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TSR Wiki > University > Applying to University > Procedure > Oxbridge > Oxbridge Interviews

This document is collated from the experiences of many Oxbridge applicants, students and graduates. It is all opinion, but worth reading. This page is not meant to alarm you by any stretch of the imagination. Oxbridge interviews are intimidating, but thinking about it before hand can help. Again, do not panic as you read this.

• See also the interview section of Applying to Oxbridge

IMPORTANT: if at any point during the interview process you feel like you've done badly remember a) you are on the inside and cannot accurately assess how you're performing b) you may be being pushed harder to test your limits as you're a promising candidate c) if you've really screwed something up, speak up. Say something like "that's not right" or "I realise that what I wrote in the test wasn't quite right as I'd misread the question" or "can I try that again?".

The interview is not the be-all and end-all; it is simply a part of the selection process. If you have a strong academic record and reference, you can still get an offer even after an atrocious interview (some of us know people who have!). And if you have a poorer academic record, a good interview can sometimes swing it for you.

Preparation

• Know why you applied for that course.

- It might seem like an obvious answer but the better you can verbalise why you chose that specific course, the more that knowledge will help you in the interview.

• Know what's on your course.

- Many people were asked about what they thought was on your course, and it doesn't reflect too well on you if you don't know. You don't need to know much about the individual topics, but know what topics are in the FIRST YEAR!

• Anything that is on your personal statement - know well!

- Some interviewers will not talk to you about personal statement things because they want to test you with new ideas. Others will want to make sure you really know what you said you knew and will ask you on your personal statement. It looks very bad if you say you read something and haven't! Read your personal statement before you go in.

• Any work you've submitted - know well!

- Again, interviewers may not mention this at all, or it might make up the basis for one of your interviews (if you're having more than one).

Some people look up the fellows of their prospective college and google them to find out their academic interests. The merits of this are debatable. It might be nice to have something to fall back on, but they're interested in YOU and what YOU have a passion for.

Subject Preparation

• Know some of the broad ideas of who said what. They won't mark you down for not knowing, but knowing a little helps. A quick flick through a basic "intro to xxxxx" wouldn't harm your chances.
• Do some further reading - an English tutor at Jesus this year said she hates having candidates who've read nothing but their A-level texts and Harry Potter [sic], so make sure that if you're applying for English or a language that you've also read literature other than the set texts - even if it's not a "classic". Equally for scientists - even if it's only reading New Scientist, or some pop science (e.g. the Selfish Gene for Biologists) make sure that when they say 'so... what else interests you?' that you have something to say!

Submitted Work

Depending on college and subject you may be asked to submit a piece or two (or three) of work prior to interview. Much fretting has ensued over what should be sent

Getting there, staying over

If you've come from a great distance, or have an exam to take, the college may ask you to stay over the night before the interview. In a strange bed it can be even more nerve-wracking awaiting the interview, but take it all in as part and parcel of the whole experience and try to get a few hours shut-eye if possible.

If you're travelling on the day make sure that you leave enough time to get there. Make sure you have enough to eat and drink. Make sure you have enough money for a taxi to the college if you get lost. Remember that Oxford and Cambridge are expensive cities, and this isn't the time to scrimp and save, so make sure you have over £10 in case of emergencies.

Exam

Depending on your college and subject, you may sit an exam during the interview process. Don't fret too much about this. As you have not had any time to revise or prepare, it is usually intended to see how you respond and to furnish the interviewer with something concrete to distinguish you by.

Going to the Interview

• Be alert.

- You may not have had much sleep the night before, but try to keep a sharp mind.

• Arrive on time.

- Find out WHERE you have to go and WHO you are seeing. Sometimes interviews overrun and it's difficult to get from one interview to another, but try to keep punctual if it's within your control.

• Follow instructions

- If you've been told to knock, do so. If you've been told to wait outside, do so.

How to Dress

"The best rule to follow is to wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Casual clothes are fine. Most tutors will not dress up for you, so it is not necessary to dress formally. Remember that you are not being assessed on your clothes or haircut! On the other hand, it is inadvisable to look deliberately scruffy; it is hardly an indication of your commitment to the whole process."

Wear what you feel comfortable in, I'd guess over half the people in pembroke DIDN'T wear a suit, but chose to go for an informal attire. I personally wore jeans and a zippy jumper. Football Kit is NOT advised .... keep it reasonable. The advantage of casual clothes is it can make the interview feel slightly less like an interrogation and more like a discussion to see if you are the right person for your subject in the college.

Should I wear a suit? If you want, doesn't really matter, just don't go out of your way to look a mess. It is advisable to wear something you've worn before so you feel comfortable sitting down, standing up etc (for example, you don't want a tight skirt that is awkward to sit in).

