Geography @ Emmanuel, Cambridge in 2015

Interview format

2x interviews (20mins)

Interview content

1st interview: presubmitted essays & discussion of reading; 2nd: pre-interview reading

Best preparation

Mock Interviews!

Final thoughts

Make yourself a plan beforehand that will make you relax

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

2 interviews in one day, each lasted about 20 mins, each had 3 interviewers

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Interview 1: Was given a journal article to read critically 1 month before interview. Had to discuss this, and talk about 2 essays I'd had to submit in advance.

Interview 2: Given 20 mins to look at a resource (another journal article), then had to come into interview and discuss it critically.

How did you prepare?

Did 3 practice interviews before with a Geography teacher. Very helpful.

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

Wear a suit! And decide how you're going to sit before you get in there. Also practice your handshake. [Editor's Note: You will be assessed on none of these things - they might make you feel more confident going in, but you're being judged on your academic ability alone: not your handshake or clothes!]