[hellisonwright]

As someone going through this process at the moment, I find it unlikely that a candidate who could naturally cope with the Oxbridge courses would struggle with the further maths content in isolation. For all its flaws, the course is largely a disjointed collection of fundamental problem solving methods and concepts which are reintroduced at University level anyway.

The exams themselves however are an entirely different matter, and I know of several capable students who have had their university prospects diminished by poor performance in the exam room - whether due to anxiety, poor 'exam technique' (less relevant for maths of course), or other factors.

Notably, Cambridge interviews a high proportion of candidates who apply for maths, which presumably enables them to take some of the emphasis away from the exam results on paper, and give much more consideration towards the logical thinking and problem solving skills useful for the Tripos.