Interview Advice

• Think before you speak, stop, have a minute of silence to yourself before replying .... obviously don't wait this long every question, but do think, stop for a few seconds before any question.
• If you don't understand the question, ask them to clarify it for you.
• They may ask you unanswerable questions. Give both sides of the argument, then you can say that you're not sure what answer you'd give.
• Move the conversation along, if you see a link up with another topic, then talk about it. However, ensure you still answer the original question.
• Be confident and assertive when answering. Be ready to defend your position (especially in social sciences where there are no right or wrong answers). But don't be arrogant. The interviewers aren't there to decide whether you're clever enough, but whether they would like to teach you. Nobody wants to teach a know-it-all.
• Give longer answers. Quick, concise answers are great for the test, but will prolong the feel of the interview. They want a conversation which flows and has direction, and they can only do that if you give them opportunities to ask linked questions.
• At the same time, make sure that you're not just waffling on about nothing. A lot of the time interviewers will leave a pause when you stop speaking. This doesn't necessarily mean what you've just said is rubbish, they're simply giving you some time to think. Don't feel you have to fill the silence and start talking off the top of your head. Make it clear when you've finished saying what you have to say.
• Try to be as innovative as you can and don't just settle for what you think is a "good" or "standard" answer, but try to think what you can add to make what you are saying better.
• Remember that the interviewer is trying to help get the best out of you.

Subject Specific Interview/s

You will probably sit one of these, maybe two. In many cases two is the standard but extra interviews may be given, or you may be sent to another college. Again, it varies.

The format will vary widely depending on subject. For some subjects (e.g. English) you may use one interview to discuss the content of your personal statement - such as books you've mentioned reading or poetry you've enjoyed. For science subjects this is less common, and it is more likely that you will be given problems to solve or questions to answer. Generally these are designed to be 'problem solving' where no specific prior knowledge is required so there's no need to panic!

Tasks

During the interview, or shortly prior to it, you might be given a problem to solve, a poem to analyse, or a task to complete. Often you'll be given a text to read which you must then analyse in the interview or something similar. Make lots of notes - they're unlikely to ask to see them, and may help you out later!

General/College Interview

You may be asked to attend a 'general' or 'college' interview. This is conducted by interviewers who don't teach your subject. It is possible that one of the purposes of this interview will be to see how you'll fit in with the college atmosphere and whether you are a well-rounded person who will be an asset to their college. However, officially at least, this should not be the case and a 'general' is just as academic as a subject-based interview. You may be asked questions on your personal statement, and about your enthusiasm for your chosen subject.

After the Event

Don't worry. If you feel your interview went badly it often means they just grilled you harder, and can often help your chances of getting a place over someone who found their interview easy but wasn't really grilled. Don't feel to hard done .... if the interview went badly then you have an excuse to go down the pub (not that you need an excuse), if it went well then you also have an excuse (this should read "After interview - Go down pub").

If your interview went well, don't go around saying how easy it was. Many people will feel their interview went very badly and the last thing they want to hear about was how well one individual did!

Try to avoid discussing interviews with other candidates (at least the specifics) until after you've all finished. Generally questions will be switched between interviews but only to a certain extent - you don't want to give the game away!

Urban Myths

"There was an interview where the interviewer asked the student to surprise him, the student set the table on fire and got in!" "A friend of a friend had an interview and when he got in the interviewer had his back to the student and they conducted the interview like that, and he got in!" "My mother's best friend's imaginary friend bob's cousin, had an interview where he set a banana on the table, had the interview and when the interviewer asked him about the banana he said "now you'll remember me"!

These are urban myths, they will not happen, the interviewers are there to make your life easy, they want your full potential and they'll only get it in a normal interview.

Testimonies

• blissy, English at New Hall, Cambridge: I had three interviews and an exam. I stayed over the night before the interview as I was required to sit my exam at 6pm in the evening! My stomach was in knots the whole day before the exam and then during the entire night before the interview. I'd never felt as sick in my life as I did waiting for my interviews. It's a while ago that I had my interviews now, but I remember almost crying in one because I was challenged quite ferociously on a poem. Instead of falling apart, I told myself not to be put down and I turned and said "I don't know a lot about that, I admit, but I do know..." Overall, the interview and exam left me feeling like I'd had a right grilling. I had no idea how it went, and when I got the letter I was shaking all day - even after I'd seen the acceptance. The whole process is so charged with emotion, but try not to let that get to you during the interview!

