Psychological And Behavioural Sciences @ Gonville & Caius, Cambridge in 2020

Interview format

x2 interviews; 30 mins each

Interview content

Interview Content; commenting on some pre-reading, maths-style questions, logic questions, personal statement

Best preparation

mock interviews; reread personal statement; watched admissions content on YouTube; research on chosen college

Final thoughts

Relax! It feels more like a conversation between you and an expert in your desired field than a full blown interview, let yourself enjoy talking to someone who knows a lot about your subject.

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: None
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 45 minutes
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Both interviews had pre-reading of an article beforehand and then included discussion about these papers in the conversations themselves. I also had some maths-style questions to complete, some logic questions, and references were made to my personal statement. I was also shown some sources to comment on. At the end of the interviews, I was given the chance to ask questions.

 

 

 

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I arranged to have mock interviews with my Head of Sixth Form and other graduates in my area. I also watched the example interviews on both the University and Cambridge colleges' YouTube channels to gauge an idea of how they are conducted. I read a few books which interested me, alongside some of the papers which were referenced in the admissions videos mentioned. I also researched into the background of my college in case I was asked about why I had chosen Caius specifically. 

 

 

 

 

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Relax! It feels more like a conversation between you and an expert in your desired field than a full blown interview, let yourself enjoy talking to someone who knows a lot about your subject. Also, don't be afraid to big yourself up – tell them that fact you've read in a book, because even if they already know it, it'll show them you're keen about learning.In the interview(s), don't be afraid to take a minute to think about what they've asked you, and think out loud when forming an answer - this helps the interviewers understand your thought process.