Geography @ Downing, Cambridge in 2016

Interview format

2x 20 min interviews (+ 20 mins reading time for each)

Interview content

First interview: human geography; Second interview: physical geography

Best preparation

Know your Personal Statement and any reading you've mentioned

Advice in hindsight

Don't worry about what to wear or about how it went

Final thoughts

Ask questions to check you've understood what they want!

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

I had two interviews in one day, one was at around 9 am and the other 4 pm. Both had two interviewers and for both I had 20 minutes reading time before the interview and the interviews themselves lasted 20 minutes each. Because I was applying for geography one interview was on human geography and the other was on physical geography. The pre-reading for both was an article which I was then asked questions on in the interview which led on to being asked other related questions. I was then asked a few more questions but wasn’t asked anything about my personal statement in either.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My human interview questions were mostly related to my pre-reading article which I can’t remember (sorry!). I was then asked to interpret some graphs about population with related questions. Finally, I was asked my opinion on a major infrastructure project that was being being built.

My physical interview questions were also related to my pre-reading. We discussed the implications for geography of aerial photographs. I was then asked if I had any questions I wanted to ask my interviewer.

How did you prepare?

This didn’t end up being relevant for me but I know it is for a lot of people and in any case steadied my pre-interview nerves and it’s to know your personal statement/any submitted work inside out and be able to talk about any extra reading in detail that you’ve mentioned in your application.

What advice do you have for future applicants?
Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

Ask questions to your interviewer if you’re ever unsure what they’re asking you or what they want you to do!! They won’t mind and it’s better to understand than to do completely the wrong thing.