2x interviews (subject and general).
Interview 1: discussion of score and article, personal statement; Interview 2: general questions, personal statement.
Varied academic readings on music, mock interviews.
Articulate all your ideas; it's okay to get answers wrong if you can bounce back after a correction.
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: 3 hours and 25 minutes.
Length of interviews: The first (subject-based) was 50 minutes long, and the second (general) was 20 minutes long.
Online interview: No
In my subject interview, the first interview, I was interviewed by two individuals, one of them being my
We then talked through some guiding questions that were present in the article, and I was asked to postulate answers and articulate my ideas. Finally, we discussed my personal statement and the reasoning behind my way of thinking. While there was a clear question-answer dynamic, my Director of Studies visibly helped me ease into the process.
My second interview was a general interview. My interviewer and I discussed my personal statement and academic interests, particularly the aspects out of my chosen subject. She also asked about my background and confirmed my motivations for studying at Cambridge. The second interview was decidedly slower-paced and much more relaxed, as it was not subject-intensive.
Reading different academic perspectives on different musical topics was a crucial part of the preparation; many can be found on websites such as JSTOR. It is also helpful to shore up on detailed knowledge in a broad range of areas. In that regard, the Oxford History of Western Music by Richard Taruskin was immensely comprehensive and useful, as it was divided into different volumes corresponding to different musical periods, and there were many specific sections on different composers and works. In particular, I read up heavily on my area of interest, the late 19th and early 20th century. It may also be beneficial to
An equally useful part of preparation is practicing for the pre-interview exercise and the interview itself; practice the analysis of scores and explaining your thought processes in front of others. Conduct a
Don't be afraid to articulate every single one of your ideas, as silly as any of them may sound. You never know; they may be the answer the interviewers are looking for.
That said, it is absolutely fine to get answers wrong. The interview is a process which probes at your thinking process and investigates whether you are receptive to the Cambridge style of teaching. Showing that you can bounce back from wrong answers and build on your points after being corrected only shows that you can adapt, not that you are unqualified. Elaborate on your thoughts, be honest with yourself, and be honest with your answers.