Test taken: Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT)
Number of interviews: 3
Time between interviews: There was roughly 2 hours waiting time between each of the 3 interviews.
Length of interviews: All of my interviews were scheduled to be 20 minutes, but my last interview ran over a bit, so don't worry if they go on for a bit longer than planned.
Online interview: No

My very first interview was at the Classics Faculty, it was a 20-minute-long language interview: Firstly, the interviewer talked to me about 'why I wanted to learn a classical language?' and 'why I thought classics was important today?'. Then, we discussed very simple grammar (nouns, verbs, declension, case) and the function that words play in sentences. We also compared English to another modern language that I was studying for A-level and thought about similarities and differences between grammar, word order and tense. My second interview was a 20-minute-long philosophy interview: For the first 5-10 minutes, I was given a paragraph by the interviewers and told to read it to myself and give my thoughts, followed by a brief discussion of the problems with the argument posed by the text. I was then given a problem sheet with about 10 questions on it and we talked about each question in-depth discussing the problems with the question. Don't worry if things are a bit difficult, in my interview the interviewers were definitely playing devil's advocate and didn't really agree with anything I said! So it isn't always about being right, it is just about going the right way about answering the question! My third and final interview was scheduled to be 20-minutes-long but it ran over by about 10 minutes, it was more of a classics themed interview: Before the interview, I was given 30 minutes to analyse a piece of classical poetry, with parallel translation. We discussed the poem, the themes, the poet's intention and the imagery. We quickly moved on to a discussion about the essays I submitted with my application and talked about my thoughts and my arguments, this was the most in-depth part of the interview. We then moved on to a discussion about 'why I wanted to study classics?' and my personal statement, when it comes to your personal statement don't be shy to sell yourself! Finally, there was also a brief discussion about the A-levels I was taking and how they would help me with classics. All my interviews were really relaxed and the tutors were all very patient and accommodating. Especially the third interview, it was a very interesting and in-depth conversation about classics and really reinforced the idea that I wanted to study Classics at Oxford. The philosophy interview was definitely the hardest for me. However, anyone that has studied any philosophy would probably have found it much easier!

Generally, I reread my personal statement and the essays I had submitted with my application. I also refreshed myself on all of the texts I had mentioned, make sure to actually read the texts that you mention because they will come up! I also went through my personal statement and underlined pretty much everything and made sure I had something to say about everything, every book, every bit of experience - it isn't crucial that you remember everything you want to say, but the fact that you have thought about your personal statement and the kinds of questions the interviewers might ask about it will really help you. I also taught myself some very simple philosophical terms and ideas - Maslow's pyramid, objective/subjective morality etc. Since I had never studied philosophy, this way, at least I had something to fall back on and a way of expressing my ideas if I ever got lost in that interview.

I printed all of the previous CLAT papers and started by reading through a couple to get a sense of the format. I then started answering them, the hardest part of the test is definitely the section at the end discussing English grammar, since we don't usually think too hard about how our language works, so looking up some of the techinical terms and syntax online would be useful. Also the MLAT papers follow a very similar format so for extra practice they are a great choice.

First and foremost: Don't panic! I know it is easier said than done, but the fact that you are even considering Oxbridge probably means that you are someone special and you have every chance! I was so nervous in the build-up to interviews, but the one thing I didn't think about was all of the people that were there sitting the interviews at the same time as me, this was a really good support network and sounding off about our shared experiences really made me feel relaxed and comfortable in such a foreign environment. Also, please please please, read the books that you mention: there was one point in my interview where I genuinely had no clue what even happened in the book I had mentioned and luckily I managed to avoid embarrassing myself, but make sure anything that you mention - read it! However, do not over-prepare for your interviews, do not stress youself out with endless interview preparation, you are not applying to Oxford because you know everything already, you are applying to university so that they can teach you what you need to know. All you need to show is that you are passionate, capable and willing to learn, and you'll do great!