Test taken: None
Number of interviews: 1
Time between interviews: N/A
Length of interviews: 35 minutes
Online interview: Yes

My interview was done online via zoom. It was with two professors from my college and they roughly alternated in asking me questions over the course of about 35-40 minutes. We discussed in some depth my personal statement, and they asked me to follow up about some of the things I had said on there, including some of my areas of personal study like my EPQ. The interview didn't feel super "themed" as much as just trying to figure out why I wanted to study AMES and whether I would be a good fit for it.

About halfway through the interview I was asked to do a quick test, which looked at my grammatical understanding as well as my English proficiency and a short Chinese proficiency section as well. The questions weren't really things I could have known or been able to prepare for in advance, and some of them weren't even really "right or wrong" answers - they just wanted to see how well I was able to handle the questions. It was definitely worth, however, knowing some Chinese already (for the Chinese proficiency section), since even though it is considered an "ab initio" course, they did expect some knowledge of the language already. The questions were put up onto the screen so we could all see them, and in questions where I didn't know the answer (which I feel like was to be expected in some of them), it was definitely worth talking through your ideas about the questions regardless, i.e. explaining what you think the question is asking, and perhaps asking for them to reword it if you think that will help.

Before and even during the interview I was scared out of my mind, but genuinely the professors were very kind and they clearly understood that everyone would be slipping up a bit due to nerves. Over the course of the interview I did relax a bit and by the time it ended I didn't feel nearly as anxious as I had when I had started. They were fairly conversational and it didn't feel like it was a super structured interview as much as a conversation that was broadly directed towards certain aspects of the course or my personal statement. It did surprise me in parts when the question topic would change quite quickly, since they have to fit in various different questions and themes into a short interview in some cases, so it did feel slightly random in how the conversation flowed in parts.

In preparing for my interview, I took part in mock interviews conducted by some of my school teachers, which helped me prepare for the pressure and understand what sort of things I could potentially be asked. This was probably the most helpful thing I did, since I did this in different variations - online and in person, to be prepared for whichever I could get. I also made sure I was interviewed by teachers who taught the subject I was applying for, or had knowledge in a particular area in the degree. This meant they could specifically target my weaknesses in knowledge and make sure I was able to answer questions from all areas of the degree. This way of preparing definitely helped me to manage my nerves for the real thing, since I had already gone through the experiences of the mock interviews, and so it felt less daunting doing the real one.

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My advice for my past self having already done it now, and for future applicants, would be to just make sure you feel as prepared as possible for the day. That doesn't mean you need to know everything already about your degree, because you're going there to learn, but it means you should be able to discuss in depth anything you put on your personal statement, and (in my case) Cambridge application. They won't hesitate to ask you why you said/thought certain things, and it doesn't mean they disagree - they just want to see how you think and how you can explain yourself.

My nerves meant that I definitely thought the interview would be far more intimidating than it was in reality, so don't let the pressure get to you. Of course it will vary from college to college and from degree to degree, but overall they are just looking for someone who clearly is passionate about their subject and wants to learn more. Remember also that a conversation is two-way, and while it will definitely be heavily focused on you, you also have some control over where the topic of conversation goes. If you mention something you found really interesting in 'x' book or article, it is more likely that that interest will now be asked about, and this will allow you to expand more into what you are genuinely knowledgeable and passionate about. You are therefore able to slightly direct the flow of conversation, since it is probable that your interviewer(s) will also be interested in this.

Finally, during the interview, I think it is very important to remember to not feel cornered by questions. It is very easy to feel under stress about the whole thing, and then get a question that throws you off and just sends you into a bit of a panicked spiral, but remember it is perfectly okay to take a breath and ask for them to repeat or rephrase the question to give yourself more time to think. I was so terrified during my interview because there were a couple of questions to which I genuinely said "I don't know" to, and afterwards I got upset with myself for saying that. However it's okay to not know, and in my opinion, I think as long as you can make up for those sorts of answers with better ones down the line, everything will be fine. Also, remember it's okay to say "I don't know, because I'm stuck between thinking 'x' and 'y'", because this will allow interviewers to see your thought process and why you're struggling to answer. Then, even if you settle on the "wrong" answer, they can understand why you got there and how you considered both options. Remember, they just want to see how you think, and where your interests lie in the degree.