3x 45-60 min interviews, 1 day apart
Maths problems, some given beforehand
Practise a range of questions (e.g. STEP questions)
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Try to relax; don't panic if you don't know the answer or need to ask 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.
Test taken:
Number of interviews: 3
Skype interview: No
Time between each interview: about 1 day
Length of interviews: 45-60 minutes each
I was given maths questions and asked to work through them, explaining my thought process. Some I was given before the interview and could prepare answers for; some I hadn’t seen until the room. My interviewers invited me to feel comfortable and were encouraging if I struggled with an answer. They were interested to see my thought process, different strategies and willingness to persevere, rather than how quickly I reached the answer.
I did all the past papers, and
Practise a range of questions, so you are familiar with problem solving. If possible find questions that require more creative thought than usual exam questions - e.g.
If possible find someone to give you a
Try to relax in the interview and don’t panic if you don’t know the answer - it’s better to say something wrong than to just say ‘I don’t know’. The interviewers are looking at how you attempt to tackle the problem with your existing knowledge and apply that understanding to new problems, so don’t be fazed if you don’t see the answer. Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand a word or the phrasing of the question - they won’t hold it against you!