What about the interviews?

Because the University has more applicants than it has places, it uses interviews as one of the tools to decide on applications, alongside your exam results, references, personal statements and submitted work.

The interviews last between 20 and 30 minutes, and they are intended to give you a chance to show your interest in the subject, your ability to handle ideas, and to make connections. The interviews are an opportunity to show yourself at your best, and all the interviewers are trained to help you do this.

The best preparation for interview is to get into the habit of talking about the things that really interest you, preferably with other people who know quite a lot about the subject.

The interviews help in the "pooling" system which the Colleges and the Faculty use to ensure that the best candidates all get a place at Cambridge, even if it turns out that too many of the best candidates have applied to a particular College.

There is a good video on interviews on the Cambridge Admissions Website http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/media/interviewsinaction.html