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 Philosophy
Cambridge Philosophy: reasoning, reading and academic preparation
Cambridge's Philosophy course asks for A*AA or the IB equivalent and names no required subjects, though it recommends several, Mathematics and Religious Studies among them. Some Colleges set an admission assessment, and written work is asked for by one College, Downing, rather than across the board. The application is therefore about how you reason, which is hard to prepare for by routine. 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 Philosophy
Taken from Cambridge's Philosophy 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.
No specific subjects; several recommended
Cambridge does not ask for specific subjects. It recommends Mathematics, Religious Studies, Philosophy, English (language or literature), History and languages (ancient or modern) for a strong application.
An assessment at some Colleges
There is an admission assessment at some Colleges for this course, and you do not need to register in advance. Check Cambridge's College admission assessments page.
Written work at one College
Downing asks applicants to submit two pieces of written work. At other Colleges you will not usually be asked to submit examples.
Philosophy from Plato to the present
The course combines the analytical tradition with the history of philosophy from Plato to the present day. The third year has no compulsory papers, and one examination can be replaced by a 6,000 to 8,000-word dissertation.
Official sources
- University of Cambridge: Philosophy, 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 Philosophy course page and its written-work and interviews pages, which describes 2027 entry. Individual Colleges' assessments, written-work instructions and deadlines, the College-by-College interview formats, the Faculty of Philosophy's own pages and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
A fixed first year, then freedom to choose
Cambridge describes philosophy as the investigation of very general and fundamental questions, and says the course combines the analytic style developed at Cambridge in the early twentieth century with the history of philosophy from Plato to the present. The first year has five core compulsory papers: Metaphysics, Ethics and Political Philosophy, Meaning, Formal Methods and Set Texts. In the second year two papers are compulsory, Knowledge, Language and the World and a general paper, and you choose three more. The third year has no compulsory papers and you choose four. Teaching is mainly by lectures with small-group supervisions in which you do topical reading and write an essay to discuss with your supervisor. Assessment is mainly by written examination.
How it differs
Philosophy alone, or philosophy with something else?
Several Oxford degrees pair philosophy with other subjects. Cambridge's Philosophy is a single-subject degree, and these neighbouring courses have their own rules.
Choose Cambridge Philosophy if
you want to spend your degree on philosophy itself, from formal logic and the philosophy of science to ethics and the history of the subject.
Look at Oxford Philosophy and Theology or Physics and Philosophy if
you want philosophy tied to religion or physics. Each is a separate Oxford course with its own guide.
Look at PPE if
your interest is philosophy together with politics and economics. That is a separate course.
Reading the offer
A*AA, no required subject, and a recommended list
The offer is A*AA, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. Cambridge says no specific subjects are required, and recommends Mathematics, Religious Studies, Philosophy, English, History and languages. It reports that nearly all past entrants had studied at least one of the recommended subjects, and adds that common combinations do not mean those combinations are favoured. For a student without a philosophy A level, which many schools do not offer, the lesson is that it is the reasoning that counts, and the recommended list suggests ways to show it.
Assessment and written work
Some Colleges assess, and one asks for written work
There is an admission assessment at some Colleges, which you do not need to register for in advance. Check the College assessments page for the Colleges you are considering. Downing is the one College named as asking for two pieces of written work, and Cambridge says that at other Colleges you will not usually be asked for examples. If you do submit work, Cambridge's general guidance is that it should be marked by your teacher with comments, and should be something you can discuss in an interview. Interviews are academic conversations, and you may be asked to apply your knowledge to new situations, materials or problems.
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 understand the course and plan reading and reasoning practice.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cambridge's.
Can you hold a position and still change your mind?
Argue for a claim you find plausible, then for its negation. Philosophy asks for both.
Are you comfortable with formal methods?
The first year includes logic and formal methods, and Mathematics is among the recommended subjects. Try a short logic problem and see whether it appeals.
Do you read philosophy for its own sake?
Set texts such as Plato's Meno and Descartes's Meditations are part of the first year. Read one and see whether you want to talk about it.
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 absence of required subjects, the possible College assessment and the written-work arrangements: 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 Philosophy course page and its College assessments and interviews pages for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Check which of your shortlisted Colleges set an assessment, read some philosophy for its own sake, and practise stating and defending arguments aloud.
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 understand the course, plan reading and reasoning practice and choose any 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 Philosophy entry requirements?
A*AA at A level, or 41 to 42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level, with no specific subjects required. This is Cambridge's wording for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028.
Do I need Philosophy A level?
No. Cambridge asks for no specific subjects. It recommends Mathematics, Religious Studies, Philosophy, English, History and languages for a strong application.
Is there an admissions test?
There is an admission assessment at some Colleges, and you do not need to register in advance. Check Cambridge's College admission assessments page.
Do I have to submit written work?
Downing asks for two pieces. At other Colleges you will not usually be asked to submit examples of written work.
Can I write a dissertation?
In the third year you can replace one written examination with a dissertation of 6,000 to 8,000 words on a subject of your choice.
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 Philosophy
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their reasoning, their reading and any College assessment they might face, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.