Law @ Fitzwilliam, Cambridge in 2022

Interview format

National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT), 1x interview

Interview content

Questions on personal statement, work experience, then tasks about interpreting language in a statutory way

Best preparation

Speaking to friends, going over personal statement, practicing speaking about it

Final thoughts

Stay calm and be prepared to explain things mentioned on your personal statement in depth

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: National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)
Number of interviews: 1
Length of interviews: c. 90 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was asked about everything in my personal statement - my “theme” running through it, and legal work experience that I did. I was then asked to complete tasks relating to interpreting language in a statutory way, the meaning of language, etc. My interviewers were so lovely and gave me all the time I needed and I relaxed into it immediately, it felt like an academic discussion rather than an interview

How did you prepare for your interviews?

Spoke to friends who were in the year above who had gotten in, re-read my personal statement and chapters of books and articles that I had included in it, practiced speaking in front of a mirror

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practise papers, essay plans

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Calm down - everything will work out. Don’t focus on trying to sound smart - if you have gotten the interview they think you are smart enough. Focus on articulating your ideas clearly and eloquently- take time to pause and collect your thoughts if you need it, you can ask for a second to think if you want and they will gladly give it to you.

Remember that all they know about you is what is on your personal statement, so be ready to explain it in depth - if you’ve skimmed an article and put it on there I suggest you read it more thoroughly in case they ask.