With a month to go before the first interview offers start rolling in, it's time to start thinking about preparation for the notorious Oxbridge interview.
For Oxford and Cambridge applicants, that interview offer is a dream come true. It can also be a little nerve-wracking, as students might have never experienced an academic interview before. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare will help you approach the process with the confidence you deserve, so read on for a breakdown of when to expect news, what the interview is like, and the best ways to prepare.
The Oxbridge interview timeline
You'll already know that the UCAS deadline is next Tuesday, the 15th of October. You'll probably have registered for the entrance exams, which should take place in early November. What then?
Late November
Interview invitations are sent out. Be on the lookout for communication from your college, which will confirm the dates of your interview. Note that you may have been 'pooled' to another college, so make sure to answer any communications from the University of Oxford or Cambridge.
Early to Mid-December
Interviews take place. Oxford interviews are usually conducted in early December, while Cambridge interviews may continue slightly longer into mid-December.
Mid-January
You will typically receive an email notifying you of the outcome of your application.
Understanding the interview's purpose
Essentially, tutors want to gauge how well you’d fit into the tutorial (Oxford) or supervision (Cambridge) system, both of which rely heavily on discussion.
That's why lots of interview questions are seen as confusingly abstract -- it's because they want to see how you approach difficult concepts you may not have come across before, not because they necessarily need you to arrive at the 'correct' answer. Often, for humanities subjects, there is no correct answer.
Our biggest piece of advice is to try to enjoy the interview. You have applied for this course for a reason: clearly, you have some passion or interest in it, or they wouldn't have invited you. So try to think of it more as an opportunity to talk to some highly-learned academics about a subject that interests you, rather than as a scary interview.
Most advice pages say that the interview is designed to test your ability to think critically and quickly. That's true, but it is also, on a very real and human level, simply a discussion to help them see if they'd like to teach you for three years.
What to expect
This part differs depending on what subject you're applying for, so you can contact Avalon if you'd like personalised advice from an Oxbridge student or graduate who has taken that subject's interview.
In general, though, the structure will look something like this:
Introduction
Your tutors will introduce themselves and might ask you some brief questions about yourself, like your interests and hobbies, or where you live. This is supposed to make you feel more at ease, so lean into it and try to establish an easy rapport with your tutors. Even better if you can find some common ground!
Academic questions
Your tutors will ask you a series of questions about your subject to gauge how interested and knowledgeable you are in it.
The types of questions will vary. In an English interview, students usually get a small extract like a poem, and are expected to discuss their thoughts (one of our English graduates was asked from which period she thought the poem might come from, and why). In a Physics interview, questions can be specific to a problem, or more abstract and vague (one of our Physics graduates was asked how she might calculate the number of air particles in the room).
This is the part most students dread, but it really doesn't have to be so scary. Remember: you're there for a reason!
Follow up questions
Tutors will usually riff off of what you give them, and will aim to create a discussion around a topic rather than reel off a list of questions. Remember that they are looking to push your thinking further.
Most interviews last around 20-30 minutes. You might have more than one, or even interviews for more than one college.
How to prepare
There's four parts to this, in our minds.
Know your personal statement. This is where the tutors will get a lot of their questions from, so be prepared to talk in depth about the things you've mentioned on your personal statement, especially the academic stuff.
Know your subject. No, you don't have to know absolutely everything, but make sure you practise any areas you're unsure of. If you're a humanities student, maybe this means analysing unseen texts. If you're in STEM, maybe look at solving problems.
Practise thinking aloud. The interview is a discussion for a reason, and the tutors want to see that you can clearly and concisely articulate your thoughts.
Mock interviews. By far one of the best ways to get accurate and efficient practise is to do a series of mock interviews (we can help here!). Practising mock interviews can help you feel more comfortable talking about your subject clearly to someone you've never met before, and the feedback you get is invaluable.
At Avalon, we offer a unique mock interview package in which you are given four 'interviews' with four different Oxbridge subject specialists. This allows for the most accurate interview process possible, and keeps feedback fresh and useful.
Yes, Oxford and Cambridge interviews are notoriously challenging. But if you have to leave with one piece of advice from us:
Tutors are looking for potential, not perfection. So enjoy it, and smile!
Coming up: keep an eye out for a blog on what the tutors are looking for in the interview and how you can aim to present yourself well, as well as some general tips for on the day.
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