Professor Eric Kerrigan, Admissions Tutor, Electrical and Electronic Engineering

As Admissions Tutor my job is simple: to find out if you would gain the most from studying in our department. Of course you should have the potential to succeed in a challenging course, as demonstrated by meeting our entry grades, but we’re looking beyond your raw marks for a passion in developing your knowledge and understanding.

In addition to your academic ability, your application will be considered on your wider profile and an interview to assess your potential for success in your degree choice. We'll look at your personal statement and reference to understand your personal motivation, commitment to your chosen area of study, and your broader interests.

"Electrical and Electronic Engineering is profoundly shaping the human experience, providing the most powerful set of tools that has yet existed to interact with each other and our environment, on Earth and beyond! We encourage applications from all who want to learn what it takes to create our future."

Applications

The application process

If you are interested in applying to one of our programmes, please read the following guidelines to help with your application. 

How and when to apply

  • We have one intake a year in October.  Applications are made through UCAS by 31 January, eg for entry in October 2024 you will need to apply by 31 January 2024.  
  • All applications received at UCAS by the January deadline are given equal consideration.
  • We do not accept "Late" or "Extra" applicants.
  • We do not take applicants through UCAS Clearing.
  • We are unable to accept direct entrants or transfer students into the second, third or fourth year. 

What happens next

After you have sent your application to UCAS, they complete basic checks and forward this to the College. After this, it can take up to two weeks for the application to be processed by our central admissions team and if it meets our threshold entry requirements, they pass it to the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering for further assessment. 

We look at your academic record and predicted grades.  We read your personal statement and the academic reference. This year we have a maths admissions test. 

We will be running the tests in parallel with assessing your application. We will run the test in two sittings: one in early November and one in early February:

  • If you apply before 15 October, the test will be held on 2 November
  • If you apply between 16 October and 30 January, the test will be held on Monday 12 February. 

After successfully participating in the admissions test, and after looking at your UCAS form carefully we will then make the decision as to whether we will invite you to interview.

 

Entry requirements

Imperial College London regularly considers applicants from many countries holding a wide variety and combination of qualifications.

A full list of qualifications and entry requirements for our undergraduate courses including A-level and International Baccalaureate.


Around half of our undergraduate intake come to us with A levels, and approximately 15 per cent with the International Baccalaureate. During a typical year, Imperial College London considers nearly 100 different qualification types, and we are experienced in dealing with complex combinations of qualifications.

Meeting academic requirements is only one of the factors we take into account when we make our decision on your application. Other factors include suitability for the course, proficiency in English (you will need to pass a College-approved English language test), reference and interview.

Your application

When considering your application we look at your academic record and predicted grades.  We read your personal statement and the academic reference.  

The personal statement is a very important part of the selection process as it helps us assess your interest in the subject.  We want to hear why you are interested in the course and details of any skills, interests and attributes that demonstrate aptitude, motivation and interest in the course.

Show your potential

Alongsde an interest in maths, technology and electronics, we love to see potential students who show a level of curiosity about how the world works. Maybe you've had some experience of Arduino projects or robotics at school.  Further Mathematics is beneficial as it helps you understand the content taught in first year, however it is not compulsory. 

Students should have a very solid foundation in mathematics and physics — particularly in electricity and electronics, but the most important thing is that you have a passion for problem solving and a creative mindset. If you are someone who enjoys experimenting with circuits and has an intuition for programming, then these skills will really help you to thrive on this course. 

Prospective students don't need to have experience with computer architecture or programming to succeed, however this will be a bonus. Follow your curiosity, do little projects just for the fun of it — they don’t necessarily have to achieve anything huge. Try programming projects or building games.

EEE is a challenging degree, although ultimately rewarding. Balancing getting your best grades alogside your social life and engagement with societies means you'll need to work hard on your time management.

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Admissions Test and Interviews

About the Admissions Test

What is IC Aero/EEE MAT?

The IC Aero/EEE MAT is an online, invigilated mathematics test of A-Levels (or equivalent) standards. This test is designed to assess the applicant's understanding of core mathematical concepts.

When does it take place?

This usually occurs at the beginning of November and February, approximately 3 weeks after the deadline of each application cycle. Every shortlisted applicant will be invited and required to undertake this test.

How long is the test and how will it be conducted?

The test will take place on an online platform and invigilated over a group meeting on Microsoft Teams. 

The total duration of the meeting is one hour. The test itself contains 30 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), lasting a total of 30 minutes.

More information will be provided separately to shortlisted applicants. The use of calculators is not allowed in the IC Aero/EEE MAT

Will my performance be heavily impacted by unfamiliar questions?

The IC Aero/EEE MAT is designed such that a typical applicant is not able to answer all questions in the given time. Therefore, it is expected for applicants to skip questions if they are unfamiliar with the topics being assessed.

Are there any material available to prepare?

List of topics

The list of topics examined during the test are:

  • Algebra – algebraic fractions, indices, exponentials, logarithms
  • Functions and Graphs – roots of functions, regions, circles, parametric functions
  • Trigonometry – identities, radians, inverse functions
  • Calculus – differentiation, integration, first principles, differential equations
  • Limits, Sequences and Series – geometric series, arithmetic series, sum of squares and cubes
  • Other –even and odd functions, approximation, numerical methods, vectors

If there is a topic there that has not been covered in school yet, do not worry, you will not be unfairly penalised. The test allows for applicants to skip any questions they are unsure of

Sample /Past paper

There are papers provided to familiarise yourself with the template of the test. These will also briefly describe the range of topics that can be tested and does not reflect the actual difficulty of the test.

Two sample papers with solutions are provided below: 

IC Aero/EEE MAT Sample Paper 1
IC Aero/EEE MAT Sample Paper 2

What should I do a couple of days before the test?

Familiarise yourself with:

  • The instructions provided in the invitation,
  • All the required equipment and test the platform before the IC Aero/EEE MAT.

Top Tip! Give yourself time to troubleshoot through the issues that might occur with the technology used to administer the IC Aero/EEE MAT.

About the interview

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview. In 2022-23 these will be held online.

What can I expect at my interview? 

  • A 25-30 minute one-to-one interview  with one of our lecturers on Microsoft Teams. 

Interview preparation

We aim for the interview to be more of a conversation. The main purpose of the interview is for us to see whether you are suitable for the course, as much as for you to decide if Imperial is the place for you. 

You will be asked questions to understand your thought process and to see how you solve problems. The interviewer will also ask you about your motivation for the course.

  • Be ready to explain why you want to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering or Electronic and Information Engineering
  • Think of examples of team work and how you have used your time effectively
  • Think about why Imperial College and why this course
  • Be prepared to answer questions on your personal statement
  • If you are taking an Extended Project, be ready to talk about it

You are not expected to wear formal interview attire, such as a suit. Please wear clothing you feel comfortable in.

Interview Dates

Our Autumn interview dates will be confirmed in October. 

Receiving an offer

If you have been successful in your interview, you will receive an offer from the Department!

Depending on your qualification, performance during the interview and other factors, the offer will vary. 

We will be making all decisions in March 2024. 

The College’s offer holder information will help you understand what needs to be done before you start your journey with us.

For questions about the steps after receiving an offer, please contact the Engineering Faculty Admissions Team.