Undergraduate · Cambridge Computer Science
Cambridge's Computer Science requirements are easy to blur together: the offer, the subjects, the TMUA that every applicant takes and the CSAT that only two Colleges set. This guide keeps them apart, separates what Cambridge requires from what it only reports about past entrants, and is written for families planning 2028 entry. Everything cycle-specific in it was last verified for 2027 entry, because Cambridge has not yet published requirements or dates for 2028 entry.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
Taken from Cambridge's official Computer Science, admission-tests, TMUA, interview and key-dates pages and last verified on 19 October 2026. The requirements apply to entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028 from a 2027 application. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement and date below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change.
The minimum offer is A*A*A at A Level, or 41–42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Colleges usually require A* in Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics, and may require an A* or 7 in specific subjects, usually Chemistry or Physics if taken. Churchill, Lucy Cavendish and Selwyn have extra subject requirements and/or set extra conditions; the other Colleges usually set offers at the minimum level.
Cambridge asks for Mathematics, and for Further Mathematics to AS or A level if the school offers it. If it is not available, contact the Colleges you are shortlisting. IB applicants take Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches.
Every applicant takes the TMUA at an authorised assessment centre and registers in advance. In the 2027-entry cycle the sitting was 12–16 October 2026 (15 or 16 October in China, Hong Kong and Macau), and it has passed. Applicants to Peterhouse or Trinity also take the Computer Sciences Aptitude Test (CSAT).
In the 2027-entry cycle Cambridge's main interview period is 7–18 December 2026, and interviews are online or in person depending on the College. Mathematics and science applicants may be asked to share their workings.
In the 2027-entry cycle the UCAS deadline was 15 October 2026 and has passed. Applicants interviewed in December hear the outcome on 27 January 2027.
The course is UCAS G400, a BA (Hons) over three years or an MEng over four, and it is available at all Colleges. Oxford's Computer Science uses the same UCAS code, so always name the university with the code.
Official sources
Checked on 19 October 2026 against Cambridge's Computer Science, admission-tests, TMUA, interview and key-dates pages. Cambridge can update these pages, particularly during the interview period, so confirm the details with your own College.
Planning for 2028 entry
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Cambridge has not yet published. Deferred entry in 2028 from a 2027 application is different: it follows the 2027 cycle's rules. 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 the 2028 value is not yet published.
The minimum offer, the subject requirements, the TMUA, the CSAT at Peterhouse and Trinity and the Colleges with extra conditions in the official information above are the best guide to what to prepare. Cambridge has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Cambridge has not yet published these. Do not move this year's dates forward by a year, and check Cambridge's Computer Science and admission-tests pages for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
The numbers about past entrants in this guide are Cambridge's figures for earlier cycles, and the application figures are for the 2025 cycle. They describe who applied and was admitted; they do not set the 2028 requirements.
Subject choices
Mathematics is a requirement for every applicant, and Further Mathematics to AS or A level is asked for where the school offers it. Cambridge also publishes figures about past entrants. They describe who has been admitted, not what the course asks of you.
Of A Level entrants who started in 2018, 2019 and 2023, 87% achieved at least A*A*A*; all studied Mathematics, over 97% Further Mathematics, 84% Physics and 64% Computing. Most IB entrants achieved at least 43 points. These are Cambridge's figures about entrants, not entry requirements. In the 2025 cycle there were 14 applications per place and 128 students were accepted.
Contact your shortlisted Colleges before you apply, as Cambridge asks. The entrant figures are a separate question: they show how common Further Mathematics, Physics and Computing have been among entrants, not what any College asks for.
Colleges and the CSAT
Most Colleges usually set offers at the minimum level, but three set more, and two add a second test.
Churchill, Lucy Cavendish and Selwyn have extra subject requirements and/or set extra conditions. The other Colleges usually set offers at the minimum level, though Colleges may require an A* or 7 in specific subjects.
Only applicants to Peterhouse or Trinity also take the Computer Sciences Aptitude Test. It is a requirement of those two Colleges, not of the course, so it should be part of the choice of College rather than a surprise after it.
Interviews
Interviews are online or in person depending on the College. Cambridge sets a main interview period for each cycle, and applicants must keep it free: Cambridge reschedules interviews only in exceptional circumstances, and an applicant who does not attend will not be considered. Everyone who is made an offer has been interviewed.
Cambridge says the timing of your interview does not reflect your perceived strength as a candidate, so an early or late slot carries no signal.
Mathematics and science applicants may be asked to share their workings, so practise working through problems on paper in a way someone else can follow.
Cambridge suggests rereading your personal statement, reading around the subject in books, videos and podcasts, and practising talking about it, including in a practice interview with a teacher or someone who does not know you well. If something is unclear, you can ask the interviewers to explain it.
Cambridge says that sharing admissions assessment or interview questions is strictly prohibited, during or after the admissions cycle, and that doing so may disadvantage your application.
What to decide now
Nothing in this section depends on a 2028 date.
Check early whether your school offers Further Mathematics to AS or A level, with Analysis and Approaches if you take the IB. If it does not, plan to contact your shortlisted Colleges before you apply.
Read the page of each shortlisted College, because three set extra conditions, and decide early whether you are willing to take the CSAT if you apply to Peterhouse or Trinity.
Every applicant takes it, so plan preparation time and treat the 2028 sitting as awaiting publication.
If you are in the 2027 cycle
For 2027 entry the UCAS deadline and the TMUA sitting have passed, interviews take place in December 2026 and results follow on 27 January 2027.
The application is in and the TMUA has been sat. The next steps are the invitation and the interview.
The requirements on this page apply to deferred entry in 2028 as well, because a deferred applicant follows the 2027 cycle.
How Avandy supports Computer Science applicants
Avandy is a specialist academic and university admissions advisory organisation. Computer Science candidates are supported through the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model. A Strategic Admissions Consultant keeps the strategy consistent with the whole application, a PhD-level Academic Mentor oversees academic quality, and a Subject-specific Tutor takes the candidate through the discipline. Experienced advisers and doctoral-level specialists tailor the plan to the candidate's course and profile.
Subject choices, College choice, the tests each College requires and the intended year of entry are weighed together within one advisory plan.
Preparation for the TMUA, and for the CSAT where a College requires it, sits inside the same plan and is rehearsed, reviewed and calibrated to the candidate.
Once an invitation arrives, academic interview preparation is calibrated to the candidate's profile and to the format the College has given.
Questions
Not yet. Everything cycle-specific in this guide was last verified for 2027 entry. The 2028-entry deadline, TMUA and CSAT dates, interview period and results date are awaiting publication.
Cambridge asks for Further Mathematics to AS or A level if your school offers it. If it is not available, contact your shortlisted Colleges before you apply. Cambridge's figures show that over 97% of the A Level entrants it reports on had studied it, but those figures describe entrants, not entry requirements.
Only if you apply to Peterhouse or Trinity. It is a requirement of those Colleges, not of the course. The TMUA, by contrast, is taken by every applicant.
Yes. Every Computer Science applicant takes it at an authorised assessment centre and registers in advance. The sitting for 2027 entry was 12–16 October 2026 and has passed; dates for 2028 entry are awaiting publication.
No. G400 is the UCAS code for Computer Science at both universities, but they are separate courses with their own requirements. Always name the university with the code.
Applicants will not usually be asked to submit examples of written work.
Students and families
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Mathematics and Further Mathematics, the intended year of entry and whether the TMUA has been taken or booked. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare. Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Cambridge or any College, and no outcome is promised.
