Oxbridge Handbook 2025/26 by Kingswood School

WELCOME FROM MR JUDE CHUA HEAD OF OXBRIDGE

It is difficult to produce a definitive set of criteria that make an exceptional Oxbridge candidate. There are, however, a number of achievements and personal attributes that will improve your chance of being viewed as a strong contender.

Throughout the admissions process, Oxbridge tutors are looking for individuals who exude passion for their subject. Candidates should be broad-minded with significant academic talent.

Competition for places at Oxbridge is fierce. Typically, a successful student in these fields will have the following:

• An excellent set of GCSE results, majority at grade 8 or above

• Excellent A Level predicted grades

> STEM subjects generally require minimum A*AA

> Humanities subjects generally require minimum AAA

• Competitive scores in the relevant admissions tests, details of which are included in this handbook

• Exceptional interest above and beyond the curriculum. This should be evident through your engagement in literature, workshops, work experience, educational visits etc.

TWO QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

Do you thrive on pressure?

Can you work independently? If you were given a reading list, could you go away, read a list of books, write an essay and then discuss your work with a tutor?

Can you work through challenging problems independently and discuss your approach with several peers and a tutor?

Do they offer the right course for you?

Other universities offer a far greater range of courses which may meet your range of interests more effectively

Approximately 80% (or more) of your personal statement should be academic.

WIDER READING

There are a huge number of suggested book titles in this handbook. It is not necessary to read all of them, but rather to pick a few that particularly interest you. As such, you should be able to talk about elements you have read in both your personal statement and your interview. Be prepared to be grilled at interview about what you say you have read. If you do not know enough about these topics, you will very quickly be found out.

COLLEGE CHOICES

A lot is made of college choices, but ultimately, it is a personal choice. Some colleges openly state on their websites that they are looking to fill quotas that reflect the proportion of state vs. privately educated pupils, but others simply wish to recruit the best.

Admissions tutors at Cambridge have confirmed that open applications tend to be marginally more successful, as they are allocated to colleges that have the fewest applicants for each place.

As you would expect, competition for places is fierce, particularly at colleges that are viewed as ‘prestigious’.

Oxford’s interview guide, including sample questions and recorded interviews, gives more information.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Think of your Oxbridge interview as being a bit like an exam, but out loud. This will be an intellectual interrogation, although it should be a friendly one! We will give you ample opportunity for interview practice at Kingswood, including at least one with an unfamiliar interviewer.

Tutors are looking for an enthusiasm for your chosen subject, and your potential to study it at university. Interviews are not designed to test factual knowledge primarily, instead, they should show your ability to think critically and independently, and to understand the knowledge you have accrued up to that time. Be prepared to talk about particular aspects of your subject that you find personally interesting. Due consideration of your previous knowledge of the subject being discussed will always be given. A readiness to work will unfamiliar topics, sources or artifacts will be expected of you!

ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENTS

Oxford has a wide range of timed pre-entry tests to help them select the best candidates. The tests are designed to show how you think and solve questions that you might not have encountered before. Not all courses will require admissions tests, but expect to have to take one.

Most potential Cambridge students are required to take subject-specific tests. These are usually college-based, but two are not.

It is vital that you prepare for these assessments – be familiar with the specifications, take practice tests, ask your teachers to support you!

Do your own research!

What better place to start than the Cambridge and Oxford websites?

Research courses and colleges using these links.

SELF-REFLECTION

Continual self-reflection is vital if you are going to be successful as an Oxbridge candidate.

Super-curricular activities cannot be crammed in the day before you submit your application. Instead, they are a portfolio you build up over a long period of time, roughly two to four years. This way, you get a good insight into your chosen subject.

While reading articles and books, or listening to podcasts, stop to think. What is your opinion? You might find it useful to write a short paragraph to practise articulating your own ideas about a subject.

When completing work experience, reflect on what you found the most interesting. What was interesting about it? Did it give you a new insight or appreciation of the subject?

How have your super-curricular pursuits shaped your thinking? Have they influenced the opportunities you chose to pursue next?

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this Handbook, please note that both Oxford and Cambridge are going through a reorganisation period with respect to their admissions process. Please check the corresponding course’s central, departmental, and college websites carefully.

Keep a reflection diary/exercise/ Excel spreadsheet.

MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES

OXFORD

Mathematics

Mathematics and Computer Science

Mathematics and Philosophy

Mathematics and Statistics

Biology

Biomedical Sciences

Human Sciences

Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Engineering Science

Materials Science

Physics

Physics and Philosophy

Computer Science

Computer Science and Philosophy

Mathematics and Computer Science

Medicine

(see separate handbook)

CAMBRIDGE

Mathematics

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Natural Sciences

Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Natural Sciences

Engineering

Natural Sciences

Computer Science

Medicine (see separate handbook)

Veterinary

Medicine (see separate handbook)

NATURAL SCIENCES

(CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

Natural Sciences is a broad course that gives you the opportunity to study physical and biological sciences from sixteen different departments, from Astronomy to Zoology.

 Natural Sciences at Cambridge

For more on Natural Sciences (Biological), refer to the Biology and Chemistry sections. For more on Natural Sciences (Physical), refer to the Chemistry and Physics sections.

Additional Resources

See the Natural Sciences-specific reading list here. Access the Mathematics for the Natural Sciences workbook here.

Additional Admissions Requirements

All candidates will be required to take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT).

More information is available here, under the entry requirements tab.

ENGINEERING

Engineering encompasses a vast range of subjects, from microelectronics to offshore oil platforms. The course involves the application of creative reasoning, science, mathematics (and, of course, experience and common sense) to real problems.

Future engineering innovation will likely benefit from broad foundations as well as specialised knowledge. Because of this, undergraduate teaching at Oxbridge begins with a broad-base, before specialising in later years. Links between topicsin apparently diverse fields of engineering - provide well-structured fundamental understanding, and can be exploited to give efficient teaching.

 Engineering at Oxford

 Engineering at Cambridge

MATHEMATICS

Mathematicians have always been fascinated by numbers. One of the most famous problems is Fermat’s Last Theorem: if n≥3, the equation x^n+y^n=z^n has no positive integer solutions. An older problem is to show that one cannot construct a line of length 3√2 with ruler and compass, starting with a unit length. However, there is so much more to Mathematics than just numbers.

There are several Mathematics-based courses at both Oxford and Cambridge. Mathematics can be studied as a joint-honours degree with a few other subjects, but equally can be studied alone.

 Mathematics at Oxford

More information is available here

 Mathematics at Cambridge

More information is available here.

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

All candidates will be required to take the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT). More information is available here

CAMBRIDGE

Some colleges may require candidates for Mathematics to take an admissions assessment at interview. Please check the Cambridge’s most up-todate information on admissions assessments here

Almost all offers will include STEP Mathematics papers requirements. See also, advice from the AMSP

BIOLOGY (OXFORD ONLY AND NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)

Biology is an exciting and rapidly developing subject area with great relevance to addressing global challenges from disease and poverty to biodiversity loss and climate change. The study of living things has undergone tremendous expansion in recent years, and topics such as cell biology, developmental biology, evolutionary biology and ecology, all of which are covered in the course, are advancing at a great pace.

