Treat Oxbridge interviews like discussions

ith the Oxford and Cambridge interviews for undergraduate programmes approaching, aspiring students are working to present the best version of themselves during the question and answer sessions. However, there are preexisting notions around the interview system at Oxbridge.

If you are trying to crack one of these interviews, you must know that these are only to help the university staff decipher if you will be able to thrive in the rigorous academic atmosphere at Oxbridge. They are often styled to be a mini tutorial or supervision, in which you will regularly engage if you are accepted at one of these universities.

The interviews aim to assess whether you can cope with the supervision or tutorial style of teaching. No matter how brilliant you are on paper, if you cannot discuss your subject, you won’t be able to contribute to the supervisions or tutorials. Therefore, you will not get an offer. So, here are a few things to keep in mind:

First impressions do matter. So make sure you are dressed well. It doesn’t have to be too formal, just smart casual clothes will work.

Do not be afraid to think out loud and ask questions. They want to understand your thinking process and engage with you. The more interactive the interview, the better. Do not think of it as a Q&A session.

For many arts and humanities subjects, there is no right answer. They just want to see how you respond.

For many STEM subjects, you will be asked to solve equations. It is absolutely fine to make mistakes, as long as you explain your thought processes. They want to be sure you can learn, not that you already know it all.

The questions are meant to challenge but not completely take you off-guard. So, they will not ask you questions unrelated to your subject. But be prepared to apply the knowledge you have in entirely new ways.

In discussions, if you have a differing viewpoint, stand your ground and back your views.