Peterhouse ESAT scores for Cambridge Engineering (H100)

In the 2025 admissions cycle, applicants who received an Engineering (H100) offer from Peterhouse, Cambridge averaged ESAT scores that step down module by module: 6.41 on Mathematics 1, 10th of the 25 undergraduate colleges and 0.05 above the pool median of 6.36; 6.11 on Mathematics 2, 15th and 0.11 below its median; 5.92 on Physics, 22nd and 0.55 below its median. The 0.49 spread across the three comes mainly from the Physics step. Everyone who applied to the college that year averaged 5.0, 4.84 and 4.97 in Mathematics 1, Physics and Mathematics 2, close to one another, and offer-holders sat 1.41, 1.08 and 1.14 above that field, the largest gap in Mathematics 1 and the smallest in Physics. These are cycle averages for two groups of people, not entry requirements. Cambridge publishes no ESAT score threshold of any kind.

Peterhouse ESAT scores at a glance (2025 cycle)

What offer-holders scored: Mathematics 1 averaged 6.41, Mathematics 2 6.11 and Physics 5.92; 6.15 across the three modules
What the whole applicant field scored: Mathematics 1 averaged 5.0, Physics 4.84 and Mathematics 2 4.97; 4.94 across the three modules
Applicant-to-offer gap: 1.41 in Mathematics 1, 1.08 in Physics and 1.14 in Mathematics 2, largest in Mathematics 1 and smallest in Physics
Rank within the undergraduate college pool: Out of 25 colleges: 10th in Mathematics 1, 15th in Mathematics 2, 22nd in Physics
Distance from the pool median: 0.05 above in Mathematics 1 (median 6.36), 0.11 below in Mathematics 2 (median 6.22), 0.55 below in Physics (median 6.47)
Spread across the three modules: 0.49, highest in Mathematics 1 and lowest in Physics, the three ranks stepping down 10, 15, 22

These are averages and extremes for applicants and offer-holders at this college in the 2025 Engineering (H100) cycle, not entry requirements; Cambridge publishes no ESAT score threshold. The FOI response gives no applicant counts per college, so sample sizes are unknown and a handful of candidates can move an average. Ranks are computed within the undergraduate college pool only, and are not comparable with the mature colleges, which admit applicants aged 21 and over. ESAT results are reported on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place. 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.

What Peterhouse's ESAT numbers actually are

The University's official Freedom of Information response FOI-2025-956 lists ESAT scores for Engineering (H100) applicants and offer-holders college by college for the 2025 cycle; below is the full set for Peterhouse. ESAT results are reported on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place. What shows first at Peterhouse is that the three offer figures step down one after another: applicants averaged a closely bunched 5.0 in Mathematics 1, 4.97 in Mathematics 2 and 4.84 in Physics, while offer-holders averaged 6.41, 6.11 and 5.92 in the same order, Mathematics 1 in front and Physics at the bottom. Both columns are grouped by the college applied to in that cycle, and the University notes that some applicants change college or course part-way through.

	Applicant average	Applicant range	Offer-holder average	Offer-holder range
Mathematics 1	5.0	1.1 to 9	6.41	3.6 to 9
Physics	4.84	1.1 to 9	5.92	3.2 to 9
Mathematics 2	4.97	1 to 9	6.11	3.3 to 9

The averages and the lowest and highest scores come line by line from official response FOI-2025-956; the overall three-module averages of 4.94 and 6.15 are calculated by FrontierVUE from that same response. Each range is the lowest and highest score in the group, describing what happened in the 2025 cycle rather than a requirement on the next cohort.

6.15

Overall three-module average for Peterhouse offer-holders, 2025 cycle

4.94

Overall three-module average across all applicants in the same cycle

0.49

Spread between the three offer averages, highest in Mathematics 1 and lowest in Physics

Among offer-holders the lowest scores were 3.6 in Mathematics 1, 3.2 in Physics and 3.3 in Mathematics 2, all far beneath the same group's averages of 6.41, 5.92 and 6.11, while the top score in that group reached 9 in every module, as did the top applicant score. At Peterhouse, in other words, all three offer ranges touch the ceiling of the scale; the differences lie entirely in the floors and the averages. One cohort of offers held both a 9 and scores in the low threes, which is not what a cut-off would look like; Cambridge publishes no ESAT score threshold of any kind.

