Pembroke College ESAT Scores: Applicants and Offer Holders

For the 2025 entry cycle, applicants who received an Engineering (H100) offer from Pembroke College, Cambridge averaged 6.38 on Mathematics 1, 6.46 on Physics and 6.48 on Mathematics 2, giving an overall ESAT average of 6.44. Everyone who applied to the college that cycle averaged 4.54 across the three modules. These are the score distributions that actually occurred, not entry requirements: Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold of any kind. Below, the figures are broken out module by module, placed against the 25 undergraduate colleges in the same pool, and read for what they mean in practice.
Pembroke ESAT Scores at a Glance
Offer holders' module averages
Mathematics 1 6.38, Physics 6.46, Mathematics 2 6.48, overall 6.44
All applicants' module averages
Mathematics 1 4.59, Physics 4.61, Mathematics 2 4.42, overall 4.54
Are the three modules balanced?
Yes: the three offer averages span just 0.1 of a point
Rank among the 25 undergraduate colleges
Mathematics 2 6th, Mathematics 1 12th, Physics 14th
Is this a cut-off?
No. Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold, and one Pembroke offer holder that cycle scored 3.7 on Mathematics 1

The figures come from University of Cambridge Freedom of Information response FOI-2025-956, covering Engineering (H100) in the 2025 entry cycle. The response gives no applicant counts per college, so sample sizes are unknown and a small college's average can be moved by a handful of candidates; treat these as reference points, not benchmarks. Ranks are calculated inside the pool of 25 undergraduate colleges only. The mature colleges, which admit applicants aged 21 and over, form a separate pool and are not mixed into the figures on this page. Pool ranks, pool medians, the overall three-module averages and the various gaps are calculated by FrontierVUE from the same response; Cambridge publishes no such rankings.

01

What Pembroke's ESAT numbers actually look like

ESAT results are reported on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place. In the 2025 cycle, Pembroke's Engineering applicants averaged 4.59 on Mathematics 1, 4.61 on Physics and 4.42 on Mathematics 2. Among those who went on to receive an offer, the same three averages were 6.38, 6.46 and 6.48. Both groups are spread wide: applicant scores reach as low as 1, and the offer holders are far from uniformly high, with one candidate receiving an offer on a Mathematics 1 score of 3.7.
Applicant averageApplicant rangeOffer holder averageOffer holder rangeGap between the two
Mathematics 14.591.1 to 96.383.7 to 91.79
Physics4.611.1 to 96.464.5 to 91.85
Mathematics 24.421 to 96.484.9 to 92.06

Scores are on the 1.0 to 9.0 scale. The averages and the lowest and highest scores are quoted digit for digit from FOI-2025-956, covering Engineering (H100) in the 2025 entry cycle; the last column is the two averages on that module subtracted from each other, not a figure in the response.

Overall offer holder average

6.44

Across all three modules taken together

Overall applicant average

4.54

Everyone who applied that cycle, including those without an offer

Highest offer average

Mathematics 2, at 6.48

Also the module where the college ranks highest in its pool

Lowest offer average

Mathematics 1, at 6.38

Just 0.1 of a point below the highest module

02

How to read these numbers

The most common misreading first: these are not entry requirements. Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold of any kind. The 6.38, 6.46 and 6.48 above mean "the average score of the people who received an offer that year on that module", not "the score you need to be in contention". Within that same group of offer holders the spread is large: on Mathematics 1 the lowest was 3.7 and the highest 9, covering almost the whole scale. Treating an average as a target line overstates both its precision and its gatekeeping role.
The Freedom of Information response gives no applicant counts per college. Colleges differ in size, so the number of candidates behind each average differs too, and where that number is small one or two extreme scores can move an average by a few tenths. These figures are useful for reading shape and relative position, not for setting a personal target score.
Is 6.44 a Pembroke threshold?
No. 6.44 is the overall average across the three modules for the people who received an offer in the 2025 cycle. It is a description of what happened, not a requirement set in advance. Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold of any kind.
Why is Pembroke not compared with the mature colleges?
Hughes Hall, St Edmund's, Wolfson and Lucy Cavendish admit only applicants aged 21 and over, so their applicant pool is not comparable with that of the undergraduate colleges and ranking the two together would be meaningless. Every rank on this page is calculated inside the pool of 25 undergraduate colleges alone.
What about applicants who switch college mid-cycle?
The official response notes that some applicants change college or course during the cycle, and the figures are grouped by the year of application. These averages therefore reflect how candidates were grouped that year rather than implying that everyone stayed at one college throughout.
Where can I compare colleges side by side?
For side by side comparison across colleges, and for the Home and International split, see Cambridge college ESAT scores compared, which carries the interactive charts.
03

What is distinctive about Pembroke's profile

Placed back into the pool of 25 undergraduate colleges, Pembroke's shape is clear: Mathematics 1 and Physics sit almost exactly on the pool median, while Mathematics 2 sits noticeably above it. The Mathematics 1 offer average of 6.38 is 0.02 above the pool median of 6.36 and ranks 12th. The Physics figure of 6.46 is 0.01 below the pool median of 6.47 and ranks 14th. Mathematics 2, at 6.48 against a pool median of 6.22, is 0.26 above and ranks 6th, the only one of the three modules in the upper band of its pool.

6.44

Overall offer holder average

0.1

Spread across the three modules

6

Mathematics 2 rank among 25 colleges

2.06

Mathematics 2 applicant to offer gap

Mathematics 2

6th in pool, 0.26 above the median

Offer average 6.48 against an applicant average of 4.42, a gap of 2.06, the widest of the three modules

Physics

14th in pool, 0.01 below the median

Offer average 6.46 against an applicant average of 4.61, a gap of 1.85

Mathematics 1

12th in pool, 0.02 above the median

Offer average 6.38 against an applicant average of 4.59, a gap of 1.79, the narrowest of the three modules

Two separate signals point the same way: Mathematics 2 is the tightest module at this college. It is both the module where Pembroke ranks highest in its pool (6th) and the one with the widest applicant to offer gap (2.06). For reference, Mathematics 2 offer averages across the 25 colleges in the pool run from 5.7 to 6.99, placing Pembroke's 6.48 in the upper part of that range. At the same time, the three offer averages span only 0.1 of a point, sitting almost on top of one another, so nothing in these figures marks out one module as the softer one.
04

How to prepare for this profile

If you take one preparation conclusion away from this page, it is this: make Mathematics 2 the centre of gravity while keeping the other two modules from slipping. That is not a guess. Both of the measures above, the rank within the pool and the applicant to offer gap, point to Mathematics 2 as the tighter module at this college. Here is how that translates into day to day work.
01Diagnose

Sit one full timed paper first

Do all three modules in one sitting under time, so you come away with a separate Mathematics 1, Physics and Mathematics 2 score. Then read those against the applicant and offer averages on this page to see where you currently sit. A single total hides the differences between modules, and for this college the useful information is at module level.

02Focus

Put the weight on Mathematics 2

This is the module where Pembroke ranks highest in its pool and where the applicant to offer gap is widest. Get accuracy on the pure and algebraic material stable under timed conditions first, then work on speed and on raising the score.

03Balance

Keep the other two modules current

The three offer averages span just 0.1 of a point, so nothing in the figures marks out one module as the one to drop. Even when Physics and Mathematics 1 are not the focus, keep a fixed weekly volume of questions and one timed run on each, and move the next block of time to whichever module starts slipping.

04Review

Review by module, not by total

After each timed paper, log the modules separately and watch three trend lines rather than one number. The wide spread among offer holders in this data suggests that no single high or low score settles anything; a steady trend tells you more than one peak.

Where to spend time for Pembroke

Time allocated to match the college's actual module profile

Mathematics 2 (focus)6th in pool, offer average 6.48
  • Fluency on pure and algebraic question types
  • Accuracy under time rather than raw speed
  • Log errors by question type, not by difficulty
Physics (hold)14th in pool, offer average 6.46
  • Core mechanics and electricity models
  • Fast self checks on units and dimensions
Mathematics 1 (hold)12th in pool, offer average 6.38
  • Speed and consistency on routine calculation
  • Manipulating expressions, equations and inequalities (M4 Algebra)
Managing expectationsOffer holder scores are widely spread
  • Do not read an average as a threshold
  • Sample sizes are unknown, so do not over-react to one figure

Tap a branch to unfold

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What ESAT score do you need for a Pembroke offer?
There is no such score: Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold of any kind. What can be said is how the scores were distributed. Among applicants who received a Pembroke Engineering offer in the 2025 cycle, the averages were 6.38 on Mathematics 1, 6.46 on Physics and 6.48 on Mathematics 2, an overall 6.44. Within that same group, the lowest Mathematics 1 score was 3.7. An average is the centre of a distribution recorded after the fact, not a condition of entry.
Is Pembroke harder than other Cambridge colleges?
On the ESAT figures, Pembroke sits in the middle to upper part of the pool of 25 undergraduate colleges rather than at either extreme. Mathematics 1 ranks 12th, 0.02 above the pool median; Physics ranks 14th, 0.01 below it; only Mathematics 2 stands out, ranking 6th at 0.26 above the pool median. Note too that the Freedom of Information response gives no applicant counts per college, so sample sizes are unknown and differences of a few tenths between colleges should not be read too heavily.
Which ESAT module should I prioritise for Pembroke?
Mathematics 2. It is the module where the college ranks highest in its pool, 6th of 25, and the one with the widest applicant to offer gap at 2.06; both measures point the same way. Prioritising is not the same as specialising, though: the three offer averages span only 0.1 of a point, with Mathematics 1 at 6.38 and Mathematics 2 at 6.48 effectively level, so nothing in the figures marks out a module you could safely let slide.
Where do these college level ESAT figures come from?
From an official Freedom of Information response issued by the University of Cambridge information compliance office, reference FOI-2025-956, covering Engineering (H100) in the 2025 entry cycle. The module averages and score ranges are taken digit for digit from that response, while the pool ranks, pool medians, the overall three-module averages and the gaps are arithmetic worked out on top of them rather than figures in the response itself. Two limits are worth knowing: the response provides no applicant counts per college, so sample sizes are unknown; and the university notes that some applicants change college or course mid-cycle, with the data grouped by year of application. For comparison across colleges, see Cambridge college ESAT scores compared.
Sources

Official sources

By college

Other colleges

ChurchillClareDowningEmmanuelGonville and CaiusJesusKing'sQueens'St John'sTrinityTrinity Hall

Compare all 29 colleges side by side

FrontierVUE is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson, OCR, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, or any official admissions-test owner.

FrontierVUE 是独立的备考练习平台，与 UAT-UK、Pearson、OCR、剑桥大学、 帝国理工学院或任何官方入学考试主办方均无隶属或背书关系。

Practise ESAT for a Pembroke application

Timed interface, worked solutions and per-question analytics across Mathematics 1, Physics and Mathematics 2. The first 2 papers are free.

Practise ESAT papersAll college scores