This year we are publishing a series of articles explaining how you can put together a perfect application for Oxford or Cambridge in various subjects.

As applications increase in difficulty there is an ever-more important drive towards perfection – anything less than this might see a really good candidate just fall short of the necessary standard. By reading this series you’ll understand what it takes and, hopefully, put it into motion yourself! 

Natural Sciences 

This is not a subject that everyone will have heard of. Mostly that’s because it’s only taught at a limited number of universities but that is a list that is most high quality and hard to win a place at. Chief amongst the universities teaching Natural Science at Cambridge and UCL. So what actually is Natural Sciences?  

By some definitions, Natural Sciences is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. According to Cambridge, the subject focuses on the joint study of the physical and biological elements of the sciences. The course has considerable breadth especially in the first year. As you progress through the university, you’ll be able to specialise in one or other of the areas. It offers considerable flexibility and students may find themselves studying earth or material sciences as their focus or even as a part-focus. UCL highlights that this is a subject that will allow graduates to move smoothly through the different professional or research areas of their careers. 

 Grades and Subject Choices 

Choosing the right subjects to study between 16 and 18 years of age is key. 

Projects 

There are a vast array of potential projects that Natural Sciences applicants can choose from. Whether it’s using words or numbers, the key is to plenty and win prizes. You’ll need at least 10 different projects and activities to be considered by Oxbridge. Here are some examples of good prizes to enter if you’re aiming for perfection: 

The Oxford Scientist Writing Competition 

Designed for budding Science writers in the UK about to enter into year 11, year 12 or year 13, this prize entails writing a 700-word article on a stated theme. Winners have their work published in The Oxford Science magazine along with other prizes. 

The Cipher Challenge 

Entry is open to students from the UK in secondary school. It is hosted by the University of Southampton and is a fun and applied use of mathematics. Applied mathematics is a crucial skill for Natural Science students. 

Maths is the single most fundamental skill required to win a place in Natural Science. You would be expected to crack the cipher if you want to prove you are the right quality of candidate to study this subject at either UCL or Cambridge. 

Quantum on the Clock 

The Institute of Physic’s QQQ group runs this competition which is open to all A Level students in the UK. They are asked to make a three-minute video about any element of the Quantum world that is of interest to them. Entries are accepted on an individual basis or as a group. 

Maths Olympiad 

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country. The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating. It has gradually expanded to over 100 countries from 5 continents. The IMO Board ensures that the competition takes place each year and that each host country observes the regulations and traditions of the IMO. Sample questions are below. 

Further examples include: 

• Maths Kangaroo 

• Caribou 

Check out our website for more!

Admissions Tests 

All applicants at Cambridge will be asked to sit the NSAA (Natural Science Admissions Assessment). This test is incredibly difficult and many students will not make it past this stage. Successful applicants will get at least 71% on average. 

Section 1 is a 60-minute multiple choice test. You must answer questions on maths. You may choose to answer questions on either chemistry, biology or physics. Section 2 is a further 60-minute multiple choice test on either chemistry, biology or physics. The specification has been updated for 2022 assessments with more knowledge being required in order to sit the test. This means you may need to study up on some additional advanced areas to sit the test. You should also be careful of using past papers too heavily. 

Interviews 

By far and away the most interesting part of the interview process, a perfect applicant is expected to have the right approach to answering questions, and manage to obtain the correct answer in 60% of the scenarios with little or no assistance. A further 20% should be accessible with some coaching from the interviewer whilst the very best candidates will be able to access all answers with some guidance. 

For Natural Sciences, students can expect questions such as the following: 

• Sketch y=xe-x2 

• Describe the velocity of a bungee jumper with respect to their displacement from their starting position. 

• Can a negative pH value exist? 

• Why is benzene unreactive compared to cyclohexene?