This expansion has been accompanied by a blurring of the distinctions between disciplines: a biologist with an interest in tropical plants may well use many of the tools and techniques that are indispensable to a molecular geneticist.

 Biology at Oxford

More information is available here

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (OXFORD ONLY)

Biomedical Science focuses on how cells, organs and systems function in the human body; an exciting and dynamic area that is highly relevant to the understanding and treatment of human diseases. Oxford is a highly respected and internationally recognised centre for biomedical research and students will benefit from tuition from leading experts working within a variety of nonclinical and clinical departments.

More information is available here.

Additional Admissions Requirements

All candidates will be required to take the Biomedical Sciences Admissions Test (BMSAT).

More information is available here.

Additional Admissions Requirements Currently none.

HUMAN SCIENCES

(OXFORD ONLY)

Human Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree course which enables students to study humans from multiple interconnecting perspectives across the biological and social sciences.

The degree allows students to make connections between biological, social and cultural phenomena. Such connections are essential for addressing the major issues humans face in a rapidly changing world. The programme offers an exciting and challenging alternative to more traditional undergraduate courses.



Human Sciences at Oxford

More information is available here

Additional Admissions Requirements

All candidates will be required to take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA).

More information is available here

CHEMISTRY (OXFORD ONLY, NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)

Chemistry is a wide-ranging science concerned with matter at the atomic and molecular scale. Important aspects are synthesis, structure, reaction mechanisms, properties, analysis and transformations of all types of materials.

Chemists are a constant source of innovation: it is hard to imagine any product introduced in recent times that did not require the creative efforts of a chemist. Chemistry underpins the conceptual framework and methodology of biochemistry and molecular medicine and is at the heart of many major industries.



Chemistry at Oxford

More information is available here

EARTH SCIENCES (OXFORD ONLY)

Earth Sciences is the study of the planet we live upon. The broad scope and rapidly-advancing nature of the subject is reflected in the course at Oxford, which provides sound and broadly-based scientific training.

Combining physics, chemistry and biology with geology, geography and palaeontology, fundamental questions about the origin, development, and future of the Earth will be answered.

 Earth Sciences at Oxford

More information is available here

PHYSICS (OXFORD ONLY, NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)

Physics is concerned with the study of the universe from the smallest to the largest scale: it is about unravelling its complexities to discover the way it is and how it works. Discoveries in physics have formed the foundation of countless technological advances and play an important role in many scientific areas. Many techniques used in medical imaging, nanotechnology and quantum computing are derived from physics instrumentation. Even the World Wide Web was a spin-off from the information processing and communications requirements of high-energy particle physics.

The contributions of physics to solving global problems such as energy production, environmental protection, global warming and public health are essential and have an enormous impact on our society.

Are you the type of student who wants to properly understand the world around you and thinks for yourself in order to better grasp complex ideas? Do you relish the challenge of problem-solving activities and have the ability to be creative using Physics and Mathematics?

Can you persevere with challenging synoptic questions to pull together ideas from different aspects of Physics?

 Physics at Oxford

More information is available here

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computer science is about understanding computer systems and networks at a deep level. Computers and the programs they run are among the most complex products ever created; designing and using them effectively presents immense challenges. Facing these challenges is the aim of computer science as a practical discipline, and this leads to some fundamental questions:

• How can we capture in a precise way what we want a computer system to do?

• Can we mathematically prove that a computer system does what we want it to?

• How can computers help us to model and investigate complex systems like the Earth’s climate, financial systems or our own bodies?

• What are the limits to computing? Will quantum computers extend those limits?

 Computer Science at Oxford.

More information is available here.

 Computer Science at Cambridge.

More information is available here.

OXFORD

All candidates will be required to take the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT).

More information is available here.

CAMBRIDGE

All candidates will be required to take the Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA).

More information is available here.

Some colleges require candidates for Computer Science to also take the Computer Sciences Aptitude Test (CSAT).

More information is available here.

PSYCHOLOGY

Please note that at both Oxford and Cambridge, Psychology is considered a scientific discipline, even though it is considered as a humanities subject at A Level.

Psychology involves the rigorous formulation and testing of ideas. It works through experiments and systematic observation rather than introspection, with data science and coding playing an important role in how students are trained.

Psychology is very diverse – overlapping with and contributing to many other disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy and sociology.

 Psychology (Experimental) at Oxford.

More information is available here

 Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge

More information is available here

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

All candidates will be required to take Section 1 of the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA).

More information is available here.

CAMBRIDGE

Some colleges may require candidates for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences to submit written work prior to interview, and to take an admissions assessment at interview. Please check the Cambridge’s most up-to-date information on submitting written work here and admissions assessments here

THE CREATIVE ARTS

OXFORD

ART

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY MUSIC

Fine Art

History of Art

CAMBRIDGE

Architecture

Design

History of Art

Engineering Science (please see the previous section)

Engineering (please see the previous section) Music Music

FINE ART

(OXFORD ONLY)

Fine Art is the making and study of visual art. It educates and prepares students to become artists and to follow other practices that are aligned with the making of art. The curriculum is centred on the individual student’s potential and imagination.

 Fine Art at Oxford.

More information is available here

HISTORY OF ART

History of Art aims to arrive at a historical understanding of the origins, meaning and purpose of art and artefacts from a wide range of world cultures, asking about the circumstances of their making, their makers, the media used, the functions of the images and objects, their critical reception and – not least – their subsequent history.

 History of Art at Oxford.

More information is available here.

 History of Art at Cambridge

More information is available here.

ARCHITECTURE (CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

Architecture combines the intellectual challenges of both arts and sciences with the opportunity for creative design.

Study history and philosophy of architecture, participatory practice, inclusivity, contemporary culture and urbanism. Alongside this you’ll learn about construction, structural design and environmental design.

 Architecture at Cambridge.

More information is available here

Please note that Cambridge has indicated a preference for Art over Design and Technology as an A Level option for this course.

Additional Admissions Requirements

A portfolio must also be submitted prior to interview. The images you choose should, at least in some way, reflect material you might bring to interview as part of your portfolio.

Should you be invited to an interview, you will need to bring and show a portfolio of your recent work. Bring something that illustrates your interests, experience and ability in the visual and material arts. It is useful to bring any drawings you have been working on, in any media, and should include a variety of subject matter.

More information is available here, under the entry requirements tab, and here

All candidates must take the Architecture Admissions Assessment. Part 1 is a 30-minute writing skills assessment; candidates will be asked to write a short essay in response to a question. Part 2 is a 30-minute graphic and spatial ability assessment; candidates will be asked to observe and interpret a setting through drawing, either indoor or outdoor within the College premises.

More information is available here

DESIGN (CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

A new course, the Design course combines architecture, structural engineering and materials science, preparing students for a wide range of possible careers in the creative industries. It is designed to address the particular technical challenges set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Design degree specifically distinguishes itself from the Architecture degree in placing greater emphasis on mathematical and scientific literacy, without diminishing the fact that people are at the heart of design in the built environment. It will challenge you to think about global problems, like climate change, and how to solve them. You'll have the opportunity to design solutions to a range of environmental and social challenges.

