Engineering @ Downing, Cambridge in 2015

Interview format

2x interviews (30 mins each); 1x test (30 mins)

Interview content

Mix of long and short questions building on A-Level topics

Best preparation

IWTSE website; mock interviews; looking over A-Level notes and personal statement

Final thoughts

None

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 academic interviews, each 30 minutes long. These both had two interviewers. Later in the day there was a 30 minute maths test. I was told at the start of the day that you would be given a score by each interviewer for each interview, and one for the test. These five scores would be combined, and the candidates with the top scores would be offered a place.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Each interview was split into two halves, with one for each interviewer. Some interviewers had one long question that took the whole of their fifteen minutes, while others had a few short questions. We covered topics including electromagnetism, maths, mechanics and spring motion. These topics were generally based on the specialty of the interviewers. The interviewers generally guided you in solving these questions.

The maths test had about 10-15 questions, which you weren’t expected to complete in the time. They were fairly challenging questions, building on what was learnt in A-Level, but also allowing for the fact that you might not have covered all the material yet. They were mostly questions that could take between 1 and 5 minutes.

How did you prepare?

I used the website “iwanttostudyengineering” to practice interview-style questions. School also organised several mock interviews to prepare. I also went over all my A-Level notes and personal statements books again.

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

No