Law @ St John's, Oxford in 2016

Interview format

2x 30-45 min interviews, 1 day apart

Interview content

Interview 1: case/statute and scenario given before, motivations; Interview 2: scenario given during interview

Best preparation

Practice papers in books, general wider reading

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Know about current affairs and your personal statement; had mock interviews. Ask for clarification in interview if you're not sure about something.

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

Test taken: LNAT

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: No

Time between each interview: 1 day

Length of interviews: 30-45 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My first interview was based on a piece of text/statute and a case scenario, which were then discussed in the interview along with my general interest in law.

In my second interview, I was given a scenario in the interview and just discussed that.

How did you prepare?

I used the practice papers in books and did some general wider reading.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

I made sure I was fully up to date on current affairs, particularly those to do with the constitution. Keep a track of any interesting legal developments, particularly niche ones like in driverless cars. This will help you stand out, which is important.

Most importantly make sure you are clued up on everything you wrote in your personal statement. Show interest and be smiley and engaged. If you don’t know, don’t freeze. Try your best and always ask for clarification if you’re not sure. Sometimes it can be a trick question.

I also had some mock interviews, which were really useful. My one at school was hopeless but I had a family friend who is a medicine tutor who just did one for me on my personal statement and current affairs (along with some sample questions she got from a law tutor friend). I would say that practice of being challenged and strange scenarios is very important, so that, when you go in, you know what to expect and don’t feel overwhelmed.

I really enjoyed both my interviews, even though they were very different to what I expected. You will be constantly questioned on every answer you give. This does not mean you’re wrong. They may completely agree with you. They just want to challenge you and see how you respond under pressure, along with illustrating that you are open minded, accept feedback and are prepared to consider alternative perspectives.