Your Oxbridge Interview
The Facts
Urban Myths
When I walked in for my interview at the more academic of the two Oxford
colleges I was hoping to join, I knew straight away that I was in trouble: beside
the deep chintz-covered armchair containing a don ostentatiously reading his
newspaper, stood two other interviewers, each armed with a fire
extinguisher. My whole strategy had been undermined. They already knew
what I had planned as a response to the inevitable opening gambit from the
fellow hiding behind the Telegraph: "Do something to surprise me." There was
one course of action open to me. Rather than the table, I set fire to myself
instead. The next day, after obtaining my discharge from the burns unit, I
turned up only slightly late for the interview at the sportier of the two colleges.
Here, I knew, nothing could go wrong. As I walked in to the room, a don would
throw me a rugby ball, albeit at a tricky height: if I caught it, I would win my
place; if I passed it back, an exhibition; if I drop kicked it into the wastepaper
basket, a scholarship would be mine. The door opened, the object flew at me
from an unexpected angle, I took it cleanly, shimmied past the elephant's foot
umbrella stand, sidestepped the Don standing by the window with a lampshade
on his head and placed a perfect drop into the fireplace. Sadly, the scheming
academics had substituted a medium-sized Ming vase belonging to the Warden
for the ball and it, along with my hopes of a brilliant Oxford career, shattered
into a thousand pieces on the grate.
The Interview
Interviews are just ONE part of the
admissions process
Admissions decisions are based on:
• Predicted A-level or equivalent grades
• AS grades and UMS
• GCSE grades
• UCAS reference
• UCAS personal statement
• Submitted work (where requested)
• Test results (where applicable)
• Interview performance
How we do interviews…
• Around 85-90% of applicants called to interview
• Overnight stays available for those that need them
• Interviews usually take place in December with
subject tutors in the College
• 1 or 2 interviews, each around 20-40 minutes
• Academic and subject based
• Some students are called back for second interviews
in January at other Colleges, through the Pool
What does it involve?
Focused and challenging questions, typical of teaching
and learning at Cambridge
Interviews are likely to involve discussions on:
• Recent academic work
• Relevant wider reading
• Work experience, where relevant
• Issues related to the subject in the wider world
• New scenarios in which to apply knowledge
For some subjects, tests may also be sat whilst here for
interview
What topics might an interview
be on?
Could be anything! A discussion can evolve from some
things you can know about in advance:
• Submitted written work
• Academic interests stated on Personal Statement
• Recent school or college work
And some things you can’t predict:
• Unseen material…
• Written, graphical or mathematical problem-solving
An example from Law…
“A person shall be guilty of an offence if, without having
the consent of the owner or other lawful authority, he
takes any conveyance for his own or another’s use or,
knowing that any conveyance has been taken without
such authority, drives it or allows himself to be carried
in or on it.
Have X, Y and Z committed any offence in these
scenarios?”
How can you prepare?
• Re-read your Personal Statement
• Know the course applied for!
• Use websites, articles, books to read around your
subject beyond what you have to do for school/college.
• Complete relevant work experience, if appropriate
• Look at sample papers for tests (see the University
websites)
• Get used to talking about chosen subject
Any questions?