Natural Sciences (Physical) @ Pembroke, Cambridge in 2019

Interview format

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment; 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: Physics- and Maths-based; Interview 2: Chemistry-based

Best preparation

Completed a practice interview with a family member

Test preparation

Used a guide with example questions

Final thoughts

Just talk through your thought process: interviewers don't expect you to know everything

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: 1 hour
Length of interviews: 15-30 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I had two interviews. One focused on physics and maths. During this I was asked two questions, one was specifically maths based (geometry) and the other a mechanics problem.

The other interview was focused on chemistry - I had said that this was the area of the sciences that I liked the most. In both interviews the interviewer made efforts to reassure me and make me feel comfortable. They did not just hand over a problem sheet and expect you to solve it. The questions were asked individually and if you got stuck, they guided you over that hurdle and then let you continue trying to solve the problem on your own.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

The best thing that I did was a practice interview with my brother where he asked me questions (problem solving) that he had found as though in an interview setting. This was really helpful as it showed the type of questions that would be asked, as well as letting me try and solve problems while being led through the problems by someone who has the answers.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I ordered a guide written specifically for the test that had example questions in it

What advice would you give to future applicants?

The interviewers are not looking for perfect answers! They are trying to see how you think and how you can apply yourself to a problem you have not seen before. Just speak to them about your thought process and if you get stuck say so. They will likely try and point you in the right direction.