• ali, Biochemistry at Exeter, Oxford: I had two interviews with no exams and hadn't sent any written work either...all in all biochemistry applications are a bit simpler than some subjects! I arrived the night before and both my interviews where the next day (2pm and 5 pm). The first one was in the college with the biochem tutor and a postgrad, both were really nice and the interview was a lot less nerve racking than i thought it would be! The questions mainly concentrated on Alevel stuff with some ideas being developed beyond Alevel. The second one was at St Annes (i was told beforehand where it was) and this was more personal statement based. All the interviewers where really welcoming and current students were around to help out if needed. As my interviews didn't finish until 5.45 i stayed at the college overnight and went home the next day, they were fairly flexible about when you left. Overall i would say don't worry, they're not dragons and take some Alevel stuff with you so you can read through stuff and calm your nerves down.

• Helen, Medicine at Clare, Cambridge: I had two interviews, both with Medical Fellows of the college, including both Directors of Studies. I had already sat the MVAT (precursor to BMAT) before my interview. I came up the night before and stayed in Mem Court, then had a rather nervous breakfast with various other interview candidates in the Hall before my interview. As I'd been kicked out of my room by then, I wandered round town looking nervous until it was time for my interview. They were both in the same suite of rooms with only a 20 minute gap between them. Both my interviews were very scientifically based; they asked a little about my work experience and my Gap year plans, but I think only as an ice breaker. Large parts of the interview consisted of being shown pictures of various things (electron micrographs, light micrographs, radiographs) and asked questions about them. These questions were not just "What can you see here?" but once that was answered, they asked more about what I thought certain sections might do, and then more information about the Biochemistry and Physiology of the systems at work there. Both sets of interviewers were very nice, it wasn't a grilling at all, but they did steadily push me with each question. I did answer "I don't know" on a couple of occasions, but then went on to think about what possibilities could be and work through from there. It was all over within an hour!

• Jen, Experimental Psychology at St Hilda's, Oxford:The night I arrived at college we sat a test. By the end I was convinced that I had completely messed up my chances as I completely missed out one question and only half answered another, but everyone else said that they found it difficult as well. The next morning I was first on the interview list. I had to collect a passage on Cognitive Psychology from an administrator, and I sat reading through it whilst I waited (and to be honest, I didn't understand much of what I was seeing). The interview was very structured, and all about Psychology. The tutor wanted to check that I understood that the course is very scientific, and we explored themes from the article I had been given. About ten minutes in, she said in a very surprised voice: "You're doing quite well, actually," and from then on the questions got harder! I also got a chance to explain a bad AS Level result. My second interview was with a lady who can only be described as a bit of an Oxford eccentric. Again, the interview was very structured and she was most definitely in control of the conversation topic, which was purely Psychology (she didn't ask me anything about my extra-curricular activities at all)! All the while she was scribbling notes down in a book, which was most unnerving. I spent most of my afternoon in my room, doing some schoolwork and feeling depressed. But when I finally ventured downstairs the first girl I came across invited me out to dinner with her and some of her friends, which put an end to my miserable mood, and I had a great evening. The next morning I had my final interview at New College. The two tutors were lovely, and the interview was very free-flowing. My only "oh crap" moment came when I was asked what parts of my A Level course I enjoyed, and I said social psychology. The man looked up brightly and said "I'm a social psychologist, what concepts can you remember?" And I promptly forgot everything I learned during that module. That evening I decided not to be a hermit, and went looking for some girls to hang out with. A group of us ended up going to G&Ds for ice cream and a chat. Unfortunately I had to stay until mid-afternoon the next day as the tutors had a meeting to decide who they were going to offer places to, and whether they wanted to re-interview anyone. They didn't, which was scary and a relief at the same time. Another girl and I went to the train station together and I finally got my train home, happening to end up sat next to an engineering interviewee. My advice is to just relax and enjoy it, and also: do not stay in your room! You meet lots of interesting people by going out to find some companions, and the support you get from each other helps to turn a scary prospect into a great few days away.

• Henry, Maths at Merton, Oxford: I arrived mid-morning, all in good time for the written test. I was ushered around by a set of very nice JCR helpers, with one specifically for my subject, so that if I had any questions, I could ask her. I milled around in the JCR and had brunch in hall all before the 2 and a half hour test. I think I did reasonably well in the end - the test is meant to be hard though, with the average over the whole university being 63% this year - practising the specimen tests provided online is a very good idea. After the test, we were left to socialise/do post-mortems with the other students. Everyone was very nervous, but with a few games of Giant Jenga to break the ice, everyone started chatting, and I made a few great friends. Merton organised good activities for the evening, like a pub quiz and excursions to the cinema. The next day I had 2 interviews lined up, about 6 hours apart, with me being the last to be interviewed by both sets of tutors. My first interrview was quite good. They made me feel comfortable by having a small chat with me about my personal statement, and then we went into the maths. The questions being asked were drawn from harder examples of what I might have learned on the A-level syllabus, and a few more abstract questions towards the end, to test me. Then, after waiting 6 hours, and getting suitably nervous, I went to my second interview, in which they asked me 1 easy question to begin with, and then the rest were absolutely awful! I was almost crumbling under the pressure, but kept good composure, and just kept on talking about how/what I was thinking. I went out feeling quite depressed, but then I shared my experience with other interviewees, and their stories were very similar to mine, something that made us all feel a lot better about the whole process. All in all, it was actually quite good fun, and meeting the other applicants almost made you feel that if you didn't get an offer, somebody else who deserved it, and who is genuinely nice, would. Just go in confidently, and speak clearly about what you are thinking (and know all of C1-3 inside out!), and you should be fine! Good luck!!

