Guide for applicants

Everything you need to know about applying to Oxford, in one place. This guide explains each stage and what to expect, so you can prepare your application with confidence. You’ll find clear, practical guidance throughout.

Take it step by step

Entry to Oxford is competitive, with over 23,000 applicants each year competing for around 3,200 places. We look for students with the academic ability, curiosity and motivation to thrive in a tutorial-based learning environment. When assessing applications, we consider all the information available together. The process involves several stages, which vary by course, so it’s important to refer to your course page for the specific details that apply to you. Take time to understand what each stage involves and keep track of key deadlines.

Our admissions timeline provides a visual overview.

Choose a course and check you can meet the qualification requirements and make a competitive application
Check which colleges offer your course and choose a college or decide to make an open application
Check whether your course has an admissions test
Check whether you need to submit written work by 10 November
Start work on your UCAS application any time from May and check you know who is going to provide your academic reference
Any time from September: submit your application, begin preparing for any test and if required, decide what written work to submit
Remember the UCAS deadline is 6pm (UK time) on 15 October - this is earlier than most other universities
Take your UAT-UK admissions test in October (NB. UCAT (Medicine) and LNAT (Law) have different timelines)
End of November to beginning of December: find out if you have been shortlisted
If shortlisted, prepare for and attend your online interviews in December
Find out in January whether you have been offered a place. Those applying for entry in 2027 will receive a decision on their application on Tuesday, 12 January 2027.
Offers are typically conditional on offer holders receiving their school leaving qualifications and meeting the entrance requirements for their course.

Check your course page for course-specific information.

Every stage explained

UCAS application

Applying to Oxford starts with your UCAS form. Find out when to apply, what information you’ll need and how to complete your application by the 15 October deadline.

Admissions tests

Some Oxford courses require an admissions test as part of the assessment process. Candidates can create a test account with UAT-UK from 1 June 2026.

Written work

Some of our courses require applicants to send in a sample of their written work as part of their application. Find out what you need to send (if anything), how to send it, and the deadlines by which the work must be received.

Interviews

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to online interviews in December 2026. Oxford interviews are academic conversations about your chosen subject, similar to a short tutorial and designed to explore how you think and engage with new ideas.

Decisions

Shortlisted candidates for entry in 2027 will be informed of the outcome of their application on 12 January 2027 via UCAS. Colleges will follow up directly later that day.

Results

Are you holding a conditional offer for entry in 2026? Find out how your A-level, IB, Scottish Higher or equivalent results are considered and what happens next.

Contextual data

Socio-economic disadvantage and school performance can affect a student’s opportunity to reach their full potential before applying to university. Where possible, we use data to better understand each applicant’s achievements within the context of their individual circumstances.

Feedback

Many courses provide information about admissions on their departmental websites. Colleges and departments are not required to provide individual feedback to applicants, but this can be requested from the college that considered the application, on or before 15 February in the year after the application was made.

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