Course Summary · 2027 Entry
History and Modern Languages at University of Cambridge
Key requirements for History and Modern Languages at University of Cambridge, compiled from the official course page, with 1-to-1 tutoring from Oxford or Cambridge graduates.
In a nutshell
History and Modern Languages (HML) is a four-year course combining the History Tripos with a modern language. Year 3 is spent abroad in a country where the language is spoken. You take roughly half history, half language papers across the four years.
Course summary
What University of Cambridge publishes for History and Modern Languages.
- UCAS code
- VR19
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Typical A-Level offer
- A*AA
- Required subjects
- A modern language
- Recommended subjects
- History
- Admissions test
- No pre-registered admissions test. Every college sets the language assessment at interview (19 November 2026): post-A-Level applicants write a 40-minute discursive response in the foreign language plus 20 minutes in English; ab initio applicants write 40 minutes in English plus a 20-minute language aptitude test. Hughes Hall and St Edmund's additionally set a history assessment.
- Interview
- Tutors expect strength in both halves. Be ready to read a short historical primary source closely, and to discuss a short text in your A-Level language. The course is genuinely a joint degree, not a single subject with a side language.
- Official course page
- https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/history-and-modern-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 History and Modern Languages applicants commonly miss.
- 01
You must already have an A-Level (or equivalent) in your chosen language - HML does not run an ab initio language route. For ab initio routes choose MML (R800) or AMES (T620).
- 02
A clear "why both" answer matters: tutors look for applicants who can articulate why history and language belong together for them, not just that they happen to be good at both.