How to read these numbers

6.41 is an average, not a bar to clear

It is the average Mathematics 1 score of Peterhouse Engineering offer-holders in the 2025 cycle, and actual scores in that group ran from 3.6 to 9. Cambridge publishes no ESAT score threshold, and no college has published a minimum of its own. The accurate sentence is that offer-holders in this module averaged 6.41 that year, not that 6.41 is what you need.

No applicant counts, so a 22nd place may not be a steady one

The response gives averages and extremes only, with no applicant count or offer count for any college. Peterhouse's Physics ranks 22nd, 0.55 below the pool median; in a year with few candidates a handful of physics results can widen or close a gap of that size. Read these figures for direction rather than as a stable benchmark to track year on year, because the sample size behind each one is unknown.

Ranks are computed inside the undergraduate pool only

Peterhouse's 10th, 15th and 22nd places are all calculated within the 25 undergraduate colleges. Hughes Hall, St Edmund's, Wolfson and Lucy Cavendish admit only applicants aged 21 and over, so they draw on a different pool; ranks are computed separately and this page never lines the two pools up against each other.

A 1.0 to 9.0 scale, and some candidates moved college

ESAT results are reported on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place, so a gap of 0.05 from the median is effectively level and a spread of 0.49 is still a small quantity on that scale, not to be felt as if it were percentage points. The University also notes that some applicants change college or course during the cycle, with figures grouped by the cycle applied in, so the group counted under a college is not necessarily the group that ends up reading Engineering there.

One line to hold on to: this page answers what people who applied to Peterhouse scored last cycle, not what you must score. Its shape is Mathematics 1 level with the pool median, Mathematics 2 a little under it and Physics clearly further back. Let that shape into how you split your time; do not translate it into a number you have to hit.

To place Peterhouse among all 29 colleges side by side, there is a separate piece on this site, Cambridge ESAT scores by college, with the cross-college comparison and interactive charts; this page stays with Peterhouse alone. FrontierVUE is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the University of Cambridge or any college; this page only organises and reads a public response.

Three things specific to Peterhouse

10 / 25

Where the Mathematics 1 offer average ranks in the undergraduate pool, the only one of Peterhouse's three above the pool median

15 / 25

Where Mathematics 2 ranks, 0.11 below the pool median, just under the line

22 / 25

Where Physics ranks, 0.55 below the pool median, the widest of the three gaps

Spread across the three modules

0.49

Mathematics 1 highest at 6.41, Mathematics 2 at 6.11, Physics lowest at 5.92

Versus the pool median in Mathematics 1

0.05 above

Peterhouse 6.41 against a pool median of 6.36, effectively level

Versus the pool median in Mathematics 2

0.11 below

Peterhouse 6.11 against a pool median of 6.22, the middle step

Versus the pool median in Physics

0.55 below

Peterhouse 5.92 against a pool median of 6.47; the pool's floor on this module is 5.63

Applicant-to-offer gap

1.41 / 1.08 / 1.14

Mathematics 1, Physics and Mathematics 2 in order, largest in Mathematics 1 and smallest in Physics

On the applicant side

Module averages of 5.0, 4.84 and 4.97

Close to one another, 4.94 overall; the offer side is 6.15 overall, and the staircase appears only there

Put together, Peterhouse's shape has three features. First, the three ranks form a staircase of 10, 15 and 22: Mathematics 1 at 6.41 is 0.05 above the pool median, Mathematics 2 at 6.11 is 0.11 below, Physics at 5.92 is 0.55 below, each a step down from the last. Second, the gaps run in the same order as the ranks: 1.41 in Mathematics 1 is the largest and 1.08 in Physics the smallest, so at Peterhouse that year Mathematics 1 separated the offer group from the field most and Physics least. Third, the applicant field is close-set across the three (5.0, 4.84, 4.97), so the staircase appears only on the offer side. None of this means physics matters less at Peterhouse or that the college is easier to get into; with no applicant counts in the FOI response, how steady a 22nd place or a gap from the median is cannot be judged.

