Engineering @ Newnham, Cambridge in 2020

Interview format

Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA); x2 interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: working through maths/physics problems, drawing graphs; Interview 2: personal statement, discussion on ethics in engineering

Best preparation

mock interview; using 'I Want to Study Engineering' website; reread personal statement

Test preparation

past papers

Final thoughts

Take time to enjoy the interview and don't stress too much about what to wear.

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)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 90 minutes
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Each of my two interviews had two interviewers, with each of them asking one extended question. Three of these questions were purely maths & physics based, involving working through problems, interpreting diagrams and drawing graphs (I had to use a drawing tablet lent to me, as the interviews were online). Another question asked drew on a element of my personal statement, then moved on to cover various ethical issues and the engineering concepts behind them. 

Although there were some moments of the interview where I felt it wasn't going so great, i.e. I was struggling with the tablet or recalling some technical concepts, but the interviewers were generally very patient and understanding. 

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I had a mock interview arranged by my school, which was very helpful in introducing the format of talking through answers and discussing them in more depth. I also worked through some questions from the 'I Want to Study Engineering' website. In addition, I reread my personal statement and researched further into the topics I had discussed thre - making sure you fully understand anything you mention is really valuable. 

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I completed timed past papers in the six weeks leading up to the test. In particular, I practiced non-calculator arithmetic. I also read through the specification to check I knew all the relevant content. I also used some NSAA past paper questions for extra practice, as the maths/physics content in these is nearly identical in style to the ENGAA. 

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Take time to enjoy the interview. Revise your A Level (or equivalent) content, but don't be afraid if you are shown something you haven't encountered before - tell the interviewers if this is the case and they can explain & help you through it. Also, don't stress too much about what to wear, if you are worried then wear something smart-casual, but the interviews don't care so long as you are vaguely presentable!