Applying for Cambridge Linguistics: Entry, Interview, & Support
Blog Contents
What Is the Cambridge Linguistics Course Like?
What is Linguistics?
As one of humanity’s most defining traits, language is an important area of study.
It is studied through linguistics, which is an in-depth examination of language.
Linguistics isn’t just learning a language, but exploring the structures and rules of languages, and how they may relate to each other.
Language is integral to communication and a process shared by all humans. Linguistics examines how we acquire language, the tools we use to produce and understand it, and how it connects to society and subjects such as psychology.
What’s the best uni for linguistics in the UK?
The Complete University Guide 2025 ranks Cambridge first for Linguistics in the UK.
Regarding Oxbridge, only Cambridge offers a degree solely focused on Linguistics. At Oxford, you can only study it alongside a modern language.
When choosing which universities to apply to, don’t just consider ranking. Course content, faculty strengths, research opportunities, whether you like the University, and location are all important.
The Cambridge Linguistics Course Structure
It’s a three-year course, with compulsory modules and opportunities to specialise.
The course aims to explore properties that all languages share. You also gain insights into the mind.
The course is broad, studying language through a range of approaches, including:
Discovering language growth and evolution. For instance, by comparing the grammar of medieval times to that of today,
Appreciating how language is learned and the factors that influence this.
Discovering the science behind speaking.
Syntax study, to learn precisely what a sentence consists of, alongside phonics and semantics.
Learning language modelling in coding.
Interdisciplinary study examines the interaction between language and philosophy, engineering, physics, and more.
Engagement with both theoretical and applied linguistics topics.
Students examine various sources across periods and media, such as medieval texts or recordings of speech and scientific data.
The first year consists of four compulsory modules on ‘Sounds and Words’, ‘Structures and Meanings’, ‘Language, Brains and Machines’, and ‘Linguistic Variation and Change’.
After the first year, the course is entirely personalised, with students choosing from various options. Some examples include ‘Semantics and Pragmatics’, ‘History of English’, ‘Psychology of Language Processing and Learning’, and much more.
The third year consists of two optional modules, a paper on Linguistic Theory, and a Dissertation on a Linguistics topic of your choosing.
Is a Linguistics Degree Worth It in the UK?
Most definitely!
A Linguistics Degree equips you with numerous transferable skills:
Communication
Critical Thinking
Analysis
Familiarity with various languages and the ability to learn new languages quickly.
These skills mean that graduates are in high demand amongst many employers.
Cambridge Linguistics grads have ended up at companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and the Foreign Office.
Many go on to further study and become academics.
Others begin vocational training and become speech therapists, speech recognition software engineers, translators, interpreters, and more.
Cambridge Linguistics Entry Requirements FAQs
What A-Levels are needed?
No specific subjects are required for an application, though an essay-based subject is recommended.
English, Maths, and other STEM subjects may be helpful.
Can you get in with AAA?
No. Typical minimum offers are A*AA.
AAA entry may be a rare case in a contextualised offer.
Most colleges may make a higher offer or specify an A* in a particular subject.
76% of entrants across 2018, 2019, and 2023 achieved at least A*A*A.
What is the typical IB offer?
41-42 points. 776 at Higher Level
Do all colleges offer Linguistics at Cambridge?
All except St Catharine’s.
What is the acceptance rate?
There were three applicants per place for the 2024 cycle.
43 students were accepted.
Do I need to take an admissions test?
This depends on the college you are applying to.
The vast majority do require you to take an assessment. Check if that includes your college here.
Many of these colleges assess just before the interview.
Is submitted work required?
St Edmund’s requires one piece, and Downing requires two pieces.
Learn more about submitted work here.
Got more Cambridge Linguistics application questions? Book a complimentary consultation to learn more about how we can best support you through the process:
How to Build a Strong Cambridge Linguistics Application
Build a Strong Profile Pre-application
Exploring extra-curricular opportunities such as linguistics Olympiads, foreign language learning, research opportunities, and more is essential.
Having a strong passion for your subject, and evidence of this, makes your life easier when writing your personal statement and interview questions.
Consider our Minds Underground Modern Languages Summer School
The first four sessions of this are linguistics-focused, covering topics from the origins of language to how language has changed, as well as specifics such as words and sentences.
These sessions are seminar-style, modelled on first-year university content, and encourage students to engage in topics beyond the curriculum critically. We also provide guidance for further reading and research.
All of this is great content for university applications.
We also offer research opportunities through research projects and our essay competitions.
These require students to conduct their research to produce work on a given topic.
The process of writing such work can lead them to discover new interests surrounding linguistics and an appreciation for university-level work.
Finding your special interest:
A niche linguistics interest gives you something to discuss in your application.
It doesn’t need to be incredibly obscure or unresearched, but it can be anything about linguistics.
This subject may be why you’re applying or the root of your love for linguistics.
Having one is incredibly useful, as enthusiasm is far more tangible when discussing something you truly love or are genuinely interested in.
The above methods are potential ways to explore the subject and find a special interest. Reading is another great one:
Recommended Reading for Your Personal Statement
It can be helpful to start with broad subject overviews.
For instance, Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct or David Crystal’s How Language Works.
For further suggestions, check out the Cambridge Linguistics Department’s preliminary reading suggestions for first-year students.
These works may point you to other interesting books or linguistic subjects you’re particularly enamoured with. This could end up being your special interest.
Other than reading, podcasts, lectures, or even museum exhibits are great for subject exploration
Crucially, your personal statement should never simply state something you read or did; you must expand on the insight you gained.
Say what you really thought about it, not simply that you read, heard, or saw it.
You may love someone’s argument or dislike how an exhibit was curated.
For more Linguistics personal statement support, consider one-to-one tutoring with our expert Cambridge graduate mentors. They crafted their own stand-out personal statements to gain Linguistics admission and are well-placed to assist you in doing the same.
Learn more about our personal statement support here.
Check out some of our free resources on personal statements.
Test preparation
Test format will vary per college, but tends to take the format of a pre-interview assessment.
In the past, this assessment has lasted an hour and is split into three 20-minute chunks. This involves questions on an unknown language, data analysis, and a short essay.
Its purpose is to assess your aptitude in identifying patterns in language data.
Practising the skills required for the interview test is an excellent means of preparation.
However, there are no past papers offered on the website, but working through GCSE science graph questions can be helpful to practice.
Check out our article on Applying for Linguistics at University for more advice and preparation tips.
If you’re feeling stuck, our Cambridge Linguistics Tutors are experts in helping students prepare for the assessments. Not only did they successfully pass the test, but they’ve helped others do so. Read more about our support here.
For more advice on reading, the importance of special interests, linguistics admissions tests, and more, check out this article by Rhys, one of our linguistics mentors. He studied Linguistics and Spanish at Oxford and has years of experience supporting students with successful linguistics and broader language applications.
If you’d like to learn more about Linguistics mentoring through U2, book a free 20-minute consultation here:
Sample Cambridge Linguistics Interview Questions
Typically, Linguistics applicants have one or two interviews, lasting between 20 and 30 minutes.
There will be at least two interviewers.
Expect discussion of your personal statement and submitted work, if applicable.
Applicants can also expect to look at a set of forms in a language they aren’t familiar with. For instance, some singular and plural words of a language are asked on the basis of those, how you think the plurals are formed.
Potential questions:
These are endless.
Many will focus on your personal statement. Ensure you know it inside and out, and be ready to be challenged or presented with other viewpoints.
Some may be expected, for instance, “Why do you want to study Linguistics at Cambridge?”.
Others may be broader: “What would happen if we couldn’t communicate?”.
Be prepared for a range of questions, and don’t be surprised if there are ones you are completely unfamiliar with. Definitely avoid trying to learn responses, as rehearsed answers won’t earn you favour.
Tutors look for students who can demonstrate curiosity, openness to new ideas, logical reasoning, genuine interest in linguistics, ability to analyse and critically reason with new information, and, of course, clear communicators.
Looking for interview practice?
We offer an Oxbridge Modern Foreign Languages Interview Pack to support applicants to various language degrees, including Linguistics.
Consider signing up for one of our Oxbridge Mock Interview Days. These occur in November. Applicants benefit from an Interview 101 session, a skills workshop, and two one-to-one mock interviews led by graduates from our course. You receive detailed feedback to help you build on your experience.
We also provide one-to-one interview mentoring. Learn more here.
U2 Tuition’s Tailored Support for Linguistics Applicants
Cambridge Linguistics mentoring from U2 Tuition offers applicants tailored, expert support at every application stage. We offer:
Course and College Choice: Guidance on choosing the right college and course based on your academic and personal interests and goals.
Personal Statement drafting: We aid students in building compelling applications, offering independent extra-curricular research advice, beyond the syllabus enrichment through Minds Underground, and help draft personal statements.
Admissions Test and Submitted Work Tutoring: Where applicable, we provide targeted preparation for pre-interview assessments and advice on written work requirements. This is always tailored to your chosen college.
Interview Mentoring: This consists of mock interviews, targeted question-type practice, and detailed feedback from Cambridge Linguistics graduates who know precisely what tutors look for.
Expert Tutors: All of our mentors for Linguistics at Cambridge have studied the course there and know the ins and outs of the process.
Flexible Learning: Our support is online, in-person in London, or hybrid.
Use U2’s Linguistics mentors to help you apply with confidence. From choosing the right college to acing the interview, let our tutors apply their expertise to your application: