Test taken:  Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) 
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: on the same day
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: yes

I was so nervous before the interview but this faded the minute we started, I actually really enjoyed it! Since they're a taster of what tutorials may be like, this was a reassuring sign for me! My first interview was demography, sociology and statistics based. They asked me to interpret graphs and hypothesise why trends were seen in the data. All I was given was the year and birth-to-death ratios between males and females so I had to use historical data I knew to make plausible guesses. They may not have been right but when I considered and explained my reasons, they made sense. This interview didn't involve any discussion of my personal statement which surprised me! The second interview started with a warm-up question asking what I'd learnt from the book I'd mentioned in my personal statement, then we jumped straight into the interview. This one felt more intense as there were 3 interviewers and not a lot of time but they were very friendly and encouraged me when I was stuck. This one was based around anthropology, a subject I'd never studied before so I had to use what I knew and the information they'd provided me to answer as well as possible. This interview was a little more difficult as I hadn't studied the subject but it was certainly enjoyable and I learnt a lot. All of my interviewers were polite and wanted me to do well, so they did their best to help me through it when I struggled and were reassuring when I provided a good answer!

I went over my personal statement, considering what questions they could ask and my answers. I ensured I knew the book I'd mentioned and had opinions on the content for my own peace of mind. I asked teachers to give me mock interviews based on my personal statement so I could practice thinking critically and how I would react to having my ideas challenged. Make sure you're comfortable with having your idea challenged and practice breaking down and considering what you say. For example, if they ask you for your view on a topic, carefully consider this view and if you have sound evidence to support this. Since Human Sciences has topics I'd never studied before, rather than learning as much as possible about them, I made sure I understood what each subject was. I looked at current news stories to keep up to date and also recent developments I found interesting in each of the 5 modules my subject involves, so I'd have some knowledge if they asked - keep in mind critical analysis of these sources though!

I did lots of TSA past papers. I used the mark schemes to see which questions I had got wrong then reflected on how I solved the questions. For the problem-solving questions, I asked friends and teachers how they found a solution so I had a variety of methods to solve the question. With the essay section, I used practice papers to see what type of questions would be asked and how I would approach them under timed conditions. Doing practice papers under time conditions is a great way to approach them to see how you do under pressure!

Please don't go into your interview with the mindset 'they're not going to choose me because of X, Y, Z reasons'. I believed as I was working class, and no one from my area goes to Oxbridge it was impossible, but I'm here studying now! They purely want to see how you do, not based on your circumstances. Interviews mimic tutorials in a way so try to enjoy it, and see if Oxbridge matches your learning style! If you struggle or need clarification, tell them. It can get you back on the right track and help you understand the question better! If possible, have a look at recent news headlines based on your subject as they may ask you about these or can provide you with something relevant to talk about! Ask friends/teachers to give you a mock interview and practise thinking critically and having your ideas challenged, as it can be very difficult to do.