Computer Science @ Peterhouse, Cambridge in 2019

Interview format

Cambridge Test of Mathematics for University Admission (CTMUA); 1x interview

Interview content

Interview 1: personal statement, logic and mathematical problems

Best preparation

Read around the subject

Test preparation

Practising similar test papers

Final thoughts

Expect to learn something from the interview

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: Cambridge Test of Mathematics for University Admission (CTMUA)
Number of interviews: 1
Length of interviews: 35 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I talked about two aspects of my personal statement and then had a number of logical/mathematical problem sheets that introduced the basic idea of a topic, then based on that knowledge lead up to a challenging aspect of the topic. The interviewers were very approachable and gave me a footing before throwing me into the deep end, and I found them extremely interesting.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I had a couple of practise interviews at school, went over my personal statement making sure I could expand accurately on all of my points. Personally I felt that if you put in the effort for school subjects and read around the subject anyway (magazines, YouTube videos, online articles, etc.) you'll be fine. Treat the interview as more of a lesson than a test of skill, expect to meet something new and learn from it.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I did all the available CTMUA papers in timed conditions as there are very few of them. To get the mathematical knowledge/skills I did MAT papers (multiple choice section specifically) and STEP I questions. I would also suggest the book How To Think Like A Mathematician.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Genuinely try and enjoy the experience. Enter the room expecting to get stuck on a problem and to learn something. The interviewers want to see how you think, not necessarily what you know, and it's likely you may need some help from the interviewers. Talk through your thought process, even if you think it's a bit off, because then the interviewers can see how you think and if they need to guide you somewhere else. For Computer Science, the CTMUA is not really a test of aptitude but rather a way to see if you can actually do the mathematics, so don't stress too much. However, it can trip you up very easily as plausible wrong answers are available in the multiple choice.