• Ellen, English at Harris Manchester, Oxford: I arrived the night before my first interviews at Keble College, as that was where I originally applied. I got there just in time for dinner - which was really good, I might add - and I found the current students and other applicants surprisingly easy to talk to, despite the fact that I'm quite shy myself. I'd been quickly whisked up to my room by a student runner to drop off my belongings just before dinner, and I headed back there afterwards to get a last little bit of reading done, and a good night's sleep. I never got the reading done - I figured that if I didn't know what I was talking about by then, extra cramming was going to do nothing beyond causing stress! So I played DS games - hee hee - to unwind, and went to sleep early. The next day I got up early and hunted for the JCR, where an interview list was supposedly going to be pinned up that morning. I found my interview-times - one was at about 11am; the other at about 3pm.

The first interview rolled around - it was a poetry interview, so I was given a poem to analyse and told to go and find a quiet corner in which to read it. I was to go back in half an hour, or earlier if I felt ready before then - I think I took about twenty minutes, but in hindsight I wish I'd taken the full half-hour. The interview started out okay, but quickly turned into quite an unpleasant experience - the questions were tough, and although I wasn't at a loss for answers, the interviewers seemed to be coaxing me to say something else... which I couldn't discern at all! I left the interview pretty much in tears, and then called my boyfriend to have a good old blub about it. I definitely recommend talking to someone if you feel you've done terribly - sometimes you need someone else to put things in perspective for you. Either way, it worked for me and, successfully calmed-down, I headed for my second interview. This one focused more on my interests (my essay topic, the books I'd mentioned in my UCAS statement, etc) and was a lot less intimidating.. although I still felt like my answers were very run-of-the-mill and not at all "Oxbridge material" (to use a phrase that I hate!)

I was sure by that point that, even if I had redeemed myself slightly in the second interview, that I still hadn't done anything like enough to be made an offer. So I packed my things up, expecting to take the first coach home in the morning (after one final check of the interviews notice board) and, finding the JCR empty - probably due to everyone being in interviews/cramming wildly in solitude - I went off by myself and explored Oxford, which was brilliant fun, and led me to a great bakery (on South Parade, for the record) where I bought an enormously piggy cake to make myself feel better. At dinner that night, almost everyone seemed a bit subdued - no-one thought they'd done well, but everyone admitted that it was quite consoling to find everyone else in the same boat, because it hopefully meant we weren't quite so sub-par after all! When I came down the next morning to look at the notice-board in the JCR, I was fully expecting to be able to go away immediately to plan my trip home (so sure in fact, that I nearly didn't bother to check at all).. so I was completely shocked to see my name on the notice board along with an invitation to interview at Harris Manchester. I hadn't fancied the look of it from the prospectus, but when I got there I was amazed at how pretty it was, and how welcoming the staff and students were (moral: try to visit some of the colleges before the interview period - they're very different "in the flesh"!). My first interview at HMC was with both of the college's English tutors, and revolved solely around the books I'd mentioned on my UCAS statement. I found the interviewers easy to talk to - the whole thing felt more like a conversation than a grilling - and whilst I certainly didn't feel like I'd aced the interview afterwards, it didn't feel like a total disaster either. I then went up to my final Oxford interview - a general interview with the Principal of the college. The prospect was pretty terrifying (though I was assured that it was just standard procedure at HMC) - but the Principal actually turned out to be very friendly, and the interview was more of a philosophical discussion coupled with a few questions about my gap years and future plans. I left the college still feeling that I was incredibly unlikely to get an offer but really hoping that, if by some miracle I was made an offer, it would come from the second college and not the first.

Anyway - brief end to a long story - I got an offer from Harris Manchester, which I was (and still am) over the moon about. My main advice would be: talk to the other applicants/current students whenever you can, as I really found it helped; phone home if you get really stressed, as I found that to be the best help of all; and don't assume that you won't get a second shot at a different college, because you never know!

More Information

General information

• More information on interviews

Subject and uni specific advice

• English at Cambridge TSR wiki advice on how to approach a poem
• Law at Cambridge Example interview question
• PPE at Oxford TSR wiki advice on the full PPE interview process

External links

Oxford Admissions
Cambridge Admissions
Interviews in Action Film A short, scripted film about interviews at Cambridge