Natural Sciences (Biological) @ St Catharine's, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA), 2x 30 minute interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of motivation for studying Natural Sciences, then of a plant, then graph questions Interview 2: maths and science-based questions, deriving equation of a graph, question about a physiological equation

Best preparation

Practice talking about subject, going over topics mentioned personal statement

Test preparation

Doing past questions

Final thoughts

Speak your thought process out loud

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: Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 30-60 minutes
Length of interviews: 30 mins
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

For my first interview, I was first asked about why I wanted to studying Natural Sciences. For the the main portion of the interview, I was given a plant and asked to describe it. This plant had a niche function so I was asked about the possible functions of the plants and why it was evolutionary designed to support this function. Following this, I was asked to draw graphs of population growth with regard to certain conditions occurring to the plant.

For my second interview, this was more mathsy and science-based. I was asked to explain the translational process and my understanding of it. I was then given a problem sheet of various maths questions and asked to solve it. I was also given a picture of a graph and asked to derive its equation. Finally, I was asked about a physiological equation and asked about these variables contribute to oxygen intake. 

How did you prepare for your interviews?

My school offered pre-interview preparation which gave me practice in talking face-to-face with someone and increased my confidence in that area. With regards to content, I went over my personal statement and ensured I thoroughly knew any subjects of interest/books/etc that I mentioned and could have an open discussion about them. I also researched my interviewers so I knew what their area of research was, and studied a little bit of that area too as a precaution.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I did the existing past papers provided by the University website and any relevant exam questions (after checking the NSAA specifications)

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Looking back, I would definitely encourage you to speak your thought process out loud so the interviewers know what your thinking and can pitch in hints when you’re stuck. And also not to worry if you struggle / can’t answer a question. This happened to me, and I was asked to move on to a new question, which is completely fine and not the end of the world as long as you give it your best shot and explain yourself!