English @ Trinity, Cambridge in 2019

Interview format

English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: personal statement, own interests; Interview 2: pre-reading extracts

Best preparation

Practising interview questions with teachers

Test preparation

Resources from the Cambridge website

Final thoughts

Focus on expanding on your own interests

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: 2 hours
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My first interview was specific towards my personal statement and interests. The conversation was guided by my responses as well as their questions.

The second interview focused on two extracts that I was given five minutes prior, so it was very nerve-wracking for me. It was mainly guided by my own interpretations of the extracts and I was guided, not corrected, if I was wrong.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

My school helped me to practice interview questions as well as my peers. There weren’t many opportunities at my school but luckily my headteacher was able to find informative sessions held at other schools.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practised unseen papers and checked the Cambridge website for resources.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Learn about your interests and practice questions about that. You could also expand on your interests through articles, different theories etc. It’s okay if you don’t understand the question. Don’t overthink the question or avoid answering it. Just try your best!