Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP), 2x interviews
Both interviews: asked maths questions, then given the chance to ask questions
Suggests doing UK Maths Trust questions
Past papers
Start preparing early, and show your passion
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.
Test taken: Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 20-30 minutes
Length of interviews: c.20 minutes
Online interview: Yes
I was asked absolutely nothing about my personal statement, or reason for applying etc. It went something like ‘hello nice to meet you let’s look at some questions’. Then for the entirety of the interviews I was answering maths questions saying my thoughts out loud. At the end I was asked if I had any questions, I said no and that was it.
I did nothing, and I entered the interview totally unprepared (something I heavily regretted for the following 6 weeks). If I were to go back in time I’d probably do some UKMT Kangaroo challenge questions (maybe a few SMC questions or Olympiad ones). Those types of questions were most similar to what I was given in the interview.
I found past papers on the Physics and Maths Tutor website and marked them using the markschemes. I found full written solutions on The Student Room when necessary.
‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ - Benjamin Franklin (or Taylor Swift). I entered my interview having done no preparation, and I started preparing for STEP 2 weeks before the exam. Which I believe to be the 2 stupidest things I’ve done. Do not be like me! Start preparing for your interview at least 2 weeks before, and prepare for step at least 4 months in advance. It will make you more confident in yourself, and more comfortable in general.
The interviewers are looking for genuine passion, and somewhat of a good understanding of the subject. Getting the right answers isn’t that important. They want to see how you respond to hints & corrections, and just generally how you think. I didn’t get any of the questions right (which I thought was a really bad thing) but they seemed to like it. The interviewers were nicer than I expected. When I made mistakes they weren’t rude or angry like school teachers usually are. Don’t be scared of them, they want to see you succeed.