Engineering

How to Apply

Visit How to Apply for full details and a timeline of the application process. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and school types, all over the world. If you're applying from outside the UK, please read our international students section.

Subject requirements

If you are taking or have taken A-levels (not including Singapore A levels) and applying to Christ's College then there are three required subjects:

• Mathematics
• Physics
• Further Mathematics

If your school does not offer Further Mathematics, you may be able to get support through the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme. It can support you by offering advice about choosing Further Mathematics, revision events, university applications, enrichment materials and activities, and tuition, when it is not available through your school or college.

If you are studying for another qualification then you should take

• Mathematics (International Baccalaureate students should take HL Maths Analysis and Approaches)
• Physics
• Ideally, a third mathematical / science subject at IB Higher, Scottish Advanced Higher or equivalent.
  • If you are applying with Scottish Advanced Highers, please see the information here.

There is no additional STEP requirement for Engineering at Christ's.

A number of our international candidates from countries where you study a wide range of subjects at school in the final two years find it helpful to take part in mathematics competitions as a way to focus on extending their mathematical knowledge and ability.

ESAT (Registration required)

All applicants for Engineering at Cambridge must sit a computer-based assessment called the ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test) as part of the application process. This is the same at all Cambridge Colleges.

You take the ESAT in person at a Pearson Vue Test Centre. There are test centres in countries all over the world. Please read the ESAT summary and then look at the ESAT-TMUA website for full details, including preparation information, how to register and book your test, and details for UK applicants in financial need and students who have access requirements for a disability.

There is no set score that we are looking for and we don't expect you to get every question right. The ESAT forms part of our holistic admissions process, which means that we will look at your scores in the context of your whole application.

Interviews

If we invite you for interviews, these usually take place in early December. Those invited for Cambridge interviews are normally interviewed for 35-50 minutes in total. At Christ’s, we usually split the time into two interviews with subject-relevant academics. Further detail about the format of interviews will be available here nearer the time.

During the interviews we might ask you about topics you're not familiar with. Our aim is to assess your innate engineering and/or scientific ability when working through unprepared questions and see how quickly you absorb new ideas. It's not about catching you out. We help you work through unseen problems and ask you to think out loud as you tackle them, so we understand your individual approach. Do not forget that the interviews are not just there for us to ask you questions. They provide you an excellent opportunity to ask us about the course, the College and the University.

Further, more general information about interviews (including two useful films) is available in the Cambridge interviews section, and it's worth also having a look at supervisions (short film here), as interviews are similar to what you do every week as a Cambridge student.

Offers

We typically admit between eight and twelve Engineering students per year. 

We define the terms of each offer individually, but offers for Engineering are likely to be minimum:

• A*A*A at A-level including A* in A-level Further Maths. You must pass any practical assessments for science subjects.
• 42 points overall in the International Baccalaureate with 7,7,6 in relevant Higher Level subjects
• A1, A1, A2 in three relevant Scottish Advanced Highers (See the Engineering from Scotland page)

You need to be academically ambitious: the majority of Christ's students arrive with higher grades than are required.

If you're taking another qualification, we expect you to be working at or close to the top of the mark range i.e.

• Baccalauréat français international (BFI): 17 (mention très bien) out of 20 overall, with a minimum of 17 in relevant subjects
• European Baccalaureate: at least 85% overall, with 9/10 in relevant subjects

You can look up other qualifications in the offer levels for other exam systems and international entry requirements, and if you are applying from outside the UK please read the Christ's international students section for further information and check the country pages.

If you will have finished school when you apply, please also read about post-qualification applications, taking a gap year, and, if relevant, applying from a university.

Taking a gap year

For those who are considering a gap year, deferred entry applications and post-qualification applications for Engineering are encouraged by the College. A gap year can offer a valuable opportunity to travel and/or gain work experience in an industrial setting (via, for example, the Year in Industry Scheme), which can be a major advantage during the undergraduate course. See the industrial placements information on the Engineering Department website.
 

Helpful Resources

Open Days and Online Events

Online events: Our open days and events page advertises online opportunities as well as events you can attend in Cambridge. These include our regular webinars from February until August, and our College Open Days in October, February and September.

The Engineering Department puts on lots of events for the annual Cambridge Open Days, in July. Booking opens in April each year and you can visit Christ's College on the same day. If you can't visit in person, there is a virtual tour of the Engineering department online.

Want to know more?

For a full picture of what the course involves, please read the University's Engineering course prospectus, take a look at Undergraduate Engineering admissions and the Department of Engineering information for prospective students too. It would be helpful to watch this film about the Dyson Centre too.

If you have any queries, send them to admissions@christs.cam.ac.uk and we’ll help however we can.
 

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