Linguistics Applicants 2023

Curious if there were any other prospective undergraduate Linguistics applicants at Cambridge for 2023 entry. If there are, I was wondering what kind of preparation you've been undertaking in order to prepare for the Linguistics Admissions Assessment.

Reply 1

beaquin

8

Original post by alan_thebalan

Curious if there were any other prospective undergraduate Linguistics applicants at Cambridge for 2023 entry. If there are, I was wondering what kind of preparation you've been undertaking in order to prepare for the Linguistics Admissions Assessment.

Hey! I am applying this year, although for deferred entry (so not until 2024). I'm honestly feeling quite daunted by the sheer amount of questions on the paper to answer in just 60 mins, particularly since so many questions seem to be high-mark qs (8/10 markers). My main prep is for section 1 because that is the easiest to find practice qs for I think. I've been looking at past paper questions from the UKLO, and also using a book called The Language Lover's Puzzle Book which is full of similar types of questions. I think I'm going to do some practice papers and actually ask a biology teacher to mark the 2nd and 3rd questions, as they're a similar style of question to the science a-levels. Beyond linguistics puzzles and practice papers though I'm not really sure how else to prepare so let me know if you have had any ideas since you posted this! :smile:

Reply 2

random_guy110

6

Hi! I'm applying for Linguistics at cambridge, I actually applied last year but decided to take a gap year and apply again this year (I was already going to take a gap year and decided i might as well try again hahaha). Last year I did all the sample practice papers I could find (I think only 3 or 4) and did some linguistics olympiad past papers to get a bit more practice for the first bit. I actually think the test last year was slightly easier than the sample papers (apart from one graph which i couldnt read due to being colourblind), but many others seemed to have found it quite difficult so idk. Good luck you lot

Reply 3

alan_thebalan

OP

10

Original post by random_guy110

Hi! I'm applying for Linguistics at cambridge, I actually applied last year but decided to take a gap year and apply again this year (I was already going to take a gap year and decided i might as well try again hahaha). Last year I did all the sample practice papers I could find (I think only 3 or 4) and did some linguistics olympiad past papers to get a bit more practice for the first bit. I actually think the test last year was slightly easier than the sample papers (apart from one graph which i couldnt read due to being colourblind), but many others seemed to have found it quite difficult so idk. Good luck you lot

Cool! To which college are you applying? I'm applying to Queens' and I received an invite to interview from them yesterday, and my admissions assessment is on Friday 25th November 9:30pm-11pm - I can't believe it's in 2 weeks, it all feels quite real now all of a sudden. Have you heard anything back from your chosen college?

Reply 4

random_guy110

6

Original post by alan_thebalan

Cool! To which college are you applying? I'm applying to Queens' and I received an invite to interview from them yesterday, and my admissions assessment is on Friday 25th November 9:30pm-11pm - I can't believe it's in 2 weeks, it all feels quite real now all of a sudden. Have you heard anything back from your chosen college?

That's madddd last year I applied for Queens and got my email notifying me of interview on the 11th nov as well 🤣🤣. Haven't heard anything from Downing this year yet though, I can only pray 😭. Good luck though!!! Did they give you one or two interviews???

Reply 5

alan_thebalan

OP

10

Original post by random_guy110

That's madddd last year I applied for Queens oand got my email notifying me of interview on the 11th nov as well 🤣🤣. Haven't heard anything from Downing this year yet though, I can only pray 😭. Good luck though!!! Did they give you one or two interviews???

Oh well at Queens' we only have to sit one interview, I think it's meant to be between 35 and 45 minutes long.

Reply 6

alan_thebalan

OP

10

Original post by random_guy110

That's madddd last year I applied for Queens and got my email notifying me of interview on the 11th nov as well 🤣🤣. Haven't heard anything from Downing this year yet though, I can only pray 😭. Good luck though!!! Did they give you one or two interviews???

Oh and I haven't got an exact date for the interview yet. Apparently they are sending an email for details about that in the next two weeks. For all I know it could be the same week as my assessment, which would be really quite annoying because that feels like rather short notice, and it isn't like in December like the My Cambridge Application form said it would be. I know this because last year someone from my school who applied to Linguistics had their assessment and interview literally one day apart, with his assessment actually taking place first, both at the very end of November.

Reply 7

random_guy110

6

Original post by alan_thebalan

Cool! To which college are you applying? I'm applying to Queens' and I received an invite to interview from them yesterday, and my admissions assessment is on Friday 25th November 9:30pm-11pm - I can't believe it's in 2 weeks, it all feels quite real now all of a sudden. Have you heard anything back from your chosen college?

God is good just got an email saying I've got an assessment on the exact same date and time as you, maybe we will be in the same zoom call for the test ahahhaa (last year it was multiple colleges at the same time), but nothing about an interview didn't even tell me if I have one which I'm a bit confused about but they only make you sit the assessment if you do but I'm still a bit worried about that ahahha. How is Ur prep going?

Reply 8

beluqu

4

Hi! Magdalene applicant here! To be honest I haven’t done too much preparation for the paper since there are so few past papers available! My exam is also on the 25th at 9:30! Just wondering if anyone knows whether we’re handwriting or typing the assessment? My email was really vague!!

Reply 9

random_guy110

6

Original post by beluqu

Hi! Magdalene applicant here! To be honest I haven’t done too much preparation for the paper since there are so few past papers available! My exam is also on the 25th at 9:30! Just wondering if anyone knows whether we’re handwriting or typing the assessment? My email was really vague!!

Hiya last year we typed the whole thing. I imagine it will be the same

Reply 10

beluqu

4

Original post by random_guy110

Hiya last year we typed the whole thing. I imagine it will be the same

Amazing, thanks!! I 100% prefer typing! Good luck on the assessment!

Reply 11

schwa

1

Original post by random_guy110

Hiya last year we typed the whole thing. I imagine it will be the same

Hi, were you allowed to print out the paper at the beginning of the test? What was the format of the exam? Were you typing the answers on a separate document or the test itself? Thank you very much!

Reply 12

random_guy110

6

Original post by schwa

Hi, were you allowed to print out the paper at the beginning of the test? What was the format of the exam? Were you typing the answers on a separate document or the test itself? Thank you very much!

obviously have no clue how it will be this year, but last year we typed the answers on the computer, but we were allowed to print it beforehand so that we would have a paper copy. If I remember correctly, we typed up our anwers onto a separate word document and then sent them that but i can't really remember. But again, this year could be completely different so don't take my word for it. Hopefully we'll get an email explaining all this to us at some point anyways. Good luck lads!!!

Reply 13

bluzzo

4

Honestly I did the papers on the cambridge website & did some oxford Linguistics Test questions but that’s it. I guess they’re trying to see how we think. So maybe shouldn’t overdo practicing but am just gonna try to put my best foot forward on the 25th.

Reply 14

Marichatforever

8

Original post by alan_thebalan

Curious if there were any other prospective undergraduate Linguistics applicants at Cambridge for 2023 entry. If there are, I was wondering what kind of preparation you've been undertaking in order to prepare for the Linguistics Admissions Assessment.

Hi, I'm applying for Linguistics too!
I'm preparing for the assessment on Friday by practising with past papers, reading a book on grammer and generally consuming content about linguistics.