2x interviews (15-20 mins)
1st interview: personal statement; 2nd interview: problem solving
Re-reading personal statement, extra reading based on science e.g. The New Scientist
Don't be put off by other applicants
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.
I had 2 interviews in the early afternoon. Both were roughly 15-20 minutes long.
The first was with two interviewers who questioned me about my interests in the course in an informal manner. The second was again with two interviewers and much more problem solving question based. For both I waited in a small cafe area and got shown to my interview room by a college rep.
The first interview was about topics I had brought up in my personal statement. They asked questions about the project I had done in my Advanced higher biology [Editor's note: Scottish system final year studies - a bit like A level] project and what I thought the results meant and the application in the real world. They also discussed topics I had stated I was interested in such as personalised medicine. They took it back to basics and got me to problem solve the answers I didn’t know. There was more emphasis in being able to explain ideas rather than always getting a perfect answer.
The second interview was more problem solving. I was first asked about a question about evolution and diversity where they expected a longer answer. During my reply they helped steer me in the right direction. Then they handed me a sheet to do a simple maths problem based on inheritance to which they helped prompt me to the right answer.
Throughout both material was brought up I hadn’t experienced before but they expected this and without giving to much away guided me to the right answer.
The best prep I did was reading over my personal statement. Also reading outwith my school course. The New Scientist was one of the best things I read as it helped me to think creatively whilst being quite easy to dip in and out of in a busy workload.
Do not be put off or worried by the number of people stressing over their last few minutes before an interview. Just focus on doing your best and bring a fiction book you love because its the best distraction.