philosophy | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Psychological and Behavioural Sciences | written work at some Colleges; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
| Veterinary Medicine | written work not usually required; pre-interview reading or tasks possible (College says in the invitation) |
6. How this page was built
The number and length of interviews, the mode by College, the interviewers and the assessment criteria come from each course's page in the University of Cambridge's undergraduate course directory and the Colleges' 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.
7. What to do next
Check your College in the first table and your course in the second, then prepare for that: an in-person day at Churchill is a different day from an online interview at Christ's, and the number of interviews is the College's call. Expect to be given something to work on and to be asked why at every step. The page on Cambridge offer rates by course shows how many applicants each course makes offers to. For what to practise, see how to prepare for a Cambridge interview and the mistakes Oxbridge interviewers see most.
FAQ
Are Cambridge interviews online or in person?
Both, depending on the College: 14 interview online, four in person and the rest either way. The table on this page lists every College.
How long is a Cambridge interview?
Usually 35 minutes to one hour in total for most applicants, with one or two interviews for most applicants and three or four for some. Law says it varies by College, Mathematics says about 20-40 minutes per interview and Veterinary Medicine says commonly 25 minutes each, same day.
How many people interview you at Cambridge?
Two or three interviewers in subject interviews; general academic interviews may be with academics from other subjects.
What happens in a Cambridge interview?
An academic conversation about your subject with two or three interviewers: you are given something to work on, such as a problem, a passage or a graph, and asked to think it through aloud and explain your reasoning. The assessment section on this page gives each course's own wording for what is being judged.
Do you need to submit written work for a Cambridge interview?
Some courses and Colleges ask for written work or set pre-reading, and the College says so in the invitation; for most science courses it is not usually required. The section on what comes before the interview lists each course.
References
- University of Cambridge: undergraduate courses - https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses