Cambridge
Cambridge ESAT Requirements 2027
Cambridge requires ESAT for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Engineering, Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. Standard applicants must take the October 2026 sitting (12 to 16 October; 12 or 13 October if you are in China, Hong Kong or Macau).
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Required ESAT modules
| Course | Required modules |
|---|---|
| Engineering | Mathematics 1 + Mathematics 2 + Physics |
| Natural Sciences | Mathematics 1 + any 2 of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics 2 |
| Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology | Mathematics 1 + any 2 of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics 2 |
| Veterinary Medicine | Mathematics 1 + any 2 of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics 2 |
More on Cambridge Engineering and Natural Sciences.
Published 2027 academic requirements
| Course | Published 2027 requirement | Key subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | A*A*A | Mathematics and Physics; Further Mathematics to AS or A level if available |
| Natural Sciences | A*A*A | Mathematics and two other science/mathematics subjects |
| Veterinary Medicine | A*AA | Chemistry plus at least one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics |
| Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology | Check official course page | Follow current course-specific subject requirements |
Cambridge admissions statistics
Cambridge's official dashboard can be filtered by course, College, domicile, qualifications and admissions-test scores. Use that dashboard for the latest view. Published ratios describe one cycle, not an individual chance of getting in.
Useful 2025 course figures
Natural Sciences: 5 applications per place, with 576 accepted on the current course page.
Engineering: 2,654 applicants, 371 offers and 333 acceptances in the 2025 cycle according to published admissions statistics.
Natural Sciences: 2,644 applicants, 672 offers and 576 acceptances in 2025 according to current published admissions figures.
How this sits next to other universities
If you are also applying to Oxford, Imperial or UCL, one ESAT sitting has to work for every course that accepts that sitting. Cambridge's October rule is usually the constraint.
Back to all university requirements, or compare Oxford, Imperial and UCL.
Frequently asked questions
What modules does Cambridge Engineering require?
Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics. There is no module choice on Engineering.
What modules does Cambridge Natural Sciences require?
Mathematics 1, then any two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2. Cambridge says the choice is not uniquely advantageous for the Biological or Physical route.
Does Cambridge have an ESAT cut-off?
Cambridge does not publish a pass mark or a college-specific ESAT requirement. Historical averages describe one cohort. They are not a cut-off.
Does college choice affect the ESAT?
You sit the same modules for the course, whichever college you apply to. College-level averages can differ because cohorts are small and admissions are contextual. Do not treat a college average as the score that college requires.
What did previous Cambridge Engineering offer holders score?
The 2025 Engineering FOI release gives college and Home/international averages. See the Cambridge Engineering page. Those figures are historical averages, not requirements.
Next: check modules, then practise them
Engineering is fixed as Maths 1, Maths 2 and Physics. Natural Sciences lets you choose two modules after Maths 1. Then use past papers and calibration on those modules.
Related guides
ESAT university requirements
Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and UCL modules, sittings and published data for 2027.
Cambridge Engineering ESAT
Maths 1, Maths 2 and Physics, plus 2025 college and Home/international averages.
Cambridge Natural Sciences ESAT
Maths 1 plus two science modules, and how to choose them.
ESAT test dates
October 2026 and January 2027 sittings, deadlines and results dates.
ESAT Maths 1
Topics, timing and the fast methods the compulsory module rewards.
ESAT Maths 2
Algebra, functions, trigonometry, logs and calculus-style reasoning.
ESAT Physics
Formula choice, units, graphs and proportional reasoning.
Score converter
Turn a past-paper raw mark into an estimated scaled score.
Sources
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