Music @ Clare, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

Music harmony exam; 1x interview

Interview content

Interview 1: analysing a score, short performance

Best preparation

Mock interview

Final thoughts

Practice aural and keyboard skills

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: Music harmony exam
Number of interviews: 1
Length of interviews: 45 mins
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was given a score to analyse in advance, which was then discussed, along with general musicology questions, a short performance and lots of aural, harmony and keyboard practical things. I was incredibly nervous however both interviewers were lovely (although didn’t give much away if I was doing well!)

How did you prepare?

If you can, get someone who recently did one themselves to give you a mock interview! For the test I also had a harmony tutor.

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

Also, if you perform, it's a good idea to research your piece! And practice some aural and keyboard skills - even if the don’t actually test you on them, they’re incredibly useful at Cambridge!