The Oxbridge Interview

Below is general advice about preparing for your Oxford or Cambridge University interview, but the most relevant advice is always to be found on the universities own website, as this reflects any changes that are made to the process. For Cambridge you can find their advice here, and for Oxford click here.

Myths abound that Oxbridge interviews are all about catching you out with weird and wacky questions, but that is not the case. If you do get a left field question, it is designed to give you the opportunity to show how you think, so talk through what you are thinking and your thought process as the answer isn't really the important part. Ultimately, Oxbridge interviewers want to know if you will be suited to the 1 on 1 style of tuition that they use there, and if you will engage with a new and unfamiliar topic in a thoughtful way, rather than be closed-minded because it is new or strange to you. Far from being a trap, any unusual questions are set up entirely to give you the chance to show that you can think about new things and that you can discuss your thought process with a tutor, so see it as an opportunity to show how open to new ideas you are.

You have been selected for interview based on your grades, personal statement, and your score in any admissions testing. Assumptions are being made and tested about your capacity to learn, not about what you already know, though it is expected that you will have excellent school level knowledge, and some general wider reading. There would be no point going to university if you already knew the course content at an advanced level, so that is not part of the process. That said, you have told them in your personal statement about things you have read or done and they will expect you to be able to back that up by talking about it if asked. You should also be able to show that you have a genuine passion for your subject area, so wider reading is expected. Your preparation should include thoroughly going over your personal statement, and brushing up on those texts or activities that you mentioned, and engaging in additional reading. You don't have to read hundreds of books, but a strong range of reading or activities will help you. Simply being up-to-date on what is happening in your field (depending on what it is) is useful too, so the news, some recent magazine articles and recent podcasts can all help to give you a better idea of the current climate in your subject area - see our subject area pages for some tips. 

It takes up valuable time to interview someone, and time is money in any line of work, so Oxbridge are making an investment in you because they have decided you are worth speaking to, based on your grades and personal statement. Now they want to know if you are likely to respond well to their style of teaching. It is possible that the person interviewing you is the person who made the decision to call you for interview, and they genuinely respect you and want to get to know you. Whatever background you come from, however you have arrived at this interview, the decision to interview is based entirely on merit and you deserve to be there as much as anyone else. This should give you confidence that you have the Oxbridge pedigree and now the task is to show that you are enthusiastic, confident and that you think critically about new ideas.

It is normal to be nervous when you are being interviewed, not just for Oxbridge but for future jobs too. Nerves help us to focus on the task in hand and to bring out the best in us so channel that and use it to your advantage. You want to appear enthusiastic about your chosen course, so don't allow yourself to be overcome and to stiffen up. If it helps, sit forward in your chair so that you appear ready. Any nerves will also be soothed if you know you have prepared well, and this includes simple things like knowing how to access the interview and being ready promptly; rushing around or looking for things will only lead to anxiety so be very organised. Being organised also means knowing how the course that you are applying for works - you should be clear on the very basics of how long the course lasts, the different term names, the core subjects within the degree and so on. 

The interview is sometimes described as a mock tutorial, and often you will be discussing something very challenging which is supposed to be beyond your current level, as this shows them how you engage with new ideas. More than that, it allows you to get into a discussion, and to ask questions of the interviewer.  Sometimes you will be given something to read or work out, though not always. You should be confident enough to say when you don't know something, or to ask for a bit more clarification. It is supposed to feel challenging, and often the best interviews are the ones that left people feeling the most challenged, as the interviewer took things up a gear after seeing the potential was there to do that.

You do it for a driving test, and the same principle applies, practicing makes you feel more comfortable and more prepared. You may find it useful to have a teacher ask you questions, but anything that puts you on the spot and simulates the experience of asking you questions is going to be helpful. Example questions can be found online, but it is important to note that there are no set questions, and you have to be prepared to talk through new concepts. The main thing is to feel as comfortable as possible and to relax into the process. Your wider reading, subject knowledge and passion for your chosen field should all come across, and the opportunity to do that is going to be there. You should be ready for questions like why you want to study that course, but don't expect that it will come up, for many it doesn't. The best advice is to be yourself, prepare well and then give it your best shot on the day.