Maths @ Trinity, Cambridge in 2016

Interview format

Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP); 1x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of pre-interview test

Best preparation

Online research into STEP

Final thoughts

The interviewers want to see how you respond to getting stuck and being prompted with hints

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: Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP)
Number of interviews: 1
Length of interviews: 45 mins
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Beforehand, they gave me a problem sheet of questions to work on over 1 hour. They were challenging problems on various mathematical topics. We were then told to take our answers to the interview immediately after. I arrived, everyone introduced themselves, and my (2) interviewers made small talk with me until they established I was comfortable. They then looked over my answers and discarded the ones I got right. They were more interested with how I approached the situation of being stuck/wrong, or starting a new question. We went through about 4 questions in the interview. One was just them pointing out a silly error, but they didn't seem to mind as they indicated my method was correct. On the others, thinking aloud I worked through the problems, with them providing various amounts of prompting as I required it, so we could discuss something when I got stuck. It finished with them telling me about STEP, and then thanking me and sending me on my way. The atmosphere throughout was very friendly, with all of us cracking jokes throughout. It's worth noting that I don't think they would have done this if they thought I was more nervous.

How did you prepare?

I researched my college's admissions process. There are loads of online resources for admissions tests, in particular STEP questions going back many years. As for who else I spoke to, I got a practice interview and STEP advice from an alumnus of my school who matriculated to maths at Cambridge in 2014. STEP, more than any other admissions test, requires intense preparation. My research into admissions allowed me to direct my preparation efforts much more efficiently as well.

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

The interview emulates a supervision, and is designed to test your suitability for the Cambridge system of teaching, at least as much as your academic ability. They are looking at your response to getting stuck, being wrong, being prompted with hints, being argued with etc.