How many admission rounds does Oxbridge have?

Oxbridge typically has one main admission round each year.

Oxbridge, a term collectively referring to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, generally conducts one main admission round annually. This process is designed to assess the academic potential of applicants and select the most promising students for their respective courses.

The application process begins in the autumn of the year before the start of the course. Students submit their applications through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, by the 15th of October. This is significantly earlier than most other UK universities, which have a January deadline. This early deadline allows Oxbridge to conduct their extensive selection process, which includes additional tests and interviews.

After the application submission, some students may be required to take additional tests. These are subject-specific and are usually taken in early November. The purpose of these tests is to assess the applicants' abilities in a fair and consistent manner, beyond what can be seen in their grades and personal statements.

The next stage of the process is the interview round. These are typically held in December. The interviews are academic in nature and are designed to assess how students think and approach problems, rather than their knowledge of a specific subject.

It's important to note that while there is one main admission round, there are also other opportunities to apply. For example, some courses may have a second round of applications in the spring, known as the 'pool' system. This is for applicants who were not offered a place in the main round but were deemed to be of a high enough standard to be considered again. However, these opportunities are limited and vary between courses and colleges.

In summary, while there is one main admission round for Oxbridge each year, there may be additional opportunities to apply depending on the course and college.