4 x 25 min interviews
Each interview focussed on a single topic and the concepts presented got more and more difficult throughout. I had a separate interview for each section of chemistry (organic, inorganic and physical) and another interview at a different college. No personal statement questions, and some maths questions.
Watched mock interviews and read experiences and revised Year 12 content
TSA practice papers with a focus on timing
Willingness to positively engage with the difficult questions helped me a lot
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.
Test taken: Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Number of interviews: 4
Time between interviews: I had 4 interviews across 3 days so there was plenty of time between them.
Length of interviews: 25 mins
Online interview: No
I had a separate interview for each section of chemistry (organic, inorganic and physical) and another interview at a different college. I’d say the one thing I didn’t realise was how little they would mention my personal statement. I’d analysed my statement a lot and was prepared to answer any questions about it but they didn’t mention it at all in any of the interviews, although this is not the case for everyone. 2 of my interviews were actually really enjoyable while the other 2 made me feel like id be instantly rejected. All of the interviewers jumped right into the questioning and the content of each differed but each interview focussed on a single topic and the concepts presented got more and more difficult throughout. For chemistry Id recommend brushing up on your maths skills like handling equations, differentiating etc. as that type of questioning was a surprise to me. Overall it went a lot smoother than I thought but still wasn’t confident in my performance.
Before travelling down to Oxford I watched a few mock interviews on YouTube and researched other’s experiences (which you can do here on the InsideUni website) to get an idea of what to expect which helped a lot in calming my nerves. My actual academic preparation consisted of reviewing the revision posters I made for all Year 12 topics and trying difficult questions in subject areas I felt less confident. I think being prepared to confidently explain your thoughts out loud and staying calm as well as engaged when encountering interview questions that are unfamiliar is the key skill you need to succeed. I felt very ill-prepared walking into my interviews but the right mindset and willingness to positively engage with the difficult questions helped me a lot.
I did the multiple choice section of 2 practice papers about a week before the TSA. I think focusing on getting the timing down is most important for the exam.
Willingness to positively engage with the difficult questions helped me a lot.