Law @ Pembroke, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

2x interviews; 1x test

Best preparation

Mock interviews

Final thoughts

Do not overthink it afterwards.

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 was interviewed in the first bout of interviews (October or November I believe).

There was one written test the day before the interview day. It was on a legal topic; I read a passage and then wrote an essay on it. Mine was about evaluating different judges' perceptions and interpretations of a piece of legislation in a legal case. Other people I know had different topics.

There were two interviews the following day: one academic - I read a number of scenarios 5 minutes before I went in, then answered questions about them. The second interview was more general - they asked me about why I wanted to study Law. This one was not as serious, and I felt like the first interview was the greater decider on whether you got an offer or not.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

It was daunting. They asked one gentle question about my sailing before starting the academic questions about the scenarios I read just before going into the interview. It felt like they were just testing logical thinking and the ability to think through any changes to/problems surrounding the scenarios. It was not even particularly legal.

How did you prepare?

I don't think you can really prepare for it. I started reading the Telegraph law pages, but that did not help in the interview. I would say mock interviews, more to get you used to the format than anything in particular. Helps you to be relaxed on the day.

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

Do not overthink it afterwards.