Test taken: Economics Admissions Assessment (ECAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 30 mins
Length of interviews: 30 mins
Online interview: No

My second interview was better than my first interview, I think the nerves got to me to be honest.

I was in a different place for my reading prior, then an Emmanuel student came to take me to the interview room. They asked me a few questions on the article given which was on a topic I hadn't encountered before, but I stumbled my way through it! Then they presented me with a maths/probability problem sheet where I was given an equation and had to graph it. I would definitely advise you to look over graphs before the interview, they are really important! I wouldn't worry too much about the length of your interview as mine started late and finished early.

For my second interview I had to interpret some financial graphs and the relationship between the two variables and try to explain it. I felt a lot more relaxed in this one, the interviewer offered to hang my coat for me and I sat in a comfy chair by the fire in his office! This one started off more general and based off my personal statement. The interviewers even commended me on my achievements in my extracurriculars (violin, orchestra etc.)! I think the interviewers appreciated it when I pointed out the parts of the graph which seemed strange or out of place, as it helped demonstrate my critical thinking.

The main takeaway for me after the interviews is that it genuinely is fine or even better to admit honestly the parts you are unsure or do not know about. It lets the interviewers know that you have room to grow. In my opinion, they're looking at your willingness/ passion to learn about your subject and how malleable/adaptable you are in unfamiliar and challenging situations. In terms of preparation, no amount can fully prepare you, but I would do a fair amount just to give you a level of comfort!

I'm from Wales, and so was a part of the Seren Network which organised two practice interviews for me. Ask your school teachers if they have any colleagues or people they know; I think it's key that you get used to the feeling of speaking to an 'adult' you've never met before in a formal setting.

I made some notes on the key concepts in Economics as well as things that I had mentioned in my personal statement so I was prepared for any questions they could ask me.

For both my interviews, I had 20 min preparation time as I was given readings beforehand. These consisted of a mixture of financial graphs and articles, nothing too fancy but can look intimidating if you've never seen them before! I subscribed to The Economist to familiarize myself with concepts in economics,  but you can also access articles for free by entering the URL of the article you want to read into this website: https://outline.com.

I think the most important thing is being able and confident to just speak out loud your ideas clearly, in my practice interviews the feedback I got was that I had good ideas but I sounded really uncertain when I said them out loud, so just have lots of practice in voicing your thoughts!

The Ultimate ECAA Collection by David Meacham and Dr Rohan Agarwal, past papers (on the test website), TSA and MAT past papers, UKMT (United Kingdom Mathematics Trust) Senior Individual Challenge past papers.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to stress about it! The more relaxed you are in your interview, the better you will be able to perform in it. I do not think I would change anything if I were to go back and do the whole thing again. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare and schedule everything in advance, and always have a backup plan!

I know everyone says this, but it is really useful to keep up to date with current news, and try to find your niche that you are interested in!