Archaeology @ Newnham, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

Archaeology Admissions Assessment at interview; 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: asked to analyse an unseen image; Interview 2: questions relating to A Level courses, personal statement

Best preparation

No advice!

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Try to mentally plan your answer before you attempt to answer

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Archaeology Admissions Assessment at interview

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: no

Time between interviews: 10-20 minutes

Length of first interviews: 15 minutes; Length of second interview: 15 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In the first interview, I was shown a scenario and was asked to explain what I saw and why. It was quite relaxing as I was interested in what was going on and interacting a lot. The interview took place in the academics' office which was really cool and it felt quite informal. The second interview felt more like a conversation. I was asked some questions relating to my A Level subject courses and personal statement. The interviewer was very nice and I felt really positive afterwards.

How did you prepare?

I was unable to prepare for the admssions assessment because I wasn't aware I was sitting it!

What advice do you have for future applicants?

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

My advice would be to relax and think through the questions you've been asked - don't worry if this means there is a short period of silence. It's better to a coherent answer with a clear purpose than ten minutes of fumbling around not having said much of substance. If you don't understand something, ask about it. The interviewers just want to know you're passionate about your subject choice. Definitely do some background reading in the specific areas which interest you. It's okay to be nervous, they'll expect that. Just try your best!