Oxford University Admissions 2026 Entry: Complete Timeline, Requirements & Next Steps

Admissions Tests

• Dates: 21–27 October 2025

• Delivered online for most courses

• Required for many subjects, including:

  • Medicine

  • Law

  • Computer Science

  • PPE

  • Mathematics

  • Economics & Management

Applicants had to be registered by their school or test centre before sitting these exams.

Written Work Submission

• Deadline: 10 November 2025

• Required mainly for humanities and language-based courses, such as:

  • English

  • History

  • Classics

  • Modern Languages

  • Philosophy (some courses)

Details on submission are provided after UCAS submission by the applicant’s allocated college.

Interviews

• Held: Early to mid-December 2025

• Conducted:

  • In person or

  • Online (depending on course and applicant location)

• Interview invitations are typically sent in late November

Decisions Released

• Date: 13–14 January 2026

• Decisions appear:

  • On UCAS Track

  • Usually released in the morning (UK time)

Applicants will see:

• Conditional offers

• Rejections

• Or, in rare cases, open offers via pooling

Entry to Oxford

• Course start date: October 2026

• Offers are conditional, based on:

  • Final school exam results

  • Meeting subject-specific grade requirements

Academic & Language Requirements

Academic Profile

Successful applicants typically demonstrate:

• Top grades in relevant subjects

• Strong teacher reference

• A focused, academic personal statement

• High performance in admissions tests and interviews

English Language Requirements (International Students)

Most international applicants must meet Oxford’s higher-level English standard, for example:

• IELTS: Overall 7.0 or above

• TOEFL iBT: 100+

Exact requirements vary by course, so applicants must check their specific subject page.

Written Work: What You Need to Know

Who Needs to Submit Written Work?

Mainly applicants to:

• English

• History

• Classics

• Modern Languages

• Some Philosophy-related courses

Not all courses require written work.

Submission Details

• Deadline: 10 November 2025

• Format:

  • Digital only

  • PDF upload or email submission

  • Scanned copies accepted if handwritten

• Content:

  • Recent school essays

  • Usually 1–2 pieces, up to 2,000 words each

  • Ideally teacher-marked

  • Must be in English (translations required otherwise)

• A coversheet with UCAS ID is required

No physical submissions are accepted, and late work is not considered.

Fine Art Portfolio (Special Case)

Applicants to Fine Art (Ruskin School of Art) follow a different process.

Portfolio Deadline

• 7 November 2025

• Earlier than the general written work deadline

How to Submit

• Platform: SlideRoom

• Access provided after UCAS submission

• Requirements:

  • UCAS ID

  • Visual artwork samples

  • Up to 20 files

  • Images and videos supported (up to 500MB)

Written essays are not required for Fine Art portfolios.

How Oxford Handles Submissions

• After UCAS submission, applicants are allocated to a college

• The college:

  • Emails submission instructions

  • Provides upload links or email addresses

• All submissions are:

  • College-specific

  • Digital only

  • Strictly deadline-controlled

Applicants must follow their college’s instructions exactly.

Recent Highlights & Context

• Oxford ranked #1 globally in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, marking its 10th consecutive year at the top

• Outreach initiatives such as UNIQ 2026 (for underrepresented UK students) have application deadlines in January 2026

• Competition remains extremely high across all subjects

Where Most Applicants Are Now (Late 2025 / Early 2026)

At this stage:

• Applications, tests, and written work are complete

• Interviews have been held

• Applicants are waiting for January decisions

The next major step is meeting offer conditions after results are released.

Final Advice

Oxford admissionsreward:

• Academic depth over breadth

• Clear subject interest

• Evidence of independent thinking

If you’re applying in future cycles, planning 12–18 months ahead is strongly recommended.

For 2026 applicants: Check UCAS in mid-January and prepare for offer conditions.
For future applicants: Use this timeline as your planning blueprint.