Mathematics @ Merton, Oxford in 2018

Interview format

4x 20-30 min interviews, over 3 days

Interview content

Interview 1: questions on stats, numbers, and graphs; Interview 2: three maths questions; Interview 3: numbers and geometry; Interview 4: pure question, applied question

Best preparation

Did maths questions, while explaining what I was doing to dad

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Don't try to estimate how an interview went; it's very hard to tell.

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: MAT

Number of interviews: 4

Skype interview: No

Interview spread: 2 on Monday, 1 on Tuesday, 1 on Wednesday

Length of interviews: 20-30 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was only really given maths questions in all four of the interviews.

In my first interview, I was given three questions from quite different areas of maths (stats, numbers and graphs).

In my second interview, I was given an easy warm-up question and then two harder ones to consider.

In my third interview, I was given a couple average maths questions from different areas of maths (number and geometry).

In my fourth interview, I looked at one applied maths question for a while, then switched to a more pure question before switching back to the original applied question to finish the interview. All of these questions were ones that I was only shown once I was in the interview.

My first interview was definitely the most nerve-wracking but it got easier after a while and I found myself managing to enjoy the rest of the interviews.

How did you prepare?

I did practice MAT papers, both timed and not timed. I also did a free MAT course (Problem Solving Matters) - there's information about it on the Oxford website.

The main interview prep I did was to do some maths questions whilst explaining what I was doing to my dad. This was something that had been recommended to me a few times when I’d visited Oxford on open days/taster days because it gets you used to discussing what you’re doing, which is what the tutors tend to want from you.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

I would definitely recommend avoiding The Student Room as much as possible - particularly after any admissions test. Whilst some posts may make you feel better, it’s likely that many won’t and it’s not worth it.

I’d also recommend that you don’t try to guess/work out how an interview went - I came out of an interview crying because of how poorly I thought it went and ended up getting a place at that same college. Obviously you’ll have some sort of idea of how you feel it went but I personally think it’s very difficult to objectively tell how an interview really went.