3 x 25-30 min interviews
Problem sheet, 2-3 questions over a range of topics
I went over any maths I talked about in my personal statement
The interviewers want you to get the right answer, so when they give you a push in a certain direction listen to them
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: Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT)
Number of interviews: 3
Time between interviews: around a day
Length of interviews: 25-30 mins
Online interview: No
My first interview was based on a problem sheet of six questions I got the night before. I had already answered them, and they asked me to go through my answers briefly and then gave me a bunch of follow-up questions. In my second and third interviews, I was asked 2-3 questions over a range of topics. The general atmosphere was quite relaxed, and there wasn’t any pressure to get the right answer straight away. Some of the questions were easier than others, and the interviewers understood that and gave suggestions when they thought I needed them.
I went over all the core information that could be asked in the interview, and made sure I knew all necessary formulae off by heart. I also went over any maths I talked about in my personal statement and made sure I was very confident with any questions I could be asked on those topics.
I did practice papers from the MAT website, and used a bunch of other resources such as Dr Frost Maths, STEP assignments and BMO past papers.
My best advice would be to take it slowly and try not to stress yourself out. The interviews go by really quickly, so it’s best to keep a level head and to try and calmly articulate your thoughts as well as you can. The interviewers want you to get the right answer, so when they give you a push in a certain direction listen to them. I remember being really nervous, and after my first interview especially I thought I did terribly. In reality, there’s no way to know how well you did because the interviewers are looking for your process rather than your final answer.