Computer Science @ Queens', Cambridge in 2021

Interview format

Cambridge Test of Mathematics for University Admission, Computer Science Aptitude Test, 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: Purely Computer Science-related questions, Questions on personal Statement, Questions on previous projects; Interview 2: Maths-related questions

Best preparation

Completed a mock interview

Test preparation

Practice papers; Preparation course

Final thoughts

Try to focus on the content of the interview, and not on trying to pretend to not be nervous.

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), Computer Science Aptitude Test (CSAT)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 2 hours
Length of interviews: 25 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

The first interview was purely CS-related: half of it was a discussion relating to my personal statement and the things I mentioned in it. They asked me why I was interested in certain things, and how I went about one of the projects I mentioned. These questions were very easy to answer and I enjoyed discussing with the interviewers, which made me a lot less nervous. The other half was a series of questions relating to algorithms.

The second interview was purely a series of maths problems. In the 25 minutes, there were about 4 problems, each having several sub-questions. They were much harder than the computer science-specific questions, and I was quite nervous the whole way through. One of the questions was initially framed as a multiple choice, but then once I'd worked out the right answer they asked me how I could change the question to produce the other answer options. This seemed to be a common theme - once you've answered, they want you to start deconstructing the question.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I did a mock interview with a friend of a friend who went to Cambridge. It was useful just to get used to the interview environment/situation, even though she did a different subject so she couldn't ask the most relevant subject-matter questions.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practice papers, preparation course

What advice would you give to future applicants?

The interview is much harder when you're nervous. I can't just tell you to not be nervous, so instead I'd say this: the interviewers will be aware of the fact you're nervous, and they know what kind of thing nervous people will do. So try to focus on the content of the interview, and not on trying to pretend to not be nervous.