Natural Sciences (Physical) @ Robinson, Cambridge in 2022

Interview format

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA), 2x interviews

Interview content

Questions on personal statement then example problems

Best preparation

Interview practice, revising A-level knowledge, improving problem-solving skills

Test preparation

Practice papers

Final thoughts

Try not to be stressed

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: 20 minutes
Length of interviews: 40 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

We started by talking about my personal statement, then moved quickly onto example problems where I had to provide ideas and think about how to solve each problem.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I talked to my teachers and tried to get mock interviews from them as well as revising my A-level knowledge and trying to improve my problem-solving skills.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practice papers online and a little help from teachers.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Try not to be stressed if you can. Stress is the one thing that will ruin all your hard work.