Best A-Level combinations for Oxbridge: Your course-by-course guide

The first thing to say about Oxbridge A-Level combinations is that the question itself is slightly misleading. There is no single combination that "gets you into Oxbridge" because the preferred subjects for Medicine, Mathematics, Law, English and Natural Sciences have almost nothing in common. The right combination for Oxford Medicine is Chemistry, Biology and Maths. The right combination for Cambridge English is English Literature, History and a Modern Language. Neither works for the other.

The second thing to know: Oxford and Cambridge are not interchangeable. They have different course names (Oxford calls Law "Jurisprudence"; Cambridge Psychology is called "PBS", Oxford's is "Experimental Psychology"), different admissions tests, different interview formats, and in some cases substantially different course content (Cambridge Natural Sciences is a joint-honours structure; Oxford splits those subjects into separate courses). Students can only apply to one of Oxford or Cambridge per UCAS cycle in a typical year, not both.

This guide covers the most-applied-for Oxbridge courses one by one. For each, it names the subject combination that keeps that course open, flags the current admissions test (with the heavy caveat that tests have been changing frequently since 2023), and corrects the most common misconceptions. Entry requirements change year to year, always verify the current year's offer and tests on the specific university's course page before you commit.

Standard Oxford offers range from AAA (e.g. Law, PPE, History, English and Classics) to AAA (Mathematics and Engineering Science); Computer Science, Medicine and Economics and Management ask for AAA. Standard Cambridge offers in a typical year sit around AAA for sciences and maths, and AAA for arts. Specific grades vary by course and year, check each course page. Our A-Level grades explained guide breaks down how grade boundaries are set and what each grade represents.

Below, each course has (a) the subject combination that keeps it open, (b) the admissions test that typically applies, and (c) the standard caveat that the test situation has been changing and must be verified each year.

Medicine (Oxford + Cambridge): Chemistry required at both. Both also require at least one of Biology, Physics or Maths; Biology recommended at Cambridge; Oxford Medicine lists Biology as 'Not applicable', and some Cambridge colleges set extra requirements. Third subject flexible: Maths or Physics most common. UCAT required at Oxford; Cambridge historically used BMAT, which was retired after 2023, so Cambridge Medicine has shifted to the UCAT in a typical recent year. Verify current test.

Law / Jurisprudence (Oxford's name) and Law (Cambridge), no specific subject required at either. Essay-based subjects (History, English Literature, Politics) advantaged at the top end. The LNAT is required at both Oxford and Cambridge (Cambridge replaced its own Cambridge Law Test with the LNAT); for 2027 entry it must be sat by 15 October 2026.

Mathematics (both): Maths essential; Further Maths effectively required at Cambridge and recommended at Oxford. Both now use the TMUA for 2027 entry (Oxford has dropped the MAT), and Cambridge offers are also conditional on STEP.

Natural Sciences (Cambridge only): Cambridge Natural Sciences requires A-Level Maths plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Further Maths. Three sciences strengthens the offer. Oxford doesn't offer NatSci; it splits into separate Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Biochemistry courses with their own specific requirements. ESAT typically required at Cambridge NatSci (replaced the retired NSAA); verify current test.

Engineering (both): Maths plus Physics required. Further Maths is strongly encouraged at Cambridge; at Oxford it is listed as helpful but "not required for admission". ENGAA was retired; Cambridge Engineering now uses ESAT in a typical recent year. Oxford Engineering Science now also uses the ESAT (the PAT has been scrapped for 2027 entry). Verify current test.

Computer Science (both): Maths required at both. Further Maths strongly recommended, effectively required at Cambridge. The TMUA is required for Computer Science at both Cambridge and Oxford (Oxford has dropped the MAT); a few Cambridge colleges also set the CSAT at interview. Verify current test.

Economics (Cambridge) and Economics and Management (Oxford): Maths required at both. Several Cambridge colleges require Further Maths (Christ's, Churchill, Corpus Christi, Magdalene, St John's and Sidney Sussex). Oxford E&M requires the TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions), which replaced the TSA for 2027 entry; Cambridge Economics requires the TMUA. Verify current test.

PPE (Oxford only, Cambridge's nearest equivalent is HSPS), no specific subject required; Oxford recommends Maths and lists History as helpful. The TARA is required for 2027 entry (it replaced the TSA).

English (both): English Literature (or English Language and Literature) A-Level is required at both (Cambridge English, Oxford English Language and Literature). ELAT (the Oxford English Literature Admissions Test) was retired after 2023; verify current test at each university.

