In my day (1969) there were six ways of getting into Cambridge:
A-levels. Not valued much on their own.
S-levels. A sort of super-A level, and counted for a lot in conjunction with A levels
Entrance exams
Scholarship/Exhibition exams
Interview
Being outstandingly good at certain sports.
It was understood that there were no correct answers to the exam questions, and merely answering "C" or "D"would have secured no marks. Everything hung on the reasoning leading up to the conclusion, which could be brilliant even if the "wrong" answer.
An interview could sometimes trump everything. One boy at my school, who had already jumped a year, was invited for interview on the English master's recommendation while still in the lower sixth, and was awarded an unconditional place. In theory he could have abandoned A levels and just bummed around for a few years until he decided to go up.
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