A*AA, or 41–42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level
The minimum offer is A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Cambridge's listed requirements are for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028.
Undergraduate · Cambridge Classics
Cambridge Classics: choosing between the three- and four-year routes
Cambridge offers Classics as a three-year course for applicants with Latin and as a four-year course for those with little or no experience of Latin or Greek. The three-year route needs Latin at A level or IB Higher Level, both routes have an admissions assessment at every College, and both ask for two pieces of written work. Oxford's Classics is organised differently, so the two should not be treated as interchangeable. Everything cycle-specific here is Cambridge's wording for 2027 entry; nothing below is a confirmed 2028 requirement.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Cambridge asks for in Classics
Taken from Cambridge's Classics course page and its written-work and interviews pages and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Cambridge's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
Latin for the three-year course; none for the four-year
For the three-year course you need Latin at A level or IB Higher Level (or equivalent). If you study Classical Greek instead, check each shortlisted College. If you have little or no Latin or Greek, you can apply for the four-year course.
An assessment at every College, on both routes
There is an admissions assessment at all Colleges for both the three- and four-year course, and you do not need to register in advance.
Two pieces of written work on both routes
For both the three- and four-year course you need to submit two pieces of written work. Your assessing College will tell you how and when to send them.
Language exams adapted to where you started
Language exams are adapted to take into account your language ability when you started the course, so results reflect your progress. In your final year you can substitute an exam for a dissertation.
Official sources
- University of Cambridge: Classics, BA (Hons) (undergraduate course page)undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
- University of Cambridge: Written work and portfoliosundergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk
Read on 31 October 2026 on Cambridge's Classics course page and its written-work and interviews pages, which describes 2027 entry. Individual Colleges' policies on Classical Greek without Latin, assessment details and written-work deadlines, the College-by-College interview formats, the Faculty's own pages and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
The whole ancient world, from two possible starting points
Cambridge says Classics is the study of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, language, literature, philosophy, ancient history, art and archaeology, and that you can specialise or range widely. The three-year course starts with Part IA, in which you read original Greek and Latin texts by central authors such as Homer, Euripides, Plato, Virgil, Ovid and Cicero, alongside elements of ancient history, archaeology, art, philosophy and linguistics. If you have little or no Greek, an intensive ancient Greek programme is offered. The four-year course adds a Preliminary Year that brings your Latin up to speed and introduces ancient Greek. Part IB includes compulsory Greek and Latin translation papers, and Part II lets you specialise in one discipline or choose a range.
Choosing your route
Which course matches what you have studied?
The rules are explicit, and they are about your language background rather than your ability.
You have Latin at A level or IB Higher Level
You can apply for the three-year course. If you have little or no Classical Greek, Cambridge says it offers an intensive ancient Greek programme.
You have Classical Greek but not Latin
You may be advised to take the four-year degree, depending on your circumstances, and Cambridge says to check which Colleges accept Classical Greek without Latin for the three-year course.
You have little or no Latin or Greek
The four-year course is for you. Cambridge says that if you have studied Latin or Greek to A level or equivalent you can apply for the three-year course instead.
Oxford Classics is organised differently
Oxford has its own streams and requirements. Do not assume that a route at one university maps onto a route at the other.
Reading the offer
A*AA, and the language rule determines the route
The offer is A*AA, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. For the three-year course the subject rule is Latin at A level or IB Higher Level or the equivalent, and Cambridge points Greek-only applicants to College websites. The four-year course has no such rule. Cambridge adds that common subject combinations among past entrants do not mean those combinations are favoured.
Assessment, written work and interviews
An assessment at every College, and two pieces of work
Whichever route you choose, there is an admissions assessment at every College, which you do not need to register for in advance, and you need to submit two pieces of written work. Cambridge's general guidance is that work should be marked by your teacher, with comments, and be something you are happy to discuss. Interviews are academic conversations, online or in person depending on the College. The page also says language exams are adapted to your starting level, which suggests that the assessment of linguistic ability is designed to look at potential and progress.
A note on preparation
What Cambridge says about commercial interview services
Cambridge says some companies offer interview preparation for a fee, that these services are not endorsed by the University and have no exclusive information, and that all official guidance is free on its website. Avandy's support is independent and limited to helping a student choose a route and plan language practice and reading.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cambridge's.
How honest is your starting point?
Choose the route that matches what you have actually studied. The four-year course is a designed route, not a fallback.
Which part of antiquity do you want to spend time on?
Literature, history, philosophy, archaeology or linguistics: know why, and pick written work that reflects it.
Are you prepared for a language assessment?
There is an assessment at every College. Find out what your shortlisted Colleges' assessment involves.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Cambridge has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Cambridge published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Cambridge has not yet published it.
Grades, the Latin rule for the three-year course, the assessment at every College and the two pieces of written work: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cambridge has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
UCAS deadline, assessment arrangements, written-work deadlines, interview dates and any change to selection arrangements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Cambridge's Classics course page and its College assessments and interviews pages for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Work out which route matches your language background, check shortlisted Colleges' policies, and gather two marked pieces you can discuss.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here helps a student choose a route and plan language practice, reading and the choice of submitted work; it does not write, edit or rewrite any submitted piece, and Avandy has no access to exclusive Cambridge information. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the Cambridge Classics entry requirements?
A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. The three-year course needs Latin at A level or IB Higher Level (or equivalent). This is Cambridge's wording for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028.
Can I apply without Latin?
Yes, to the four-year course, which is for applicants with little or no experience of Latin or Greek. If you have Classical Greek only, check which Colleges accept it for the three-year course.
Is there an admissions test?
There is an admissions assessment at all Colleges for both the three- and four-year course. You do not need to register in advance.
How much written work do I submit?
Two pieces of written work, for both the three- and four-year course.
Is Cambridge Classics the same as Oxford Classics?
No. The two universities organise their routes and requirements differently. Use each university's own page.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cambridge's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Cambridge publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cambridge Classics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Latin and Greek, or their ability to learn them, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.