Preparing with Peterhouse's shape in mind

01Step 1

Mathematics 1 is the anchor

Peterhouse's offer group averaged 6.41 here, ranks 10th, is the only one of the three above the pool median and carries the largest gap at 1.41; it is also the module every candidate sits. Get Mathematics 1 to a steady state first.

02Step 2

Treat Mathematics 2 alongside Mathematics 1

6.11 ranks 15th, 0.11 under the pool median, just beneath the line. Together with Mathematics 1 it forms Peterhouse's relatively forward side and does not belong in the secondary pile.

03Step 3

Keep Physics from collapsing

5.92 ranks 22nd, 0.55 under the pool median, with the smallest gap of the three at 1.08. The rank describes where Peterhouse sits among colleges, not a licence to do less physics; it is still a third of the exam. Break the weakest topics out for targeted drills and, under timing, keep the physics run from collapsing.

04Step 4

Go back to full timed sittings

Run the modules back to back to rehearse switches and the time budget, then work through solutions and error analysis question by question. Peterhouse's combined offer average of 6.15 comes from none of the three collapsing; the 0.49 spread orders priorities and is not a reason to drop a module.

Where practice weight goes for Peterhouse's profile

Priorities inferred from the 2025 offer-group distribution, not an official requirement

Mathematics 1 (10th, 6.41)0.05 above the 6.36 pool median, with the largest gap of the three at 1.41

Mid-level questions as the standing workload, accuracy and pace together
File errors by topic and clear arithmetic slips first

Mathematics 2 (15th, 6.11)0.11 under the 6.22 pool median, with a gap of 1.14

Keep algebraic manipulation and function work level with Mathematics 1
Keep one mixed set a week so practice does not circle the comfortable types

Physics (22nd, 5.92)0.55 under the 6.47 pool median, with the smallest gap of the three at 1.08

Keep mid-level mechanics and circuits at a regular volume, with the weakest topics drilled separately
Under timing, keep the physics run from collapsing and leave no half-attempted items

Tap a branch to unfold

The ESAT past papers live at /papers/esat, and some papers are free to try; the free labels on the list page show which ones are currently open. The three module guides under /exams/esat/guides/ (mathematics-1, physics, mathematics-2) cover syllabus and method, and scoring explains where the scaled score comes from.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What ESAT score do you need for an offer at Peterhouse?

There is no such score. Cambridge publishes no ESAT threshold, and Peterhouse has never stated a minimum of its own. What can be said is what happened in the 2025 cycle: offer-holders at this college averaged 6.41 in Mathematics 1, 6.11 in Mathematics 2 and 5.92 in Physics, the lowest scores within that same group were 3.6, 3.3 and 3.2 in the same order, and the highest was 9 in every module. An average describes where a group sat, not a condition of entry.

Physics ranks 22nd of 25. Can I do less physics?

No. The rank describes where Peterhouse sits relative to other colleges, not how much Physics matters in the exam. In the 2025 cycle Peterhouse's offer group averaged 5.92 in Physics, the lowest of its three, with the smallest gap of the three at 1.08, which says this module separated the offer group from the field least that year; but the offer average still sits 1.08 above the applicant column's 4.84. Physics remains a third of the exam: keep a regular workload and break the weakest topics out for separate practice.

What does Peterhouse's staircase of ranks, 10, 15 and 22, actually mean?

It means that in the 2025 cycle Peterhouse's offer group sat in a different place relative to the pool on each module: 0.05 above the median in Mathematics 1, 0.11 below in Mathematics 2, 0.55 below in Physics. The applicant field was close-set across the three (5.0, 4.84, 4.97), so the staircase appears only on the offer side. Why it does is not something a response with no applicant counts and no distributions can answer, and the University notes that some applicants change college or course mid-cycle. It is worth letting into how you split your time, not worth treating as a conclusion.

How should I split time across the three modules for Peterhouse?

Peterhouse's three offer averages span 0.49, in a staircase of Mathematics 1 10th, Mathematics 2 15th and Physics 22nd. A sensible split makes Mathematics 1 the anchor, treats Mathematics 2 alongside it, and keeps Physics at a regular workload with the weakest topics patched first rather than cutting it by rank. This is an ordering read off a distribution that already happened, not an official instruction, and you should still reassemble all three under full paper timing.

Sources

Official sources

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 Peterhouse application

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

Practise ESAT papers All college scores