Oxbridge may turn its back on face-to-face interviews after candidates take to Zoom

THE cryptic questions asked by tutors during Oxbridge interviews have long been surrounded by an air of mystery.

There is, of course, the legendary tale of a tutor throwing a rugby ball as students walk into the interview: if they caught it they got a place and if they threw it back they got a scholarship.

But this may all become a thing of the past as dons say interviews could now be permanently conducted over Zoom.

Typically, candidates are invited to stay overnight at the Oxbridge college to which they apply while they are interviewed by different tutors.

But for the second year in a row, interviews at Oxford and Cambridge – which are normally held during December – have taken place virtually.

Both universities said they decided earlier in the year that they would hold interviews online owing to the ongoing “uncertainty” of the pandemic.

They stressed that the virtual interview format in 2020 ran smoothly and that feedback was positive, with Cambridge noting many students appeared “more relaxed” than in person.

“It begs an interesting question about whether we will ever go back to in-person interviews,” one Oxford don said.

“It seems to work pretty well and we have always done it for international students. It certainly saves a lot of money feeding candidates and the colleges get an extra week of conference trade, which keeps the bursars happy.”

The academic source, who is familiar with admissions, said that some dons think the switch to virtual interviews has “worked out very well”.

“The 17-year-olds are from a generation that is so used to Zoom, it may be this is the way of the future,” he said.

“It may be better for them than being dragged to Oxford and wondering if they need to wear a suit or not. For some it’s a very stressful experience to hang around and wait for an interview.”

Both universities say no decision has been made whether interviews will be online this year.