Maths @ Sidney Sussex, Cambridge in 2016

Interview format

3x interviews

Interview content

First interview: personal/general; Second interview: pure mathematics; Third interview: applied mathematics

Best preparation

Exposing myself to short maths questions and verablising thought process in answering

Final thoughts

Smile and be yourself

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

The process consisted of 3 Interviews, all on the same day. One was general and the other two were about maths, split into pure and applied. Overnight accommodation can be provided if you ask for it and live far away. In between interviews greeted by extremely friendly student volunteers who really helped calm my nerves, you can chill with these people or be alone if you prefer.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

The first interview was a personal/general interview with future tutor. The conversation was about everything such as: personal statement, extracurricular activities, current affairs etc.

The next two interviews were about mathematics with two people each, one interview on pure and one on applied mathematics. Both take a supervision style format with questions presented to you and then you are expected to work through them, interacting with the interviewers along the way.

How did you prepare?

I asked a school governer to practice interview me, although it wasn't particularly applicable. I think the best preparation is to expose yourself to short maths you are unfamiliar with (Maybe Step 1 questions, but don't worry if you don't get full solutions straight away), and practice talking through your thinking as you go through the questions as showing your thinking style is more important than getting the right answers.

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

Smile and be yourself, the interviewers will see your passion for the subject!