Philosophy @ Jesus, Cambridge in 2022

Interview format

Philosophy admissions test, 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: general questions, references; Interview 2: philosophical questions

Best preparation

read over personal statement and reference, mock interview, engage in discussions

Test preparation

Practice papers, practice essays, planed essays

Final thoughts

Think and read around subject and personal statement

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: Philosophy Admissions Test
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: about 2 hours - they had a general college one and a subject-specific one
Length of interviews: half an hour to an hour, can't exactly remember
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In my first/general interview, they asked me about my references and my general background, focusing on my interest in philosophy and some of my readings. In my second/specific one, they asked me philosophical questions on specific topic areas. 

How did you prepare for your interviews?

Read over my personal statement and reference to make sure I was familiar with everything I discussed. Had a mock interview and tried to engage in subject-specific discussions in the lead-up to the interview.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I did LOTS of questions from the logic section of available practice papers. I also did a couple of practice essays and plan essay questions (including TSA ones) by brainstorming.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Just try and think about your subject as much as possible! And think and read around your personal statement to prepare to answer relevant questions. You will have new information to bring up!