Engineering @ Clare, Cambridge in 2015

Interview format

2x interviews (30 min each + 1 hour pre-interview questions); 1x test

Interview content

Motivations for application decisions, and specific subject questions.

Best preparation

Subject specific websites and faculty provided recommended reading list.

Final thoughts

Stay calm. Be unique. Use the resources available to you.

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

There were two 30 minute interviews both with two interviewers. One interviewer was observing and one asking questions. One interview was based on your personal statement and problem solving skills 'on the spot' and the other was based around a sheet of questions you attempt in the hour before the interview. Also I had to do the TSA which is essentially a standard aptitude test.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

We discussed my motivations for studying at Cambridge, the college I applied to, and the subject. Problem solving using physical reasoning mostly. The sheet of questions, done before the interview, were more mathematical.

How did you prepare?

I used www.i-want-to-study-engineering.org.<\p>I also used www.isaacphysics.org.<\p>

It can be useful (and interesting) to read some of the books on the recommended reading list which can be found on the engineering website.<\p>

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

Try to get something to make you stand out from the crowd. A unique experience, a work placement or an insight you gained from extra reading or anything.<\p>