Mathematics @ Somerville, Oxford in 2016

Interview format

3x 25 min interviews

Interview content

Personal statement discussion, problem sheets on paper or whiteboard

Best preparation

Use MAT practice papers to your advantage

Advice in hindsight

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Final thoughts

Think aloud, and try not to worry about how you've done at interview.

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: 3

Skype interview: No

Length of interviews: about 25 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Most of the interviews started with a little personal statement discussion. But then we would go pretty quickly into the problem sheet. I spent the time talking through solutions and trying different ideas - some on paper, some on a whiteboard. I was extremely anxious and nervous going into, during, and after the interviews (understandable as I suffer from moderate-severe anxiety). That said I did gradually settle into the interviews and the tutors did help me to feel more relaxed.

How did you prepare?

Over the months leading up to the test I did every single past paper available online. My main advice for maths applicants is to familiarise yourself with the kinds of questions that appear on the MAT. It’s less about content and knowledge base, but more about problem solving and comprehension. Use the practice papers to your advantage.

I made sure I knew what I’d said on my personal statement, in case they asked me to expand on any of it (which one of the interviews did). Through a friend of my mum I managed to get in contact with an undergraduate Oxford mathematician, and so I asked him for advice both in the interviews and for the MAT. My school couldn’t/didn’t provide much preparation help, I was mostly left to figure it out myself.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

I was extremely anxious going into the whole process and felt rather disheartened after some of the interviews (where I barely managed to answer anything). However, I now realise that the interviewers are more interested in your problem solving process than your specific knowledge base, and would much rather you talked through a problem or task, rather than sit in silence for 5 minutes and then write down the correct answer.