We welcome applicants from Hong Kong who would like to apply for a place here at Christ's College.
- Qualification requirements
- English Language requirements
- Application process
- Interviews
- Student profiles
- Finance
- Where can I find out more?
News |
---|
Applications are open for the annual Christ's International Webinars on 12 July! Do sign up for our next online open day, and join us for regular webinars. |
"Being taught by the people you look up to, the ones who wrote the books you’re reading and studying is such a unique and amazing experience."
Qualification requirements
- The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
- International Baccalaureate
- Additional requirements
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Typical grade requirement in your core subjects | Cambridge course |
---|---|
Grades of 5 in all core subjects, and grades of 5* in two or more relevant core subjects. |
All courses |
If the course you are applying for requires A-Levels in Mathematics and Further Mathematics, you must take Extended Module 2 (Algebra and Calculus) Mathematics as part of your core. If you are applying for a course that requires Mathematics A Level only, we advise you to take either Extended Module 1 (Calculus and Statistics) or Extended Module 2 (Algebra and Calculus) Mathematics as part of your core. For some courses, A-Level Further Mathematics and/or Mathematics is desirable but not a requirement. In this case you might want to consider taking the appropriate Mathematics Extended Module. Applicants will normally be expected to achieve a pass mark in Citizenship and Social Development.
Grade requirements in your electives | Cambridge course |
---|---|
A minimum of 5*55 Applicants may sometimes be asked to achieve 5** in a subject from your electives or the core. |
Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, Archaeology, Architecture, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classics, Design, Education, English, Geography, History, History and Modern Languages, History and Politics, History of Art, Human, Social and Political Sciences, Land Economy, Law, Linguistics, Modern and Medieval Languages, Music, Philosophy, Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion |
A minimum of 5*5*5 Applicants may sometimes be asked to achieve 5** in a subject from your electives or the core. |
Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine, Natual Sciences, Psychological and Behavioural Sciences |
When choosing electives, prospective applicants should consult the Christ's subject pages as well as the relevant university course page to identify close subject matches.
Combined Science can provide appropriate preparation, but for many courses we will want you to take Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics as individual electives.
‘Applied’ Category A electives (such as Health Management and Social Care, Integrated Science Technology and Living, Tourism and Hospitality Studies) and Category B electives don’t provide an appropriate preparation for most Cambridge courses, where the emphasis is more academic than vocational. However, if required/highly desirable subjects are covered by the Core and other Electives, applicants taking such electives as their seventh or eighth HKDSE subject would be considered.
Category C electives can form part of a Cambridge offer, especially where there is a language element to the course. The typical offer level for these courses would be an ‘A’.
International Baccalaureate
Our typical entry requirement for students taking the International Baccalaureate is 42, with 776 at Higher Level. If you are applying for a course that requires Maths at Higher Level in the IB, make sure that you take the Maths: Analysis and Approaches option at Higher Level.
Additional requirements
Offers for Mathematics include STEP II and III. Further information about STEP and preparation support is available on the Maths page.
Some courses require a Written Assessment. The dates and registration details for these assessments vary from subject to subject so please check this carefully in relation to the course you are planning to apply for. It is essential to read the relevant Christ's subject pages in full to ensure that you are aware of the requirements.
English Language requirements
If English is not your native language, in most cases students from Hong Kong will need to take an English Language qualification such as IELTS Academic or TOEFL and achieve scores as specified on the University website.
If you have already taken an English language qualification when you apply, please include this in your UCAS application, and include the certificate in your transcript. It is not a problem if you are not able to take an English Language qualification by the time you apply. In this case you may be asked to achieve the specified scores in one of these qualifications if we make you an offer, as part of the offer conditions . You would have from January (when you receive your offer) until August to take the test and send us the results.
Do bear in mind that for non-native English speakers who will need a visa to study in the UK, specific certificates are normally needed (e.g. IELTS Academic, TOEFL).
Application process
We recommend that you apply as soon as possible once UCAS opens for applications in September. Your course may require registration for an admissions assessment by 15 Sept or 29 Sept 2023 (depending on the subject) and then the UCAS application deadline for all courses is 16 October 2023. Application is for entry the following October (or for deferred entry the year after). We encourage all applicants to read the information about applying on the relevant subject page, as well as the how to apply page well in advance of September, as there are a number of parts to the application procedure which may take time to organise and complete:
- If you have a "Registration Required" Written Assessment (needed for some of the courses), you will need to make sure you are registered for this by the relevant deadline. See details on the Written Assessments page. For example, applicants for Law must register between 1 August and 15 September and take the LNAT on or before 15 October. You can search for the test centres in Czechia (scroll down to the bottom of Find a Test Centre) or in some cases you may be able to sit the assessment at your school (you will need to ask your school if they are a test centre).
- There is more than one application form. You first make a UCAS application and then you complete an additional questionnaire called My Cambridge Application (previously called the SAQ).
- You will need a referee who can provide a reference and predicted grades for any exams that you have not yet taken.
- You will also need to arrange for your school to provide a transcript, which you upload as part of My Cambridge Application.
- There are some smaller details that it is worth being aware of, such as the need to upload a photo.
Do also explore our additional support pages for international applicants, and note that on 20 September Christ's publishes the current applicants section, which will support you (in detail!) through the next steps once you have submitted a valid application and chosen Christ's College in your UCAS application.
Interviews
We interview the majority of applicants, though not every applicant is selected for interview.
Arrangements for students applying in October 2023
We will confirm the format of interviews for students applying in October 2023 by July 2023.
If you are applying for a subject that requires a "College Registered" assessment, this will also be organised for you if you are selected for interview.
Student profiles
Ari, Belinda and Oscar are from Hong Kong and have written about studying at Christ's in their student profiles:
"If I were to give one piece of advice, it would be to just be yourself (even if that sounds clichéd)."
Finance
In addition to the Christ’s College International Awards, at Christ's we currently offer the Li Ka Shing Foundation Lord Sandberg Memorial Scholarship for offer holders resident in Hong Kong.
There are also university-wide Prince Philip Scholarships for permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (details are on the Prince Philip Scholarship website), and offer-holders from Hong Kong who are in financial need may apply for support from the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust.
Where can I find out more?

Do explore the international students section in particular, and make sure you read the relevant subject page. We encourage you to register interest for the Christ's Interational Webinars so that you get an email when we open booking, and you may like to also attend other online events.
Please also feel free to email Kristy, Jan and Ellie in Christ's Admissions Office (admissions@christs.cam.ac.uk) with any questions. We'll be pleased to hear from you!
We also encourage prospective students from Hong Kong to explore the support available from Access Abroad Hong Kong if your school cannot support you with a Cambridge application. This is an organisation run by Hong Kong students at Cambridge and Oxford to help less priviledged students from Hong Kong to apply to Cambridge, Oxford or other top UK universities.
"I found the College to be visually beautiful but also quite cosy and shielded away from the busy streets outside, which meant that it felt like my "home away from home" much sooner than I had expected."