Maths @ Clare, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

3x interviews (20 mins each)

Interview content

Theory questions, calculus, logic, mechanics.

Best preparation

Mock interview.

Final thoughts

Don't be afraid to ask questions about your schedule for the day.

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 had 3 interviews throughout one day. The first interview was around 9 am and the last was around 3 pm. Each interview lasted around 20 minutes and there were always two interviewers. They dealt specifically with subject related questions.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

There were a number of theory questions, that dealt with calculus, logic and in the Physics interview, mechanics. It ended with an estimation where I was way off the mark. I felt like they went quite well.

How did you prepare?

Someone I knew prepared a mock interview which we did through Skype. That helped a lot.

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

Beforehand I was a bit confused because it said there would be two interviews but in my timetable there were three. When I asked about this they were very clear and helpful.