 Design at Cambridge

More information is available here

Please note that Cambridge has indicated a preference for Art over Design and Technology as an A Level option for this course.

Questions for Reflection

• Have you got a clear passion and interest in your chosen specialism?

• Do you excel in being creative and have lots of ideas for each iteration of an idea?

• Can you express passion and justify decisions that lead to a design evolution?

• What have you done to broaden your understanding in this specialist area?

• Who inspires you the most in your chosen field of specialism?

• Have you recently been to a museum or gallery exhibition?

• How have your personal icons influenced your work and reason to study your chosen field at degree level?

Additional Admissions Requirements

A portfolio must also be submitted prior to interview. The images you choose should, at least in some way, reflect material you might bring to interview as part of your portfolio.

More information is available here, under the entry requirements tab, and here

More information is available here.

MUSIC

Music is everywhere in the world around us; it is part of all of our lives, whether we play it, actively listen to it, or hear it in passing. It is a hugely diverse field, encompassing practical and academic work, and bearing upon history, culture, science, and people’s sense of who they are.

University or Conservatoire?

Oxbridge Music courses enable you to pursue practical studies to the highest level, but also sets performance in a broader context of academic study. You acquire a large number of transferable skills that can prepare you for musical and nonmusical careers after university. Many music students enter the music profession in one guise or another, as performers, composers, teachers or administrators, but a music degree prepares students for a career in almost anything, with a number each year going on to work in finance, management, publishing, and law, among many other fields.

 Music at Oxford.

More information is available here.

 Music at Cambridge.

More information is available here

Questions for Reflection

• Do you have a love of all music, across a huge range of genres?

• Do you have a deep interest in all fields of music – performance, composition, history, analysis?

• Do you enjoy analysing music and learning from composers in order to uncover their compositional processes?

• Do you enjoy debating about music, its meaning, its purpose in our lives and how we use music?

• Do you have any unique interests and ideas for how classical music should develop into the 21st Century?

• Do you like to study music and read about it, not just performing and composing it?

• Do you want to achieve a deep understanding of ALL aspects of the sphere of music, preparing you for a wide range of careers in the business?

• Do you wish to attend a university environment that develops critical thinkers and values musical thought, not just performance ability?

• Do you wish to attend a university where music making is incredibly diverse and student-led?

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

Candidates are required to submit a video recording audition of up to 5 minutes performing on their chosen instrument or voice in advance of their interview. Candidates should not be concerned with the quality of recording space or equipment as this will not be taken into account.

Candidates are also required to submit written work; two teacher-marked essays, around 1500 words each, and one piece of harmony or counterpoint. Candidates can also submit up to two optional short examples of original composition.

More information is available here

CAMBRIDGE

Some colleges require an admissions assessment.

More information is available here. All candidates are required to submit representative written work and musical material prior to interview.

More information is available here

Both Oxford and Cambridge have a strong tradition of music awards. For more information, please see here and here, or speak to Mr Chua or Mr Barton.

HUMANITIES AND ECONOMICS

Due to the extensive crossover between the courses listed here, advice has been grouped by A Level subject.

OXFORD CAMBRIDGE

Archaeology and Anthropology

Classical Archaeology and Ancient History

History and Economics

History

History (Ancient and Modern)

History and Economics

History and English

History and Modern Languages

History and Politics

History of Art

Psychology (Experimental)

Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

History and Politics

Geography

Archaeology

History and Modern Languages

History and Politics

History of Art

History

Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

History and Politics

Human, Social and Political Sciences

Geography

Continued overleaf

OXFORD CAMBRIDGE

Computer Science and Philosophy

Mathematics and Philosophy

Philosophy and Modern Languages

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Philosophy and Theology

Physics and Philosophy

Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

Theology and Religion

Economics and Management

History and Economics

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Law (Jurisprudence)

Philosophy

Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion

Economics

Land Economy

Education

Law

HISTORY

History combines the examination of large regions over extended periods of time with more focused work on smaller social groups, shorter periods and particular themes. It provides a distinctive education by developing an awareness of the differing political, cultural, social and economic structures within past societies and how they interrelate. Choose from a range of different topics that interest you, from politics in the Roman Republic to material culture in the Ottoman Empire and neoliberalism in modern Britain and America.

History is available to study as its own subject or in multiple joint honours degrees at Oxford and Cambridge.

 History at Oxford.

More information is available here

Check Oxford’s course list here for the available combinations.

 History at Cambridge

More information is available here

Check Cambridge’s course list here for the available combinations.

Additional Resources

• A sample reading list from Balliol College, Oxford

• A sample reading list from King’s College, Cambridge.

Additional Admissions Requirements OXFORD

All candidates will be required to take the History Admissions Test (HAT).

More information is available here.

All candidates will also be required to submit one piece of written work. This is usually an essay on a historical topic, written in their own time as part of their normal school work. More information is available here.

Candidates applying for joint honours degrees may be required to take another admissions test, and/or submit additional pieces of written work, but this will depend on the specific degree. Please check Oxford’s course listing here for more information.

(See overleaf for Cambridge)

Additional Admissions Requirements

CAMBRIDGE

Some colleges require an admissions assessment.

More information is available here

All candidates will also be required to submit two pieces of written work. The nature of the work will be communicated by individual colleges after they assess your application.

POLITICS

Politics is not available to study on its own at Oxbridge. It is embedded within several other degrees as a joint honours course.

Please check Oxford’s and Cambridge’s course listings for more information on available courses and additional admissions requirements.

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

• Aristotle, The Politics

• I. Berlin, Two Concepts of Liberty

• E. Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France

• N. Machiavelli, The Prince

• Marx and F. Engels, The Communist Manifesto

• J. S. Mill, On Liberty

• T. Paine, Common Sense

• Plato, The Republic

• M. Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• P. Bobbitt, The Shield of Achilles

• F. Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man

• P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of the World Order

• T. Marshall, Prisoners of Geography

• K. N. Waltz, Man, the State, and War

UK POLITICS

• G. Barwell, Chief of Staff: Notes from Downing Street

• S. Payne, Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England

• S. Sanghera, Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain

• A. Seldon, The Impossible Office: The History of the British Prime Minister

US POLITICS

• T. Alberta, American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump

• A Gelman, Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do

• R. Perlstein, Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America

• C. Whipple, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency

GEOGRAPHY

Geography provides a diverse interdisciplinary degree that bridges the natural and social sciences. It provides enhancement of a broad range of transferable skills, and an education encompassing pressing issues at a range of scales, from local up to global. Explore both human and physical geography. You will have the option to specialise in one of these areas from the second year or continue with both.

The degree spans such key topics as:

• climate and environmental change

• inequality

• social, economic and cultural transformation

• biodiversity loss

• geomorphological processes in drylands

• geographical data science

• post-colonialism

• globalisation

 Geography at Oxford

More information is available here.  Geography at Cambridge

More information is available here.

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

Currently none.

CAMBRIDGE

Some colleges require an admissions assessment.

More information is available here

Some candidates may be asked to submit examples of written work, or to do some reading prior to interview. More information will be communicated after the application has been submitted.

RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS

Theology provides an understanding of the intellectual underpinning of religious traditions and of the social and cultural contexts for religious belief and practice. It brings together a wide range of skills and disciplines, historical, textual, linguistic, sociological, literary-critical and philosophical.

Philosophy develops analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically. It allows you to apply these skills to many contemporary and historical schools of thought and individual thinkers. You will also apply these skills to questions ranging from how we acquire knowledge and form moral judgements to central questions in the philosophy of religion, including the existence and nature of God and the relevance of religion to human life.

Both Theology and Philosophy are available to study in various combinations at Oxford and Cambridge.

 Theology and Religion at Oxford.

Check Oxford’s course list here for the available combinations.

 Philosophy at Cambridge

Check Cambridge’s course list here for the available combinations.

Questions for Reflection

• Do you have a capacity for sustained study, motivation and interest?

• Are you an independent and reflective learner?

• Are you able to analyse and solve problems using logical and critical approaches?

• Can you assess the relevance of, the capacity to construct and critically assess, arguments?

• Do you possess a flexibility and willingness to consider alternative views?

• Are you able to express ideas clearly and effectively on paper and orally?

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

The requirements will depend on the course chosen, but will likely include the Philosophy Test (PhiLAT), or the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), and at least one piece of written work. Please check the course listings here for the exact nature of the admissions tests and written work required.

CAMBRIDGE

All colleges require an admissions assessment for Philosophy, but written work is not usually required. Some colleges require an admissions assessment for Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion, alongside two pieces of written work. The nature of the work will be communicated by individual colleges after they assess your application.

More information on college assessments is available here

ECONOMICS

Economics is the study of how consumers, firms and governments make decisions that together determine how resources are allocated. An appreciation of economics and the general workings of the economy have become increasingly necessary to understand

• government policy-making

• the conduct of businesses

• the enormous changes in economic systems which are occurring throughout the world

It is also becoming increasingly important in both government and the private sector to have an understanding of some of the methods used within economics. This includes quantitative methods, statistical and causal inference, and experimental methods.

PHILOSOPHY

• R. Rowland-Smith, Breakfast with Socrates: A Day With the World’s Greatest Minds

• J. Glover, Causing Death and Saving Lives: The Moral Problems of Abortion, Infanticide, Suicide, Euthanasia, Capital Punishment, War and Other Life-or-death Choices

• J. Gaarder, Sophie’s World: The Greek Philosophers

• J. S. Mill, On Liberty

• R. Heilbroner, The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers

• M. Sandel, What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

MANAGEMENT

• J. Roberts, The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth

• N. N. Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Probable

Several courses in Economics are available in various combinations at both Oxford and Cambridge. Check Oxford’s course listing here for available courses.

More information on Economics and Land Economy at Cambridge is available.

ECONOMICS – KEY CONCEPTS

• J. Cassidy, How Markets Fail

• T. Buchholz, New Ideas from Dead Economists

• P. Omerod, The Death of Economics

• H. Chang, Economics: A User’s Guide

• P. Fleming, Death of Homo-economicus

• D. Friedman, Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life

ECONOMICS – GREAT ECONOMISTS

• A. Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth and Nations

• J. M. Keynes, General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money with The Economic Consequences of Peace

• M. Friedman, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement

• P. Thornton, The Great Economists: Ten Economists Whose Thinking Changed the Way We Live

• L. Yueh, The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today

ECONOMICS – CAPITALISM

• J. Haskel & S. Westlake, Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy

• H. Chang, 23 Things They Do not Tell You about Capitalism

• J. Kay, The Truth about Markets: Why Some Nations are Rich But Most Remain Poor

• M. Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom

• J. K. Galbraith, The Affluent Society

• F. A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

• J. Portes, Capitalism: 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know

• D. Friedman, The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism

• Y. Varoufakis, Talking to my Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism

• T. Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century

• O. Jones, The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It

ECONOMICS – EQUALITY AND INEQUALITY

• K. Pickett & R. Wilkinson, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone

• D. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

• A. B. Atkinson, Inequality: What Can Be Done?

• J. Sachs, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet

ECONOMICS – MATHEMATICS

• L. Mlodinow, The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

ECONOMICS: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

• D. Coyle, GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History

• P. Collier, The Plundered Planet: How to Reconcile Prosperity with Nature

• P. Collier, The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

• R. Layard, Happiness: Lessons from a New Science

• A. Deaton, The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality

ECONOMICS – KEY ECONOMIES

• R. C. Koo, The Holy Grail of Macroeconomics: Lessons from Japan’s Great Recession

• K. C. Moghalu, Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy’s ‘Last Frontier’ Can Prosper and Matter

• C. Ogden, China and India: Asia’s Emergent Great Powers

• P. Engardio, Chindia: How China and India are Revolutionizing Global Business

• B. Russell, The Problem of China

ECONOMICS – THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

• M. Lewis, The Big Short

• M. Lewis, Boomerang: The Meltdown Tour

• M. Lewis, Flash Boys: Cracking the Money Code

• N. Roubini & S. Mihm, Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance

• A. R. Sorkin, Too Big to Fail: Inside the Battle to Save Wall Street

• J.E. Stiglitz, Freefall: Free Markets and the Sinking of the Global Economy

• A. S. Blinder, After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response and the Work Ahead

• A. Farlow, Crash and Beyond: Causes and Consequences of the Global Financial Crisis

• G. Tett, Fool’s Gold: How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe

• M. King, The End of Alchemy: Money, Banking and the Future of the Global Economy

ECONOMICS – THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

• M. Levinson, The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger

• J. Stiglitz, Globalisation and its Discontents Revisited: Anti-Globalization in the Era of Trump

• J. Stiglitz , The Great Divide

• S. D. King, Grave New World: The End of Globalization, the Return of History

• A. V. Banerjee & E. Duflo, Poor Economics: The Surprising Truth about Life on Less Than $1 a Day

ECONOMICS – GENERAL INTEREST

• D. Smith, Something Will Turn Up: Britain’s Economy, Past, Present and Future

• H. Rosling, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS

• M. Lewis, The Undoing Project

• A. K. Dixit & B. J. Nalebuff, The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life

• J. Lehrer, How We Decide

• T. Hartford, The Logic of Life

• R. Fishman & T Sullivan, The Inner Lives of Markets: How People Shape Them – and They Shape Us

• R. Thaler, Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioural Economics

• P. Ormerod, Positive Linking: How Networks are Revolutionising Your World

• G. A. Akerlof & R. J. Shiller, Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception

• D. Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow

• D. Ariely, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions

HISTORY AND POLITICS FOR ECONOMISTS

• J. Wolff, An Introduction to Political Philosophy

• D. Sandbrook, Never Had It So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles

• J. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

• A. McSmith, No Such Thing as Society: A History of Britain in the 1980s

LAND ECONOMY

• J. Ryan-Collins, T. Lloyd & L. Macfarlane, Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing

• R. Florida, The New Urban Crisis: Gentrification, Housing Bubbles, Growing Inequality and What We Can Do About It

• T. Hunt, Ten Cities that made an Empire

Additional Resources

• Oxford’s suggested resources

• Cambridge’s preliminary reading list for Economics.

