How the interviews work
Oxford and Cambridge interview many of their applicants as part of deciding who to make offers to. The interviews are academic. They are run by tutors who teach your subject, and almost all of the time is spent on the subject itself, not on your hobbies or why you chose a particular college.
Interviews usually take place in December. Many applicants have more than one interview, sometimes at more than one college. In recent years both universities have run many of their interviews online, but arrangements can differ between courses and colleges and can change from year to year. Each university’s admissions pages, and the page for your course, will tell you what to expect, including any admissions test or written work your course asks for.
Not everyone who applies is invited to interview, and an interview isn’t a sign that you are nearly there or nearly out. Treat it as a chance to show how you think.
Why they interview like this
Teaching at both universities is built around small-group sessions with a tutor, called tutorials at Oxford and supervisions at Cambridge. You might be one of two or three students discussing your work with an expert in the field.
The interview is a small sample of that. Tutors want to see how you would get on in those sessions. Can you engage with a new idea, take a hint and build on it, and say clearly what you think and why? Your grades and predicted grades already show what you have learned so far. The interview is about how you think when you meet something new.
The kind of questions you might meet
Expect at least one problem or question you have never seen before. That is the point: tutors want to watch you work something out, not recall an answer. The questions below are the kind of thing that comes up, not a list of real past questions.
- Sciences and medicine: Why do we have two kidneys but only one heart? Why is the sky blue but sunsets red? Why are most cells so small?
- Mathematics: Add the numbers from one to a hundred without adding them one by one. Is 0.999 recurring equal to 1?
- Law: A sign says no vehicles in the park. Is a bicycle a vehicle? An ambulance?
- Economics: Why is water cheap but diamonds expensive, when water matters more?
- English and history: What makes a text literature? How would you decide whether a source can be trusted?
You may be given something to read or look at in the interview, such as a short passage, a poem, a graph or an object, and asked to talk about it. Tutors may also ask about something you mentioned in your personal statement, such as a book you read or a topic you explored, so make sure you can talk about everything you wrote.
Medicine interviews at Oxford and Cambridge have traditionally followed this academic style, often with a strong focus on science, though arrangements can change and some may include MMI-style stations. Check your course and college pages, and prepare for problem-solving as well as questions about why you want to be a doctor.
What tutors are looking for
Tutors are not looking for someone who already knows everything. They are looking for someone who enjoys thinking hard about their subject.
- Thinking out loud. The tutor can only follow your reasoning if you say it. Talk them through your first idea, even if you are unsure.
- Using what you know. Good answers start from something familiar and apply it to the new problem.
- Taking hints. If a tutor offers a nudge, take it and run with it. Building on a hint is a good sign, not a failure.
- Changing your mind well. If the tutor points out a problem, think about it honestly. Defending a weak answer at all costs is less impressive than saying, “You’re right, that doesn’t work. Let me try this instead.”
- Curiosity. Interest in the subject beyond the syllabus, shown through what you have read, watched or wondered about.
It is completely normal to find the interview hard. Tutors will often keep pushing until you reach the edge of what you know, because that is where the interesting thinking happens. Being stuck for a moment doesn’t mean it is going badly.
Common worries
“I don’t go to a school that sends lots of people to Oxbridge.” Tutors interview applicants from every kind of school, and they are looking at how you think, not how polished you sound. Both universities run outreach programmes and publish plenty of free information.
“What if I chose the wrong college?” College choice matters much less than many people think. Both universities have ways of making sure strong applicants are considered by other colleges, so focus on your subject.
“What should I wear?” Whatever you feel comfortable in. Tutors care about your ideas, not your clothes.
“What if I don’t know the answer?” Say so, then say how you might start to work it out. Honest reasoning beats a confident guess.
How to prepare
Start with your own subject. Go back over the topics you have studied and ask “why?” about each one. Read a little beyond the syllabus, a book, a few articles, or a podcast, and be ready to say what you found interesting and whether you agreed with it.
Then practise the interview itself, out loud. Ask a teacher or someone who knows your subject to give you an unfamiliar problem and to keep asking follow-up questions. Practise explaining your thinking as you go, taking hints, and saying when you have changed your mind. After each attempt, think about where you got stuck and what helped you get moving again.
Reread your personal statement and anything you submitted with your application. If you mentioned a book or an idea, expect to be asked about it.
Clarity’s Oxbridge practice works the same way: an interviewer asks which subject you applied for, sets a problem you haven’t seen, gives small hints when you are stuck, and pushes back when an answer sounds too certain.