Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment; 2x interviews
Interview 1: maths and biology questions; Interview 2: expanding on interests within the subject
Widen your knowledge by reading around the subject
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Take your time with problem solving questions
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: Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Skype interview: no
Time between interviews: 1 hour
Length of first interview: 30-40 minutes; Length of second interview: 30-40 minutes
The first interview covered maths and biology. I was asked about unfamiliar molecular processes. I found the questions challenging and stuggled to explain my thought processes. In the second interview, the questions were more A Level-based, specifically my interests within biology and chemistry. I felt a lot more comfortable in this one.
To prepare for the admissions assessment, I practiced BMAT past papers and worked through a book containing practice questions. For the interviews, I read books relevant to my subject and took notes and revised my A Level content. The best preparation was to read deeply into areas I was interested in, as it widened my knowledge and understanding of the subject. I also spoke to several teachers at my school, including my own subject teachers and teachers who had studied biochemistry.
One piece of advice, especially regarding maths problems, is to remember that the interviewer is not looking at the spped at which you answer the question, but the methods you use to tackle the problem.