English @ Jesus, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of pre-reading, personal statement; Interview 2: discussion of pre-reading, personal statement

Best preparation

Re-read personal statement

Final thoughts

Prepare to expand on content of personal statement

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: English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: directly consecutive
Length of interviews: 45 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

The first half of both interviews was about my response to the pre-reading I had been set. For the remainder of the interviews, we mainly discussed key areas of my personal statement. I found the interviews very enjoyable - the interviewers were very friendly and seemed genuinely interested, tailoring the interview questions in response to what was said.

How did you prepare?

The only way that I prepared was rereading my personal statement.

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

Ensure that you are confident with any views and books you mentioned in your personal statement.