Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)
Shortly after submitting your UCAS application you will be asked via email to complete an online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ). In order to make a valid application to the University of Cambridge you must submit your SAQ by the deadline set. In the majority of cases it’s anticipated that this deadline will be 22 October 2012*.
- Introduction
- What does the SAQ look like?
- What do I need to complete the SAQ?
- Frequently asked questions
- Further information
Introduction
The purpose of the SAQ is to ensure that we have complete and consistent information about all applicants. It also enables us to collect information that’s not part of the UCAS application but is helpful when assessing applications, such as the topics you’ve covered as part of your AS/A Level (or equivalent) courses (which helps our interviewers decide which questions to ask).
If you’re unable to complete the SAQ online (eg because you don’t have a valid email address or as a result of a disability), please contact Cambridge Admissions Office as soon as possible (01223 333308 / saqhelp@cao.cam.ac.uk) and we will send you a paper version of the SAQ to complete.
What does the SAQ look like?
The SAQ is divided into eight sections:
- Application Type
- Photograph
- Personal Details
- Course Details
- Education
- Qualifications
- Additional Information
- Submit
These sections make up the horizontal navigation displayed along the top of each page, as shown in the SAQ screenshot below.
Each of the eight sections contains a number of pages with a series of questions for you to complete. These are accompanied by a blue ‘Help Text’ panel that provides guidance to help you with your answers. Further help is available through a link to the Guide to Completing the SAQ.
What do I need to complete the SAQ?
There are a number of pieces of information you will need to hand, in order to complete the SAQ. These include:
- your UCAS Personal ID number
- the temporary SAQ Password we sent you by email
- a passport style digital photograph of yourself
- your BMAT registration number (if applicable)
- details of the units you have taken/are taking including the UMS results achieved so far (if you have taken/are taking modular AS/A Levels)
- details of the band scores you have achieved (if you have taken Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers)
You may also find it helpful to have a think about your answers to the questions with free text boxes, such as the optional additional personal statement and how you have kept up your interest in the subject you are applying for outside your AS/A Level (or equivalent) qualifications.
If you have all the above information to hand and have thought about your answers to those questions requiring a comment or statement, we estimate that you could complete the SAQ in around an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Cambridge have a Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)?
The Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) has been developed to ensure that we have complete and consistent information about all applicants. It also enables us to collect information that is not part of the UCAS application but is helpful when assessing applications. The SAQ will ask for details such as UMS marks obtained on AS/A Level units, information about topics already covered as part of your AS/A Level (or equivalent) courses (which helps our interviewers decide which questions to ask), and registration numbers for admissions tests (if applicable).
What is the deadline for submitting my SAQ?
The initial email you receive from the University about completing the SAQ will include a deadline by which you should submit your SAQ. In the majority of cases this will be 22 October 2012.
I’ve applied to the University of Cambridge but I’ve not received an email, what should I do?
It will take a short time for your application to be processed therefore you will not receive an email from us immediately after submitting your UCAS application. If you submit an application to the University of Cambridge through UCAS but do not receive an email by 20 October 2012 you should contact Cambridge Admissions Office (saqhelp@cao.cam.ac.uk / 01223 333308).
What should I do if I lose my SAQ login details?
If you lose the initial email from the University which contains the web address of the online Supplementary Application Questionnaire and your temporary SAQ Password please contact Cambridge Admissions Office (saqhelp@cao.cam.ac.uk / 01223 333308) requesting that your initial login details be resent.
What if I forget my SAQ Password?
Don’t worry if you forget your password. If this happens enter your UCAS Personal ID on the login page and click on “I have forgotten my password” link. We will send you a new temporary SAQ Password by email. You will be asked to change this temporary password to a password of your choice when you next log in.
What is my UCAS Personal ID?
Your UCAS Personal ID is the unique number which UCAS allocates to your application. If you have forgotten your UCAS Personal ID, please contact UCAS Customer Services (telephone 0871 4680468) or refer to UCAS Track (www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply/).
What if my email address changes?
We will use the contact details you provided as part of your UCAS application to communicate with you. If your email address (or any other contact details) change after you have submitted your UCAS application you will need to advise UCAS Customer Services (telephone: 0871 4680468) or change the information on UCAS Track (www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply/).
I don’t have a digital photograph of myself, what should I do?
