Official Course Summary · 2027 Entry
Modern and Medieval Languages at University of Cambridge
Official course requirements for Modern and Medieval Languages at University of Cambridge, with 1-to-1 tutoring from Cambridge graduates.
In a nutshell
Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) is a four-year course. You normally take two languages (one or both ab initio is possible), with literature, linguistics and history-of-thought options. Year 3 is spent abroad in a country where one of your languages is spoken.
Official course summary
What University of Cambridge publishes for Modern and Medieval Languages.
- UCAS code
- R800
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Typical A-Level offer
- A*AA
- Required subjects
- A modern language
- Admissions test
- No pre-registered admissions test for 2027 entry. Most colleges set a short at-interview translation, comprehension or commentary task in your A-Level language — a College admission assessment, no advance registration. The legacy MMLAA pre-registration test is not used.
- Interview
- Expect a short pre-read in your strongest language (a poem, prose extract or news piece) and a discussion in English about literature, culture or linguistic interest. Tutors are testing engagement, not fluency.
- Official course page
- https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/modern-and-medieval-languages
Always verify these details on the official University of Cambridge course page before applying — entry requirements and assessment formats can change between cycles.
Insider tips
Things Modern and Medieval Languages applicants commonly miss.
- 01
Ab initio routes (German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese from beginner) are real and well-resourced — the entry test does not assume prior knowledge of the ab initio language.
- 02
Read literature in the original language before applying — a few chapters of a 19th- or 20th-century novel will give you the depth tutors are looking for.