• Cambridge’s guide for prospective applicants for Economics

• Cambridge’s suggested reading list for Land Economy

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

The requirements will depend on the course chosen, but will include the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), and may require at least one piece of written work. Please check the course listings here for the exact nature of the admissions tests and written work required.

CAMBRIDGE – ECONOMICS

All candidates will be required to take the Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA). Some reading prior to interview may be required, but colleges will provide full details.

More information is available here, under the entry requirements tab.

CAMBRIDGE – LAND ECONOMY

No admissions assessment required. Some colleges will require submission of written work.

More information is available here, under the entry requirements tab.

LAW

Please note that Law at both Oxford and Cambridge focusses on jurisprudence.

Cambridge admissions tutors have suggested that candidates who wish to practise as solicitors or barristers should instead complete another degree of their choosing, before undertaking a conversion course.

Specific guidance will be offered to interested candidates.

EDUCATION (CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

Education at Cambridge is the study of human development and transformation in all its forms and contexts.

Specific guidance will be offered to interested candidates.

ENGLISH, MODERN AND ANCIENT LANGUAGES

Due to the extensive crossover between the courses listed here, advice has been grouped by A Level subject.

OXFORD

Classics and English

English Language and Literature

English and Modern Languages

History and English

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Classics and Modern Languages

English and Modern Languages

European and Middle Eastern Languages

History and Modern Languages

Modern Languages

Modern Languages and Linguistics

Philosophy and Modern Languages

Classics

Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Classics and English

Classics and Modern Languages

CAMBRIDGE

Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic English Linguistics

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

History and Modern Languages Linguistics

Modern and Medieval Languages

Classics

ENGLISH

Please note that Oxford offers an English Language and Literature course amongst a number of other combinations, whereas Cambridge only offers a Literature course.

The Language and Literature course at Oxford gives you the chance to study writing in English from its origins in Anglo-Saxon England to the present. As well as British literature, you can study works written in English from other parts of the world, and some originally written in other languages, allowing you to think about literature in English in multilingual and global contexts across time.

More information is available here

Check Oxford’s course listing here for available courses.

English at Cambridge, on the other hand, gives you a solid foundation in history of English literature, from the medieval period right up to the present day. You’ll get an introduction to different types of writing, prose, fiction, drama and poetry, as well as the chance to specialise and develop your own interests.

 English at Cambridge

More information is available here

 If you’re interested in a combination of medieval history, literature and languages, the Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic course at Cambridge might be for you.

More information is available here

SUGGESTED REFLECTIONS & NEXT STEPS

You will need to give evidence of wide, engaged, and thoughtful reading. The interview will allow tutors to explore your enthusiasm for literature, your response to new ideas and information and your capacity for independent thought. They are not looking for any particular reading, or particular answers: they are interested in your ideas and in how you engage with literature. Expect to discuss an unseen piece of prose or verse given to you before or in the interview.

Is a degree in English right for you?

• Do you love reading?

• Do you love analysing texts?

• Do you naturally question the contexts and meanings of texts and seek to find your own answers?

• Do you read and study independently because you are curious about the subject?

What should a good English student do?

• Read widely: ‘classic’ literature is a good place to start to have a good level of broad literary knowledge. Ask your teacher for recommendations, or look through this reading list from Balliol College, Oxford, or this one from Downing College, Cambridge. You should also have a sense of what is happening now in the world of literature – read the book sections of major newspapers, follow the major literary prizes, e.g. the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry, the Booker Prize, the International Booker Prize, the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, to name a few. Also read the Time Literary Supplement.

• Watch film adaptations of classic and modern literature – a really quick way to become familiar with plot, characters, setting, etc.

• Listen to podcasts – there are so many brilliant ones, e.g. The Penguin Podcast, Sentimental Garbage, The History of Literature, You’re Booked, New Yorker Fiction Podcast.

• Listen to the radio – on Radio 4, you could try Poetry Please, The Verb, Word of Mouth, Bookclub, Open Book, and at least two books a week serialised.

• Go to book talks – both Mr B’s Emporium and Topping & Company offer many incredible writer talks on our doorstep – subscribe to their newsletters for the latest information.

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

Currently, there is no admissions test for English Language and Literature, but joint honours courses involving English may involve one. All applicants will be expected to submit at least one piece of written work. Please check the course listings here for the exact nature of the admissions tests and written work required.

CAMBRIDGE – ECONOMICS

All colleges require an admissions assessment for English, but not for Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic.

More information is available here

All candidates will also be required to submit two pieces of written work. The nature of the work will be communicated by individual colleges after they assess your application.

MODERN LANGUAGES

Studying Modern Languages provides both practical training in written and spoken language and an extensive introduction to literature and thought written in European languages. As well as learning to write and speak the language(s) fluently, you can study a broad range of literature, or focus your studies on any period from the medieval to the present day. A wide range of other options allow you to explore subjects including linguistics, philology, film or gender studies or advanced translation.

Choose from a wide range of languages, including Catalan, Czech, French, German, Modern Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. The exact combination available will depend on the institution, subject to availability.

Oxford covers a range of courses involving Modern Languages. These can be studied alongside other academic subjects as joint honours degrees.

 Modern Languages at Oxford

More information is available here

Check Oxford’s course listing here for available courses.

Cambridge only offers Modern Languages as joint honours degrees. Check the course listing for available courses here

Basic Expectations

You will be expected to have:

• A strong command of the basic grammar of the language.

• An interest in the language, literature and culture.

• A clear motivation and sense of commitment to your chosen language(s).

• The ability to express ideas clearly and effectively both orally and in written contexts, listen carefully and give considered responses.

• A thirst for reading; naturally, independently and intelligently – this includes English literature and foreign literature in translation.

• The ability to discuss literature in an informed manner.

SUBJECT-SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS

FRENCH

• You should read/listen to/watch as much French material as you can.

• Try the excellent overview of literature in John D. Lyons’ French Literature: A Very Short Introduction.

• Explore some of the lively new fiction writers who have made an impact in France in recent year, such as Faïza Guène’s Kiffe kiffe demain for a great story and an example of vibrant everyday language.

• Get addicted to the character of Adamsberg, the Chief Inspector in Fred Vargas’ detective novels.

• Learn about the history and diversity of the French language in The Story of French by Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow.

• You may also enjoy reading a book about the general society and politics in France, such as John Ardagh’s France in the New Century.

• Browse the French Institute’s online multimedia library for free e-books, audiobooks, lectures, films and documentaries.

LITERARY MOVEMENTS

1. L'Humanisme (XVIème siècle)

Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings as the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.

• François Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel

• Michel de Montaigne, Essais

2. La Pléiade (XVIème siècle)

La Pléiade was a group of seven French writers of the 16th century, led by Pierre de Ronsard, whose aim was to elevate the French language to the level of the classical tongues as a medium for literary expression. La Pléiade, whose name was taken from that given by the ancient Alexandrian critics to seven tragic poets of the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC), also included Joachim du Bellay, Jean Dorat, Jean-Antoine de Baïf, Rémy Belleau, Pontus de Tyard, and Étienne Jodelle.

