Engineering @ Gonville & Caius, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

Engineering Admissions Assessment; Gonville & Caius test; 2x interviews.

Interview content

College-based test: difficult math/physics questions; Interview 1: math problem; Interview 2: conceptual question.

Best preparation

Mock interviews, practice interview questions.

Final thoughts

Practise talking about solving subject-related problems to get used to it before 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: Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA), Gonville & Caius test
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: About an hour
Length of interviews: About 20 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Gonville & Caius had an initial test (aside from the interviews). This test consisted of several maths and physics questions. They were not easy, and I did not finish any of them, as far as I remember (but I was told later that I did quite well!). The questions were closer to the type of questions you do in the course rather than the A Level syllabus.

Both interviews were one-to-one with a fellow at the college, each of which asked a question. One was more directly related to the maths syllabus I was taking, the other was more conceptual and required more lateral thinking. My CV was briefly mentioned at the end of one interview (I was asked about some of my volunteering, which wasn't actually related to Engineering).

I was guided through each question - I was given hints and prompts when I got stuck and concepts I didn't know were explained to me. I was extremely nervous at the start of both, but got more used to it as I went through, and both my interviewers were very nice.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I practised example questions my school found online with other applicants, and had a practice interview at another school which also involved going through the same type of question. Both of these were useful, but for me it was more getting used to the style of question and the interview setting rather than knowing how exactly to answer.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practice papers available online

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Try not to be too nervous, if possible. Practise talking through how you would answer a question, so you can get used to it before the interview. Remember that your interviewers aren't trying to trip you up, and will help you if they can!