How to Get Into Oxbridge Universities

What Oxford and Cambridge look for in applicants.

“Since young, I have always believed that my true education would begin at Oxford”, says Masayu Athirah, 18, a second-year junior college student. “It is where the fundamental process of thought itself is questioned: That is what I believe will allow me to challenge life to its very core.”

Many, like Athirah, aspire to attend prestigious Oxbridge universities, a term collectively referring to the University of Oxford (Oxford) and University of Cambridge (Cambridge). However, with Oxbridge universities receiving over 60,000 capable applicants every year, one may think: Is there even a chance of me making it in?

If one desires to enter an Oxbridge university, in general, taking four H2 subjects would be favourable. Furthermore, it would be good to do well across your A-levels as a whole, but your focus should be placed on your H2 subjects as Oxbridge universities generally do not recognise H1 subjects.

“Ultimately, study at the A-levels is meant to form the foundations of their tertiary education,” says Violet Brand, 35, an admissions officer from the division of Politics and International Relations at Oxford. “We believe that H1 subjects do not fully provide students with sufficient knowledge to extrapolate from in undergraduate education. This is why our admission requirements focus on depth, rather than breadth.”

Cambridge requires you to achieve grade ‘A’ in four H2 A-level subjects. Alternatively, one may also choose to replace a fourth H2 ‘A’ with a ‘Merit’ in a H3 subject. Although Oxford only requires three H2 ‘A’ grades, a fourth H2 subject such as Knowledge and Inquiry will help to prove your ability to think and rationalise, and both Oxford and Cambridge take that into account when assessing your application.

As a form of solace, Oxbridge universities generally do not take co-curricular activities into account. The listing of such involvements is “only helpful in so far as they demonstrate the selection criteria for your course”, which vary across courses, but likely have nothing to do with you being the president of the badminton club.

“I am glad Cambridge places a greater emphasis on my academic ability as opposed to co-curricular activities,” says Megan Lee, 18, a private A-level candidate. “Cambridge doing so gives me a fair chance at being admitted in spite of me not being in the school system.”

Applicants will also have to take admission tests. Oxford has tests such as the Thinking Skills Assessment, which are meant to test one’s “problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and the ability to reason using everyday language”. Cambridge’s assessments serve similar purposes as well. Attempting past-year papers online would greatly assist in your preparations. In addition, when sitting for these tests, you should not let your prior knowledge cloud your judgement.

“Regarding the admissions test, take everything they present to you as fact in a question as true,” says Mr Chee How Goh, 37, an Oxford graduate. “For example, if they say, ‘Given that all cats are black, and all black creatures have three eyes, do all cats have three eyes?’,your instinct may be [to say] that this statement is illogical as in reality, not all cats are black. But the phrase ‘given that’ means that you should answer the question with the assumption that the premise is true.”

If you manage to pass these assessments, congratulations! Up next, is the interview. This is where they assess your interest and aptitude for learning. According to Oxford and Cambridge, their tutors look for “your self-motivation and enthusiasm for your subject” and “your ability to think independently”.

Describing their interviews as “testing one’s will to learn”, Mr Chee says, “They are looking for your ability to support your conclusions with your own knowledge and logic. Looking for an intellectual discussion, they do not want someone who is just another follower - They want [a maverick who] has the ability to think for themselves logically.”

If your love for learning knows no bounds, and you are willing to challenge the realities life presents, Oxbridge universities would be more than glad to have you.

“Getting into Oxford will require a lot of effort,” says Athirah. “But it is the price I’m willing to pay for me to gain the depth of knowledge I desire.”