Biochemistry @ Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford in 2016

Interview format

2x 20-30 min interviews, 1 day apart

Interview content

Questions on newly introduced concepts

Best preparation

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Advice in hindsight

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Final thoughts

Interviews are about picking up new info, not knowing lots; I read some revision notes. Enjoy the opportunity!

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

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: No

Time between each interview: 1 day

Length of interviews: 20-30 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

The interview was similar to a tutorial- a concept was introduced and I had to discuss potential answers using the information taught to me. The tutor used the board for some of it, and I had to fill in some answers. It felt quite relaxed, but of course I did feel a little worried my answers were quite basic. They encouraged me to say everything I was thinking- don’t be afraid of being wrong or silly! If you give the tutors an idea of what you are thinking, they can help you out.

How did you prepare?

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What advice do you have for future applicants?

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

The interviews aren’t there to see if you know loads of information, they’re to see if you can pick up (potentially) new concepts/ideas and apply them.

I didn’t prepare for the interview specifically, but in order to calm my nerves I looked over some revision notes from my current studies.

If I could give potential students advice, I would simply say enjoy the opportunity to have a discussion with tutors that are at the cutting edge of their field- they just want to see that you’re passionate too, not perfect.