Latin translation test; 3x interviews
Interview 1: questions on philosophy; Interview 3: personal statement, A Level texts
Developing a broad historical framework
Practised unseen Latin translations
Explain your thought process and interests
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.
Test taken: Latin translation
Number of interviews: 3
Time between interviews: 30mins
Length of interviews: 30 mins
Online interview: No
At one point, I was asked about philosophy which daunted me (having no knowledge), but it was very easy to understand - I just needed to be keen to react and integrate it into my prior knowledge or thoughts.
I was asked in the final interview if there was anything I wish I was asked about (ie from personal statement or A Level studied texts) so that was nice! But you can't assume you'll be asked this. Make sure you gave solid and personal opinions on the topics you enjoy - they don’t need to be ‘correct’, only supported.
I tried to have a broad historical framework, and made sure I could talk about some of the genres I had studied already.
I did the Oxford Classics Admissions Test for practise, but just general Latin unseens.
Be open about your thought process and interests - broadly the interviewers are deciding whether they want to be responsible for you and/or supervise you for the next few years, so don’t lie or be shy! Let them know why you applied and show them, instead of telling them, why they should want to take you.