We strongly encourage you to upload a digital photograph. However, if you are unable to provide a digital photograph please follow the link given in section 2 of the SAQ. This will take you to the Undergraduate Applicant Photograph Submission Form. The completed form should be returned to the Admissions Office of the College you applied to, or, in the case of open applicants, Cambridge Admissions Office (CAO) by 22 October 2012.
How much detail do I need to give about topics that I have studied?
We are looking for a list of the main topics that you have covered in your studies in order to help the staff interviewing you to compose appropriate questions to ask. As such, you only need to include topics covered up to December 2012. The two examples below (the first is for A Levels, and the second is for the International Baccalaureate) give an indication of the level of detail that we are looking for in this question.
| Subject | Qualification/Level | Class size | Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | AS Level | 15 | Molecules and Cells, Exchange Transport, Genetics |
| Biology | A Level | 10 | Human Health, Respiration |
| Chemistry | AS Level | 8 | Atomic Structure, Bonding, Kinetics, Energetics |
| Chemistry | A Level | 7 | Functional Groups, Periodicity |
| English Literature | AS Level | 10 | Keats, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire |
| Mathematics | AS Level | 15 | Algebra and Functions, Calculus, Trigonometry |
| Mathematics | A Level | 12 | Probability, Complex Numbers |
| Subject | Qualification/Level | Class size | Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | IB Higher Level | 15 | Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Outsider, Antony and Cleopatra, Yeats, Heaney |
| Spanish | IB Higher Level | 12 | Study of Grammar, History of Spain and South America, Spanish Literature, Politics and Culture |
| History | IB Higher Level | 15 | Russia 1850-1953, Causes of the Cold War, Rise and Rule of Single Party States |
| Biology | IB Standard Level | 15 | Cells, Digestion, Respiration, Health and Nutrition, Blood and Circulation |
| Latin | IB Standard Level | 10 | Catullus: Love Poetry, Horace, The Aeneid Book II, Translation of Ovid, Grammar |
| Maths Studies | IB Standard Level | 20 | Calculus, Trigonometry, Financial Mathematics, Algebra, Graphs |
What do you mean by a high school transcript?
If you are attending a school/college/university outside the UK, you must send a copy of your high school transcript in English (and also your university transcript if you are attending a university) in order to make a valid application to the University of Cambridge.
By high school transcript we mean a record of your academic achievement to date in your secondary school or college examinations. For most students this will be an official document or certificate from your school or college which lists the subjects you have studied and the grades/qualification that you have obtained. See an example high school transcript.
Please also complete a High School Transcript Coversheet and send this with your transcript.
My SAQ is not displaying correctly on my computer screen, how can I correct it?
If you are having difficulty displaying pages of the SAQ correctly (when they have previously displayed without any problems) please try logging out and logging back in again. This should correct any problems you are experiencing.
I’m unable to submit my SAQ, what should I do?
You will be unable to submit your SAQ if you have not answered any compulsory questions or you have provided an invalid answer. Go to the “Overview of answers” page by clicking on “Review My Answers” to check for any errors. Once you have corrected any errors try to submit your SAQ again. You will need to agree to the declaration statement again.
What if I notice an error in the information I have submitted on the SAQ?
Once you have submitted your SAQ, it is not possible to amend the answers online. If you now notice an error in the information you provided or have any other queries please contact the Admissions Office of the College you applied to or, in the case of open applicants, Cambridge Admissions Office (CAO) (admissions@cam.ac.uk / 01223 333 308).
Can schools/colleges still submit an additional Cambridge-specific reference?
As we receive a copy of the UCAS reference, there is no need for teachers/referees to provide an additional reference for Cambridge. However, if teachers/referees have any particular comments to make that relate to Cambridge specifically they are welcome to do so and should send this direct to the relevant College.
In order to ensure that any additional reference arrives at the right place it should be addressed to the Admissions Office at the College concerned and should include the applicant's full name, date of birth, course applied for and, if possible, UCAS Personal ID number. In the case of an open application, this information should be sent to Cambridge Admissions Office. Contact details for the Colleges can be found at in the College contacts section.
Further information
You’ll find detailed guidance about completing the SAQ in our Guide to Completing the SAQ. You can also watch our short series of videos, which demonstrate the main features of the questionnaire in SAQ: A Quick Tour.
Should you have any further questions about completing the SAQ please contact the Cambridge Admissions Office (01223 333308 / saqhelp@cao.cam.ac.uk).
*If a different deadline applies to you, your College will notify you of the date. If you’re in any doubt about the deadline by which you must complete the SAQ, please contact the College to check as soon as possible.