• Joachim du Bellay, Défense et illustration de la langue française, Heureux qui comme Ulysse, Antiquités de Rome

• Pierre de Ronsard, Sonnet pour Hélène

3. Le Baroque (XVIIème siècle)

Emerging in the 17th century, Le Baroque was an artistic and literary movement characterised by its exuberance, complexity and bold use of metaphors, puns and figures of speech.

• Honoré d'Urfé, L'Astré

• Agrippa D'Aubigné, Les Tragiques

4. Le Classicisme (XVIIème siècle)

This is the crowning cultural achievement of France's golden age under Louis XIV.

• Theatre: Pierre Corneille, Le Cid; Molière, Tartuffe, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme; Jean Racine, Andromaque, Britannicus, Bérénice, Phèdre

• Fables: Jean de la Fontaine, Fables

• Essays: René Descartes, Le Discours de la méthode; Blaise Pascal, Pensées

5. Les Lumières (XVIIIème siècle)

A European movement during which Literature, like many other fields, was greatly changed. Independent thought was embraced, scepticism ran freely through work, and new values, including an emphasis on science, became quite common among the educated classes.

• Montesquieu, Les Lettres persanes

• Voltaire, Candide, Zadig, Lettres philosophiques

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Du contrat social

• Denis Diderot, Jacques le fataliste et son maître, l'Encyclopédie

• Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, Le Mariage de Figaro

6. Le Romantisme (XIXème siècle)

Romanticism was a literary and artistic movement that appeared in France in the late 18th century, largely in reaction against the formality and strict rules of the official style of neo-classicism. Romanticism began to flourish in France in the decades following the French Revolution which brought forward Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo around 1815.

Initially associated with literature and music, we can find characteristics of French Romanticism within many different artistic avenues such as in the writing of François-René de Chateaubriand and Victor Hugo, the poetry of Alfred de Vigny; the painting of Eugene Delacroix; the music of Hector Berlioz; and later in the architecture of Charles Garnier.

• Victor Hugo, Les Contemplations, Hernani, Cromwell

• Alfred de Musset, La Confession d'un enfant du siècle, Lorenzaccio

• Alphonse de Lamartine, Voyage en Orient, Méditations poétiques

• François-René de Chateaubriand, Mémoires d'outre-tombe

7. Le Réalisme (XIXème siècle)

Realism was an artistic movement that emerged in France in the 1840s, around the 1848 Revolution. Realists rejected Romanticism, which had dominated French literature and art since the early 19th century. The movement aimed to represent reality as faithfully as possible, with subjects and characters chosen from middle or working classes and addressing themes such as salaried work, marital relations or social clashes.

• Honoré de Balzac, La Comédie humaine, Le Père Goriot, Eugénie Grandet, Les Illusions perdues

• Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, l'Education sentimentale

• Stendhal, Le Rouge et le Noir

• Guy de Maupassant, Contes du jour et de la nuit

8. Le Naturalisme (XIXème)

Naturalism was a literary movement beginning in the late 19th century, similar to literary realism in its rejection of Romanticism, but distinct in its embrace of determinism, detachment, scientific objectivism, and social commentary. The movement largely traces to the theories of French author Émile Zola.

• Émile Zola, Les Rougon-Macquart, a cycle of twenty novels

• Guy de Maupassant, many short stories

9. Le Symbolisme (XIXème)

French Symbolism (approx. 1840-1920) was a literary movement in the 19th century, which eventually made its way into art and theatre. French Symbolism is what bridged the gap between Romanticism and Modernism. There is a correspondence between art and the senses, reached through synaesthesia.

• Paul-Marie Verlaine, Chanson d'automne, La bonne chanson, Clair de Lune, Sur l’herbe, L’Allée, À la promenade, le faune, Mandoline

• Arthur Rimbaud, Le bateau ivre, Une saison en enfer

• Stéphane Mallarmé, L'après-midi d'un faune, Un coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hazard

10. Le Surréalisme (XXème)

The 20th century in France has been characterised by a tremendous expansion in literary output and the ever-faster pace of experimentation with new means of expression. Both Marxism and Freudianism have left a deep imprint on literature, as on all the arts. Two world wars have tried France sorely, while the technological revolution confronts the current generation with an altogether new world. The result of such profound socioeconomic and political change has been a continuous questioning of all moral, intellectual, and artistic traditions.

• Louis Aragon, Le Paysan de Paris

• André Breton, Nadja

• André Breton & Philippe Soupault, Les Champs magnétiques

• Robert Desnos, Corps et biens

• Guillaume Apollinaire, Alcools, Calligrammes

11. L'Absurde et L'Existentialisme (XXème siècle)

Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centres on the experience of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Albert Camus is one of the great 20th century critics of totalitarian thought. Along with writers such as Hannah Arendt and George Orwell, Camus identified the human longing for unity –and the impulse to escape the irrational absurdity of life – as one of the foundations for totalitarian political rule.

As such, his works offer something to the 21stcentury reader in a complex, insecure world where the urge to embrace any ‘ism’ that purports to explain everything is ever-present.

• Samuel Beckett, En attendant Godot

• Eugène Ionesco, Le Roi se meurt, La Cantatrice chauve

• Jean-Paul Sartre, La Nausée

• Albert Camus, Le Mythe de Sisyphe, L'Étranger, La Peste

12. Le Nouveau Roman (XXème siècle)

New Novel, also called (more broadly) antinovel, was an avant-garde movement of the mid-20th century that marked a radical departure from the conventions of the traditional novel in that it ignores such elements as plot, dialogue, linear narrative, and human interest. Starting from the premise that the potential of the traditional novel had been exhausted, the writers of New Novels sought new avenues of fictional exploration. In their efforts to overcome literary habits and to challenge the expectations of their readers, they deliberately frustrated

conventional literary expectations, avoiding any expression of the author’s personality, preferences, or values. They rejected the elements of entertainment, dramatic progress, and dialogue that serve to delineate character or develop plot.

• Nathalie Sarraute, L'Ere du soupçon, Le Planétarium

• Alain Robbe-Grillet, Pour un nouveau roman, Les Gommes, La Jalousie

• Michel Butor, La Modification

• Marguerite Duras, Le ravissement de Lol V Stein

Further Resources

• 50 classiques de la littérature française à lire absolument.

• Histoire de la littérature française. This resources takes a while to load, so please be patient.

GERMAN

You are expected to have engaged in supercurricular reading and research. This can come in many forms, but having an awareness of classical literature and authors is strongly recommended. There is a wide range of literature available, including poetry and prose.

SUGGESTED FILMS

Although courses at Oxbridge tend to be more literature- and linguistics-based, having a good knowledge of contemporary German culture is beneficial. Below is a list of films you may want to make yourself familiar with:

• Metropolis (1927)

A classic Expressionist silent film about a futuristic city with a two-class society. Onehundred per cent aesthetics and perfection.

• Spur der Steine (1966) Baring one’s teeth at the GDR: a romantic drama about the worker Hannes Balla and his subversions of the socialist regime.

A pearl of the East German DEFA studio.

• Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum (1975)

The tabloid press destroys the reputation of a blameless woman – because of her friendship with an offender. The situation escalates. A film with a message, especially important in the Germany of the 1970s, marked by RAF terror.