History (both): History A-Level is required at Cambridge. Oxford History no longer has an admissions test (the HAT has been discontinued), but you submit written work. Cambridge History uses its own written assessment.

Classics (both): Latin or Greek is required for Cambridge's three-year Classics course; Oxford doesn't require either, though both are listed as helpful. Cambridge offers a four-year Classics course (Q801) for applicants without A-Level Latin; Oxford's single four-year Classics course (Q800) accepts applicants with or without Latin or Greek.

Modern Languages (both): A-Level in the chosen language typically required. Some flexibility for ab initio languages that applicants have not studied before.

Experimental Psychology (Oxford) and PBS (Cambridge): Oxford Experimental Psychology has no required subject (a science, including Psychology, or Maths is recommended); Cambridge PBS requires at least one of Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science or Physics. Cambridge PBS is substantially broader than Oxford Experimental Psychology, including Sociology and other behavioural sciences; the two are not interchangeable.

University admissions pages are now the authoritative source for subject guidance. The Russell Group scrapped its old "facilitating subjects" list in 2019 and replaced it with its Informed Choices website, which gives general guidance only, and there is no central cross-university rulebook any more. For Oxbridge specifically, both universities publish their guidance openly on each course page.

Because the right combination is course-specific, these four stacks are organised by broad career goal rather than by university. Each one keeps every Oxbridge course relevant to that goal open.

Note that Oxbridge publishes contextual offers for some courses, lower grade requirements for applicants from widening-participation backgrounds. These vary by course and are not available for every student. Check each course page for the current year's wording if you think you may be eligible. Don't base your subject choice on the possibility of a contextual offer; pick the strongest subject combination you can realistically achieve. Our full list of A-Level subjects covers what's available beyond these four combinations, including whether a fourth A-Level strengthens competitive applications.

Oxbridge is heavier on admissions tests than almost any other UK university system. In addition to A-Level grades, you'll typically sit a course-specific test in autumn of Year 13 and (if shortlisted) attend an interview in December.

The tests themselves have been changing frequently. In the last three years alone, BMAT (used for Cambridge Medicine and some UK dental schools) was retired; ENGAA (Cambridge Engineering) was retired; ELAT (Oxford English) was retired; the ESAT has replaced the NSAA for Cambridge science and engineering courses; and for 2027 entry Oxford has replaced the MAT, PAT, TSA and its other in-house tests with the TMUA, ESAT and TARA. The specific test you prepare for depends on both the university AND the course AND the year. There is no shortcut here, check each course page for the current year's test and plan preparation accordingly.

Some tests are maths-based (STEP, TMUA, ESAT); some are reasoning-based (the TARA, parts of the LNAT, UCAT); some are writing-based (the TARA's writing task, the LNAT essay, Cambridge's college-set written assessments); some are mixed. Your A-Level combination doesn't directly determine what's on these tests, but students who've done subjects aligned with the test content tend to find them more approachable.

Once you've shortlisted the course you want and the combination that supports it: Our guide to how UCAS points work explains the tariff system used by most UK universities, though Oxbridge makes offers in specific grades rather than points.

Read the current course page on both Oxford's and Cambridge's websites, even if you're only applying to one. Each university publishes its typical offers, admissions tests and subject guidance openly, and the wording often tells you things that guides (this one included) don't. Oxford's undergraduate course finder and Cambridge's undergraduate course finder are both well-maintained.

Book an open day at both universities during Year 12 if you can. Course-specific sessions at open days often include admissions tutors answering direct questions about subject choice, admissions tests and the differences between Oxford's and Cambridge's versions of the same subject. This is far more current than any article.

Start admissions test preparation in Year 12 summer at the latest. TMUA, ESAT, TARA, STEP and LNAT all reward serious practice, and the questions are harder than anything in A-Level. Our guide to A-Level Maths vs Further Maths explains why Further Maths pays off for competitive STEM-adjacent applications, and our complete guide to AQA A-Level History covers what humanities A-Level reading looks like.

For interview preparation, read widely around your subject from early Year 12. Oxbridge interviews are built around how you think, not what you've memorised. Students who've been seriously reading around their subject for a year typically outperform students who crammed in the two months before interview.

Finally: don't trust any single guide, including this one. The authoritative source is each university's own course page in the current year. Admissions landscapes change. Tests retire and get replaced. Read the current page before every decision that matters.