Mathematics And Philosophy @ New, Oxford in 2018

Interview format

6x 20-30 min interviews, over 3 days

Interview content

Maths: maths problems; Philosophy 1: reading given beforehand, moral philosophy discussion; Philosophy 2: logic, philosophy of language

Best preparation

Past papers, mock interview

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Try to have fun and relax; think aloud.

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: 6

Skype interview: No

Interviews spread over 3 days

Length of interviews: 20-30 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In the maths interviews, I was given a variety of questions and asked to talk my way through them. For the most part, the tutors were very helpful and guided me to the right answers like a mini-tutorial.

In the philosophy interviews, I had two different experiences. In one, I was given a sheet to read and annotate before the interview. I spent half my time discussing that theme (which was on the philosophy of death), while the other half was spent debating moral issues. In my other philosophy interview, I was asked questions on logic and the philosophy of language, and these were more of a way for the tutors to see the way my brain worked.

Overall the tutors just wanted to know how I thought and, after a few minutes, I relaxed and started really enjoying the questions.

How did you prepare?

I did practice papers, met with a maths teacher to cover the kinds of question on the papers, and attended STEP lessons.

Prepare for the admissions test and try to get some mock interviews. These might be really helpful, even if it's just with your teachers at school (which is what I had).

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

If you get second or third-college interviews, you can't deduce anything from that so don't worry about it.

The interviewers just want to know how you think, if they could teach you and whether you actually enjoy the subject, so just try to have fun and relax, (but do still put effort into answering questions, even if you're in the wrong direction they'll steer you back on course.) Also, don't just say nothing and think quietly during the interviews, they want to know what you are thinking.