• Die Blechtrommel (1979)

Unforgettable scenes: Oskar Matzerath (David Bennent), who doesn’t want to grow up, beats his drum in protest against the hypocritical adult world of the Nazi era.

• Edgar Reitz Heimat Trilogy (1981 – 2004)

The story of a fictitious village in the Hunsrück is an authentic chronicle of simple life in the twentieth century.

• Lola rennt (1998)

Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) has debts. His girlfriend (Franka Potente) has 20 minutes to get money from the bank. We see three possible scenarios – the same time span filmed three times, each time with a different outcome, depending on Lola’s encounters.

• Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei (2004)

Three urban guerrillas kidnap a businessman who refuses to conform to the cliché of a wealthy bourgeois. Stinging confrontation with the ideals of the 1968ers.

• Gegen die Wand (2004)

Award-winning film about a German-born Turkish woman (Sibel Kekilli) who enters into a fake marriage with an elderly, drug addicted compatriot. Rarely has there been so much love and self-destruction in German cinema.

Additional Resources

There are many useful websites and blogs that you could use to engage further with German literature and culture. These include news websites to keep your knowledge of current affairs and contemporary German society up-to-date.

• Goethe Institut Check out their Culture section for articles on film, theatre and literature.

• Germany: history and culture. A collection of Radio 4 programmes about Germany.

• Die Welt

• Die Zeit

• Bild

• Stern

• Der Spiegel

• Tagesschau

• Sport1

• Digital Media Hub

• Radio SAW

• Klassik Radio

• News in Slow German

MANDARIN SUGGESTED READING

GENERAL

• Stefania Stafutti and Federica Romagnoli, China: History and Treasures of an Ancient Civilization

• Lifeng Han, Emma Lejun Wu, and Hua Cai, Cai, Hua, Insider China

EAST ASIAN HISTORY

• V. Hansen, The Open Empire: A History of China to 1600

• C. Shirokauer, D. Lurie and S. Gay, A Brief History of Japanese Civilization

• K. M. Hwang, A History of Korea

• E. Said, Orientalism

THE CHINESE LANGUAGE

• J. Norman, Chinese

• B. Yuan and S. K. Church, Oxford Beginner's Chinese Dictionary

• J. DeFrancis, The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy

• D. Crystal, Rediscover Grammar

HISTORY

• P. B. Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China

• M. Elvin, The Pattern of the Chinese Past: A Social and Economic Interpretation

• K. Muehlhahn, Making China Modern. From the Great Qing to Xi Jinping

SOCIETY, CULTURE AND RELIGION

• P. B. Ebrey (ed.), Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook

• M. Loewe, Bing: From Farmer's Son to Magistrate in Han China

• A. Yu, State and Religion in China: Historical and Textual Perspectives

LITERATURE

• A. C. Graham, Poems of the Late T'ang

• Cao Xueqin and D. Hawkes (tr.), The Story of the Stone

• Lu Xun and W. A. Lyell (tr.), Diary of a Madman and Other Stories

• Lu Xun and J. Lovell (tr.), The Real Story of Ah-Q and Other Tales of China: The Complete Fiction of Lu Xun

THE ARTS

• J. Cahill, Chinese Painting

• C. Clunas, Art in China (Oxford History

SPANISH

THEATRE

If you are interested in theatre, have a look at Out of the Wings, the website of a major Arts & Humanities Research Council collaboration between King’s College London, Queen’s University of Belfast and Oxford. Its aim was to make the riches of the theatres of Spain and Spanish America accessible to English-speaking researchers and theatre professionals.

• Antonio Buero Vallejo, Historia de una escalera (1947), El Tragaluz (1967)

• Fernando Arrabal, Pic-nic (c. 1952)

• Federico García Lorca, La zapatera prodigiosa (1930)

• Jacinto Grau, El señor de Pigmalión (1921)

• Lope de Vega, Fuenteovejuna (1619)

• Calderón de la Barca, La vida es sueño (1635)

See also the Hispanic Classics series published by Aris & Phillips for bilingual editions of a range of plays (and other genres) in Spanish.

POETRY

• Pablo Neruda, Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (1924), Chile

• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Antología Poética (1989) or find some of her poems (with translations) here, Mexico

• Antonio Machado, Soledades (1903), Campos de Castilla (1917), Castilla and Andalucía

• Pedro Salinas, La voz a ti debida (1933), Spain

• Gabriela Mistral, Antología poética, Chile

Other Useful Resources

• J. Aitchison, The Articulate Mammal –An Introduction to Psycholinguistics

• S. Pinker, The Language Instinct

• G. Deutscher, Through the Language Glass – Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages

• T. Eagleton, Literary Theory – An Introduction

• El País Libros

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

The requirements will depend on the course chosen, but will include the Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT), and will require two pieces of written work – one in English, and one in the chosen Modern Language. Joint honours courses may require a second admissions test, and/or more examples of written work in the second subject.

Please check the course listings here for the exact nature of the admissions tests and written work required.

CAMBRIDGE – ECONOMICS

All colleges require an admissions assessment for Modern Languages, but only some colleges require an admissions assessment for the second subject. Candidates will also need to submit at least two pieces of written work prior to interview. The nature of the work will be communicated by individual colleges after they assess your application.

More information on college assessments is available here

CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

Classics is a wide-ranging degree devoted to the study of the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome and their reception into modern times. It is one of the most varied and interdisciplinary of all subjects, with students given the opportunity to study the cultures, languages, literature, history, art and archaeology of the Greek and Roman Mediterranean, as well as philosophy (both ancient and modern) and linguistics.

HISTORICAL FICTION

• R. Harris, The Cicero Trilogy – Imperium, Lustrum, Dictator

• T. Holland, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic, Persian Fire

• M. Miller, The Song of Achilles

• P. Barker, The Silence of the Girls

• R. Graves, I, Claudius. Also available as a series on BBC iPlayer

NON-FICTION

At Oxford, Classics is available on its own, or as a number of joint honours courses.

More information is available here

Check Oxford’s course listing here for available courses.

 Classics at Cambridge.

More information is available here.

GREEK

• Homer, The Iliad, The Odyssey. The translations by Richmond Latimore are recommended.

• Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, Electra

• Euripides, Medea

• Aeschylus, Agamemnon

LATIN

• Virgil, The Aeneid

• Ovid, Metamorphoses

• Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars. The translation by Robert Graves is suggested.

• M. Beard, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

Additional Resources

• Cambridge’s suggested reading list.

• Balliol College, Oxford’s suggested reading list

• Visit the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and try out one of their tours. Check out their excellent collection of podcasts too.

• Visit the Museum of Classical Archaeology in Cambridge, or look through their online resources

• Visit the British Museum, perhaps book an out-of-hours tour or listen to their collection of podcasts on every aspect of the Museum, from archives to Egyptian black goo!

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

All candidates will be required to take the Classics Admissions Test (CAT), and submit two pieces of written work.

Applicants for joint honours degrees may be required to take an additional admissions test. Please check the course listings here for the exact nature of the admissions tests and written work required.

CAMBRIDGE – ECONOMICS

All colleges require an admissions assessment. All candidates will also be required to submit two pieces of written work. The nature of the work will be communicated by individual colleges after they assess your application.

