AAA, or 38 IB points with 666 at Higher Level
The A-level requirement is AAA. The IB requirement is 38 points including core points with 666 at Higher Level.
Undergraduate · Oxford Modern Languages
Oxford Modern Languages: language preparation and choosing your route
Oxford's Modern Languages degree is really several entry routes, and the first task is to know which one applies to you: a language you already study to A level or equivalent, a language at about B1 level without a qualification, or a beginners' language started from scratch. Language itself makes up around half of the examinations, there is no test and no written work, and the interview assesses language aptitude and literary response. Oxford's wording below describes 2027 entry; nothing here is a confirmed 2028 requirement.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Oxford asks for in Modern Languages
Taken from Oxford's Modern Languages course page 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; Oxford's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
The language you want, normally at A level or equivalent
Applicants would usually be expected to have the language at A level, Advanced Higher, Higher Level in the IB or another academic equivalent. Those without a qualification may still be considered at level B1 of the CEFR.
Beginners' courses exist, with limits
Beginners' courses allow students to start any language except French and Spanish from scratch, but it is not usually possible to study two beginners' languages or a beginners' language on its own.
No pre-interview test, no written work
There was no pre-interview language test in the cycle described, and the older Modern Languages Admissions Test is no longer used. You do not submit written work.
A three-part interview
Interviews normally comprise a text discussion, a grammar exercise and personal-statement discussion. Shortlisted candidates are invited to at least one online interview.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Oxford's Modern Languages course page, which describes 2027 entry. The UCAS deadline, the list of course codes and language combinations, interview dates, admissions statistics, fees and the Faculty's own selection criteria pages were not read and are not stated.
The course
A four-year degree in which language is half of the assessment
The degree lasts four years. Oxford says language is at the centre of the course, making up around half of both first-year and final examinations, and that the course aims to teach spoken fluency in colloquial and more formal situations as well as the ability to write essays in the foreign language. The first year is closely structured, with oral, grammar and translation classes and an introduction to literature. French, German, Spanish or Russian can be taken as a single language with further options in the first year; all other languages must be studied in combination with another language or another subject. Later years allow more choice from a very wide range of options.
Finding your route
Which entry route is yours?
The page distinguishes between applicants by what they already have, and each route is assessed differently. The answer determines both the preparation and how the interview will treat you.
You study the language to A level or equivalent
This is the usual route. Your linguistic ability and potential are assessed in the interview, alongside school qualifications.
You have the language at about B1 without a qualification
Oxford says such applicants may still be considered if they have attained B1 proficiency on the CEFR scale. Check your level with your school, testing centre or exam board.
You want to start a language from scratch
Beginners' courses cover any language except French and Spanish, with different course codes. Oxford says linguistic aptitude is assessed at interview, and a beginners' language cannot normally stand alone.
Other Oxford and Cambridge language degrees are different
English and Modern Languages, Modern Languages and Linguistics, and Cambridge's languages courses are separate programmes with their own rules.
Reading the offer
AAA, and the language as the subject that counts
The grades are AAA, or 38 IB points with 666 at Higher Level. The subject rule is about the language itself: you would usually be expected to have it at A level, Advanced Higher, Higher Level in the IB or an equivalent. Oxford is clear that selection is competitive, and that school references and interview performance are weighed along with results. It also says that, where English is not the first language, competence in English is a criterion.
The interview
A text, a grammar exercise and your interests
Oxford says there is no pre-interview language test and the older MLAT is no longer used; ability is assessed in the interview. Interviews normally have three parts: discussion of a text, a grammar exercise and discussion of your personal statement. Knowledge of the literature is not assessed, but interviewers look for aptitude for literary study, so you may be given a short text in the language or in English to read during the interview. If you study the language, there may be a grammar exercise and a brief conversation in the target language. Oxford says the sentences from the old MLAT are indicative of the sort of sentences that may be used, and notes that past-paper questions are available from the Faculty.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Oxford's.
Do you want literature as much as language?
The degree is both. If you want only practical fluency, think about whether a literature-heavy degree is the right choice.
Can you notice patterns in sentences you have not seen?
The grammar exercise rewards exactly this. Take a few sentences in the language and describe the rules you can infer.
Is your language level honest?
If you rely on spoken fluency without qualification-level grammar and reading, find out where you stand before applying.
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 Oxford has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Oxford has not yet published it.
Grades, the language rules, the absence of a pre-interview test and written work, and the interview format: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Oxford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Application deadline, the list of course codes and language combinations, interview dates and any change to selection arrangements: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Oxford's Modern Languages course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Identify your route, check your language level honestly, and practise close reading of short texts and grammar analysis in your language.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Oxford 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. Language-specialist support helps a candidate prepare for text discussion, grammar exercises and interview conversation; it does not supply answers or predict questions. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the Oxford Modern Languages entry requirements?
AAA at A level, or 38 IB points including core points with 666 at Higher Level, with the language usually at A level, Advanced Higher, Higher Level in the IB or an equivalent. This is Oxford's wording for 2027 entry.
Can I study a language I have never learned?
Beginners' courses allow students to start any language except French and Spanish from scratch. It is not usually possible to study two beginners' languages or a beginners' language on its own.
Is there an admissions test?
Oxford says there was no pre-interview language test in the cycle described and the older MLAT is no longer used. Language ability is assessed at interview. No written work is required.
What happens at interview?
Interviews normally have three parts: discussion of a text, a grammar exercise and personal-statement discussion. Candidates may be given a short text to read.
What if I speak the language but have no qualification in it?
Oxford says applicants not taking the language in a qualification may still be considered if they have attained proficiency at level B1 of the CEFR.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Oxford's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Oxford publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Oxford Modern Languages
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their language or languages and the level they have reached in each, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.