Maths @ Sidney Sussex, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

Sixth Term Examination Paper; 1x interview

Interview content

Interview 1: written test questions

Best preparation

Using past papers

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Practise your maths skills; talk through your solutions with a friend; listen out for any 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

Skype interview: No

Time between interviews: N/A

Length of interview: 40 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

We talked exclusively about the questions on the written test that was given before the interview - firstly about the questions that I almost answered correctly, then the ones I hadn't had time for.

How did you prepare?

Past papers, past papers and more past papers

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

There were a lot of random questions, e.g. in the MAT - my best advice is to just do a lot of maths in the weeks coming up before the interview. Also, do try to talk through your solutions with someone, e.g. a friend, because the interviewers are looking for you to be able to explain how you solved a question. If you do get the chance to have a mock interview with a teacher, focus on responding to advice and hints - the interviewers are looking whether or not you can turn a little hint into a little bit of progress.