2x interviews
Interview 1: favourite piece of music, describing a short extract; Interview 2: discussion of pre-interview assessment
Practised describing and analysing sheet music
Don't be afraid to pause to think about an answer
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: None
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 30 mins
Length of interviews: 20 mins
Online interview: No
I had an at-interview assessment of counterpoint.
In the interview, I was asked to analyse harmony of sheet music, and was given a short extract to listen to and describe the era. I was asked my favourite piece of music at the moment and why.
In my second interview, we went through the assessment, analysed another piece of sheet music, and sang a grade 8 piece.
Re-read and made notes on all the books from my personal statement. I also did
Do your best to relax, you can be as prepared as you can possibly be, and your nerves can be the thing to dismantle your performance. Get comfortable thinking and talking on your feet, and don’t be afraid to pause to think about an answer - don’t rush your judgement.