Most Cambridge MPhils have taught elements and you will be part of a cohort of students, although a few are research programmes examined by thesis and oral only.
Nearly all MPhils with taught elements are one-year full-time courses. It is also possible to study a small number of MPhils part-time over two years.
MPhils are assessed in a variety of ways: these can include essays of 3,000 - 10,000 words; perhaps a dissertation; possibly a timed examination; and in some cases an oral examination on your coursework and/or dissertation and the field of knowledge in which it falls.
Both types of MPhil provide an excellent transition to full-scale PhD research. They introduce you to research skills and specialist knowledge, and an MPhil dissertation may be a valuable introductory experience in the preparation of and work on a research dissertation. In fact, in some subjects, an MPhil is a prerequisite for continuing on to research work.
There is no automatic continuation from an MPhil to a PhD - an application must be made to 'continue', and a suitable supervisor must be identified. If an offer of admission to the PhD is made, it will be conditional on your performance in the MPhil, as well as on providing evidence of your ability to fund your PhD studies. Other conditions may also be specified.