FINAL SUGGESTIONS

Nearly every Oxbridge college will have a page dedicated to resources for prospective applicants. Here is a small selection, in no particular order.

You are not expected to work through all the material for your subject here. Have a browse, and choose one or two that appeal to you.

• WORCESTER COLLEGE, OXFORD

A guide to super-curriculars

• CAMBRIDGE

HE+, a collection of resources written by Cambridge students and academics.

• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD

Staircase12, an online hub of resources and information.

• KING’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

Resources for super-curricular engagement

• CHRIST’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

A collection of opportunities, including masterclasses and summer schools

• BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD

A guide and a collection of resources for prospective applicants

• CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD

A selection of resources for pupils and parents

• HOMERTON COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

Resources for super-curricular engagement

• ST ANNE’S COLLEGE, OXFORD

Super-curricular opportunities and resources

• UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Super-curricular suggestions

• ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

General application guide, including personal statements

REMEMBER...

You need depth of knowledge, but some breadth will not go amiss. The context surrounding your knowledge will be important as well.

Note that working through the suggestions from a particular college will not increase your chances of gaining an offer from that college.

SUGGESTED TERMLY PROGRAMME FOR ASPIRING OXBRIDGE CANDIDATES

SUPER-CURRICULAR ADDITIONAL PRACTICE

THROUGHOUT YEAR 12

• Engage in academic enrichment opportunities put on by the School and subject-specific societies.

• Proactively look for enrichment opportunities – book talks, guest lectures, etc.

• Try and ask questions of the speakers.

• Engage in discussion post-event with teachers, peers, family.

YEAR 12 AUTUMN TERM

STOP & REFLECT

YEAR 12 SPRING TERM

• Read 3 chapters of a super-curricular book each week /listen to podcasts/lectures etc. (there are plenty of suggestions in this handbook).

• Investigate work experience/online experience for October Half Term and Christmas Holidays.

• Engage actively in your chosen Advanced Electives.

• NB – it is really important to reflect on your work experience/books read each time you do it. Keep a journal which considers what you learnt, what were the biggest challenges you faced, what you enjoyed etc. Did you work on particular skills relevant to the field you want to go in to?

• Engage in the Gresham Lectures series and reflect on what you have learnt.

• Engage in Futurelearn courses in your field of interest.

• Engage in Cambridge’s HE+ or University College, Oxford’s Staircase12 programmes.

• Engage in Cambridge’s subject masterclasses

Is Oxbridge still a realistic prospect for you?

Have you been working consistently hard to realise this goal? Are you loving the challenge of exploring your subject above and beyond the curriculum?

• Read 3 chapters of a super-curricular book each week /listen to podcasts/lectures etc. (there is plenty of suggestion in this handbook).

• Investigate work experience/online experience for February half term and the Easter holidays.

• Attend relevant Lower Sixth Enrichment Seminars – take an active role in discussion.

• Engage in the Gresham Lectures series and reflect on what you have learnt.

• Engage in Futurelearn courses n your field of interest.

• Engage in Cambridge’s HE+ or University College, Oxford’s Staircase12 programmes.

• Engage in relevant subject competitions –details will be given when available. These usually involve an academic essay and/or article on current topics.

Is Oxbridge still a realistic prospect for you?

STOP & REFLECT

Have you been working consistently hard to realise this goal? Are you on track to achieve predictions of at least AAA, preferably A*AA or better?

Have you been reflecting continually on the experience you have gathered so far?

YEAR 12 SUMMER TERM, PLUS SUMMER HOLIDAYS

SUPER-CURRICULAR ADDITIONAL PRACTICE

• The principal focus of this term should be preparing to achieve high UCAS predictions of at least AAA/A*AA or better.

• You should have something subjectspecific for your work experience week.

• Aim to complete a first draft of your personal statement by the end of the summer term.

• Book your admissions assessments online via your Pearson VUE account.

• Once you have completed your Year 12 exams and work experience, reach out to relevant departments and look into the admissions requirements for your course. Is there an admissions assessment? Are practice/past papers available? Will you have to submit work to the college in advance?

• Enter the summer holidays with a clear plan of how you are going to keep preparing for that goal.

• Practise talking about your passion in your subject with your teachers, friends and parents. Get them to ask you questions about what you’re interested in.

STOP & REFLECT

YEAR 13 AUTUMN TERM

Is Oxbridge still a realistic prospect for you? What are your predicted grades like?

Have you just focused on the content of the A Level course, or have you gone above and beyond?

• Completing the UCAS application process.

• Attending subject-specific preparation sessions for potential interview/admissions tests.

• Sit admissions assessments.

• Working through as many practice interview questions as possible.

• Kingswood will provide an opportunity for at least mock interview with a subject specialist.

GAP YEARS

In general, both Oxford and Cambridge are neutral about gap years, with some exceptions. You should check the course and college websites carefully if you intend to take one. More importantly, most colleges will ask you what you intend to do with your gap year – have a good answer ready!

Oxbridge Handbook 2025/26

WELCOME FROM MR JUDE CHUA HEAD OF OXBRIDGE

TWO QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

WIDER READING

COLLEGE CHOICES

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENTS

SELF-REFLECTION

MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES

OXFORD

CAMBRIDGE

NATURAL SCIENCES

(CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

ENGINEERING

SUGGESTED READING LIST

MATHEMATICS

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Additional Admissions Requirements

BIOLOGY (OXFORD ONLY AND NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)

 Biology at Oxford

SUGGESTED READING LIST

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (OXFORD ONLY)

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Additional Admissions Requirements

HUMAN SCIENCES

(OXFORD ONLY)

Human Sciences at Oxford

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Additional Admissions Requirements

CHEMISTRY (OXFORD ONLY, NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)



SUGGESTED READING LIST

EARTH SCIENCES (OXFORD ONLY)

SUGGESTED READING LIST

PHYSICS (OXFORD ONLY, NATURAL SCIENCES AT CAMBRIDGE)

 Physics at Oxford

SUGGESTED READING LIST

COMPUTER SCIENCE

SUGGESTED READING LIST

OXFORD

CAMBRIDGE

PSYCHOLOGY

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

CAMBRIDGE

THE CREATIVE ARTS

OXFORD

CAMBRIDGE

FINE ART

(OXFORD ONLY)

SUGGESTED READING LIST

HISTORY OF ART

SUGGESTED READING LIST

ARCHITECTURE (CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

SUGGESTED READING LIST

Additional Admissions Requirements

DESIGN (CAMBRIDGE ONLY)

 Design at Cambridge

SUGGESTED READING LIST & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Questions for Reflection

Additional Admissions Requirements

MUSIC

SUGGESTED READING LIST

SUGGESTED JOURNAL ARTICLES

Questions for Reflection

Additional Admissions Requirements

OXFORD

CAMBRIDGE

HUMANITIES AND ECONOMICS

OXFORD CAMBRIDGE

OXFORD CAMBRIDGE

HISTORY

SUGGESTED READING & FOLLOW UP

Additional Resources

Additional Admissions Requirements OXFORD

POLITICS

SUGGESTED READING LIST

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

UK POLITICS