Interviews, Assessments and Written Work

Interviews, assessments, and written work are all part of the Magdalene application process.

This page explains what to expect and how to prepare.

Cambridge requires applicants for some of our courses to complete admissions assessments. We take your assessment performance into account alongside the other elements of your application.

The type and timing of your admissions assessment depends on the course you are applying for. Some take place before we select applicants for interview (requiring registration in advance), while others take place afterwards (where we will register you automatically).

Assessments requiring advance registration

The following subjects require all applicants to sit an assessment before we make selections for interviews. Please see the Undergraduate Study Admission tests and assessments page for more information, including relevant deadlines. Registration is a separate process and must be completed in addition to submitting your application.

Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) – Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine

Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA) – Computer Science, Economics, and Mathematics

Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) – Law

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) – Medicine

College-registered Assessments

If you are applying for a subject with a College-registered assessment, you will only need to sit the test if you are invited for an interview, and you will not need to register for it yourself.

If you are invited for an interview, test arrangements will be made automatically and the assessment details provided with your interview invitation.

College-registered assessments for Magdalene applicants 

• Architecture
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (if combining with a European language) (1)
• Classics (3-year and 4-year) (assessment takes place within an interview)
• Design
• History and Modern Languages (2)
• Linguistics
• Linguistics and Modern Languages
• Modern and Medieval Languages

Some Cambridge courses require you to submit written work as part of your application. Please see our Course Pages to see if this is required for your subject. 

What Written Work to Submit

Your submissions should typically consist of essays or project work completed during your A-level (or equivalent) studies. These pieces must be marked by your teacher and should be certified copies of the originals. You are not expected to create new work specifically for this application.

General Guidelines

• Length: While there is no set word count, we generally expect essays to be around 2-3 pages if typed (single-spaced) and 3-5 pages if handwritten (depending on handwriting size). Due to the admissions timeline, we cannot accept longer submissions.
• Language: Unless otherwise specified, all written work should be submitted in English.
• Cover Sheet: Each submission must include a completed cover sheet, which is available at the bottom of this page. Remember to keep a copy for yourself, as it may be useful during your interview.

Submission Process

Submit your written work to the Academic Office via the Applicant Documents Upload Form. The deadline for submission is 5 November.

Undergraduate interviews at Magdalene for the 2026-27 admissions cycle will take place online for all candidates in all subjects. 

For further information about Cambridge interviews generally, please see the helpful advice on the University’s Undergraduate Study pages on what to expect and how to prepare.

What happens at interview?

The interview process aims to assess your academic ability, potential, and commitment to your chosen subject, and your suitability for the course to which you have applied. It is an academic conversation, similar to the kind of small-group teaching students experience in Cambridge supervisions.

Depending on the subject. Magdalene applicants will have one or two interviews. These normally last 35-50 minutes in total. Each interview is typically conducted by a pair of interviewers, one or more of whom will be the Director of Studies in your chosen subject at Magdalene.

The interviewers will aim to find out what you know, not what you don’t. They will, however, challenge you to think for yourself and show how you can apply your existing knowledge and skills to unfamiliar problems. We want to understand how you think, how you approach new ideas, and how you respond to challenging questions.

We understand that many applicants find the interview process daunting. Our best advice is to try to relax and be yourself. There is excellent advice on preparing for interviews on the University’s website.

Interview practicalities

Magdalene will interview all applicants online in the 2026-27 admissions round. For your interview, you will need a reliable internet connection, a device with audio and video capability, and a quiet room where you can be on your own. You are welcome to have your interview at home or at school, as long as you have a quiet room to yourself.

Some subjects require you to use a digital whiteboard as part of the interview, which means you will need a tablet and stylus in addition to the device you are using for the interview. If you will have trouble accessing one to use in your interview or for practice, there will be an opportunity for you to let us know ahead of your interviews and we will try to help.

The subjects at Magdalene that currently require a whiteboard for interview are:

• Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

• Engineering

• Mathematics

• Natural Sciences

Please note that these are subject to change and will be confirmed in your invitations should you be invited to interview.

In some subjects, you may receive a reading passage to review before your interview. This material will serve as a foundation for discussion. If this is relevant, information will be included in your interview invitation. Interviewers may also utilise material from submitted written work or from your personal statement as a starting point for discussion. They may also ask you to respond to previously unseen material, such as prompt quotes, images, or graphs.

If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty, long-term health condition, injury or other particular need, please make sure you let us know well in advance of your interview(s) and we will make every effort to meet your requirements.