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Oxford and Cambridge

Oxbridge application timeline for 2027 entry

The Oxford and Cambridge application runs on a tighter schedule than the rest of UCAS, and several of its deadlines are set outside UCAS altogether. These are all of them, in order.

Every date, in order

Oxford and Cambridge dates for 2027 entry. Deadlines are at 6pm UK time.
DateWhat happensApplies to
1 June 2026UAT-UK accounts open, with applications for access arrangements and bursariesApplicants needing the ESAT, TMUA or TARA
20 July 2026Test booking opensAs above
14 September 2026Deadline for access arrangementsTest candidates who need adjustments
21 September 2026Deadline for bursary applicationsTest candidates who need help with the fee
28 September 2026Test booking closesApplicants needing the ESAT, TMUA or TARA
12 to 16 October 2026Tests sat: ESAT 12 or 13 October 2026, TARA 14 October 2026, TMUA 15 or 16 October 2026As above
15 October 2026UCAS application deadlineOxford and Cambridge
22 October 2026My Cambridge Application deadlineMost Cambridge applicants
10 November 2026Written work deadlineOxford courses that require it
November 2026Written work for courses and colleges that ask for itSome Cambridge applicants
16 November 2026Test results released to candidatesTest candidates
Mid-November to early December 2026Shortlisting: applicants told whether they are invited to interviewOxford and Cambridge
December 2026Interviews: online at Oxford; online or in person at Cambridge, depending on the collegeShortlisted applicants
12 January 2027Decisions releasedOxford
January 2027The Winter PoolCambridge
27 January 2027Decisions releasedCambridge
June 2027STEP papersCambridge Mathematics offer holders
July to August 2027Exam results; conditional offers confirmedOffer holders

Law and medicine applicants also sit the LNAT or UCAT, which run on their own timetables. For courses with a 15 October deadline they have to be taken early: the UCAT in the summer, and the LNAT by the early deadline its website sets for Oxford and Cambridge applicants. See UK university admissions tests.

Three dates that catch applicants out

What to have done before the summer holiday

  • Settled on a course and checked its entry requirements and subject requirements.
  • Found out whether your course needs an admissions test, and which modules if it is the ESAT.
  • Found your nearest test centre, especially if you are outside the UK, where availability is more limited.
  • Told your school you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge, so that your reference and predicted grades are ready for October.

The general UCAS dates, including the January deadline for your other choices if they are later, are in UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry.

Official sources

Dates, requirements and rules on this page come from these official sources, checked on . They change from year to year, so confirm anything you rely on against them. Boxes labelled “Our advice” are Whitehall Academic’s own view.

About the author

Gautam Natarajan founded Whitehall Academic and studies Economics at Trinity College, Cambridge. Gautam has tutored applicants for Oxford and Cambridge from countries including India, China, South Korea and Singapore.

Published . Last updated . Whitehall Academic is independent, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, UCAS or UAT-UK.

The cover of The Oxbridge Blueprint

Going further

The Oxbridge Blueprint

The Blueprint turns these dates into a plan of what to do and when, working back from the deadline, alongside guidance on every stage of the application.

About The Oxbridge Blueprint

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