Frequently asked questions
This page contains frequently asked questions from the open days in 2020. We will add questions and answers to it during the open days as we receive them, and for a few days beyond. To ask a question that is not currently answered, please get in touch with us via open-days@cst.cam.ac.uk and we will do our best to answer you directly, and add the question to this FAQ if it is more broadly applicable. We will accept emails up to 5pm on Friday 18 September.
Unlike other universities, Cambridge does not give an overall degree classification; instead you get classed for each year of your Tripos study. Please see the FAQs on this page for a little more information.
The university has a web page with an interactive graph that allows you to explore our admissions data. Select 'Specific year' in the first column and 'Computer Science' under 'Courses' on the right. Note that the data for 2020 doesn't yet include acceptances.
The university has pages that describe the financial support available to UK and EU students and that available to international students.
Upon graduating, your job prospects are excellent. Our graduates are in high demand — every year we hold a recruitment fair over two days within the Computer Lab and many companies pay to have a stand there. There is intense competition to recruit our graduates, with significantly more positions available than students graduating. Our graduates go on to work at many of the top computing companies, but also create start-ups or continue studying for higher degrees too.
See the web page about applications. We read everything in your application carefully - academic record, personal statement, references and so on. The personal statement gives an opportunity to show your interest in the subject and, if you are invited for interview, may be used to set the agenda for part of the discussion.
The numbers vary every year, but approximately 30 students continue to Part III. Others take up employment, or choose to continue studying for another degree, usually a Master's, at another institution.
Students at Cambridge own the intellectual property (IP) rights in the material that they create, except in certain specific cases (see here for a list). If you do own the rights you are free to commercialise your ideas, and the university has support more broadly to help you to achieve that, if you wish. See, for example, Cambridge Enterprise who can provide advice and support in developing and exploiting ideas.
One way to prepare for interview is to practise logic and maths puzzles and to keep in mind any interesting computer science projects that you have done. There's no guarantee you'll be asked about these, but if you are then you will be able to answer confidently and have an interesting discussion with your interviewers. However, probably the best piece of advice is to try to remain calm and get plenty of rest leading up to the interview so that you are on top form. Remember the interviews are not there to catch you out but to provide an opportunity for you to show us what you can do.
The Computer Science Tripos is either three or four years long. You don't have to choose straight away whether you will study for three years, leading to a BA, or four years, leading to an MEng. Instead, towards the end of your third year you can apply to stay on for a fourth year of study and if you get a first in that third year, then you will automatically be able to continue to study for the MEng.
Originally the first year of our Tripos consisted of 50% Computer Science, 25% Maths for Natural Sciences and 25% of another subject, usually a Natural Science or Maths. Approximately five years ago we introduced a slightly different option that allowed students to study 75% Computer Science and 25% Maths in their first year. We called the original course the 50% option and the new one the 75% option. However, the new course proved so popular that we have now discontinued the 50% option and therefore these names have become obselete. Now everyone studies 75% Computer Science in their first year.
No, you don't need to have or be studying for a computer science qualification to apply to our Computer Science Tripos. This may be somewhat surprising, but is mainly due to the fact that the computer science A-level in the UK is relatively new and not all schools teach it. Of course, having a computer science qualification will likely be useful and will demonstrate your passion for the subject, but it won't matter if you apply to Cambridge without one and you certainly don't need one to apply successfully. We teach computer science from the ground up.
Maths is very important to computer science and a further maths A-level is highly desirable if it is possible to take it. However, you should be wary about dropping subjects in favour of further maths if you have already started studying. We can't advise on individual cases – that would be far better being done in consultation with your teachers, who know you and your personal circumstances well – but you should bear in mind that not having further maths when your school offers it does not mean that your application will definitely fail. However, it would be good to show to us in some way that, having realised the value of further maths, you took steps to address this shortcoming. One option could be to do further maths as an additional AS-level subject or to self-study (again, consult with your teachers and bear in mind the additional workload). What we are looking for in your application is to see that you haven't avoided doing extra maths because you didn't like it.
Yes, you will have to sit the CTMUA in early November. Please see the TMUA website for more information about this test.
Some colleges will be running the CSAT, others will not. For the most up-to-date information, please see the CSAT website where you can also find the Practice [+] platform of CSAT questions and progressive hints of how to solve them. Unfortunately we are not aware of a comprehensive list of colleges that will require the CSAT or not — please check with each college your are interested in to see. For reference, in December 2019 the following colleges required CSAT: Gonville and Caius, Peterhouse, Queen's, Robinson, St. John's, Trinity, Wolfson.
No, not if you haven't already had to sit the CSAT as part of the interview process. If your application is strong, but there is no room in the college you applied to (or were assigned through an open application), then you may be placed in the Winter Pool. If you were interviewed by a college requiring CSAT, then you will sit the CSAT at interview; if you were interviewed by a non-CSAT college, then you won't. If you get pooled, regardless of what type of college interviewed you, you will be placed in the same pool (i.e. applicants having taken the CSAT and those that haven't will be all together). There is no requirement and no opportunity to take the CSAT at this point — you either have taken it or you haven't — and your application will be considered by all colleges (i.e. both CSAT and non-CSAT colleges). All colleges will be able to see your CSAT score, providing them with full information about your application. Please see the end of this page for more general information about the pools.
