Test taken: None
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 2 days
Length of interviews: 45mins
Online interview: No

I was asked about my personal statement very generally such as why did I like the book I had mentioned - they generally only ask you about your statement as it’s something you know and is a way to break the ice and scale you down before they ask you the proper questions. In my first interview, I was asked to read an article beforehand and note down 5 interesting points which we then discussed. I had no idea about the topic of the article so just read it and tried my best, when I went into the interview I said I had no clue what the article was about before reading it but found it really interesting. We went through each of my points and discussed them, such as how do you think the virus affects the brain cells for example. A lot of the time I had no idea but tried my best and thought out loud and the interviewers would encourage me to keep discussing ideas and point me in the direction of the right answer. It’s important to talk out loud about what you’re thinking even if it’s wrong! They will help you towards the answer, they aren’t expecting you to know it straight away, they just want to see how you go about discussing points and how you act in a tutorial situation. It okay to say the wrong things, don’t get discouraged and keep thinking out loud. The majority of this interview was based on the article followed by some specific questions on determining bacterial concentration where you are expected to explain the assumptions such as the shape of the bacteria. In my second interview, there was no pre-reading, they asked me about my personal statement briefly before we discussed CRISPR and gene knockouts. I knew of this technique but didn’t understand how it worked and asked them to explain the method which we then discussed. A lot of the time I had no idea what a lot of things were but I asked them questions, this allowed further discussion in things I was interested in and I felt comfortable to ask more questions if I was unsure about things but they didn’t give me direct answers, they answered in a way that allowed me to think further about things and discuss it further until I got to the answer myself. They don’t expect you to know the answer, they want to know you are interested in the subject and are able to work in a tutorial situation where you think deeply and are able to discuss things and persevere even when you are wrong.

I researched previous interview questions online and had a go at answering them. I read up on biochemistry in general and the course outline for Oxford and compared that to my current A-level knowledge and tried to revise stuff that may be relevant such as amino acids, DNA replication, transcription/translation. They don’t expect you to know everything but it’s good to feel prepared in some way to calm your own nerves but you will never be completely prepared and that’s okay! I also made sure I re-read my personal statement and any of the books/articles I had referenced in it in case I was asked about it.

It’s okay not to know the answer, they are asking you questions that you aren’t expected to know. It’ll be related in some way to what you’ve done at school already so you have a starting point. Think aloud and don’t get discouraged if you’re wrong, they will give you hints towards the right answer. Think aloud and discuss your thoughts. If you have no idea whatsoever then say that but say it along the lines of, I don’t think I’ve done this topic at school before but could it be something like... Even if you feel like it’s gone terribly don’t get discouraged! Interviews are hard and stressful, it’s hard to know how you’ve done but that’s okay, keep motivated and ask for help when you need it.