Modern Languages @ Christ Church, Oxford in 2017

Interview format

2x 30 min interviews, 3-4 hrs apart

Interview content

Both interviews: poem given beforehand; Spanish: short translation; Italian: general discussion of motivation and literature

Best preparation

Old MLAT papers online

Advice in hindsight

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Final thoughts

Relax and speak your mind.

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: MLAT

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: No

Time between each interview: a few hours

Length of interviews: about 30 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In both my language interviews, I was asked to analyse a poem in English that I had had half an hour to prepare before the interview.

For Spanish, I then proceeded to translating a few sentences to allow my tutor to check my knowledge of grammar.

For Italian, I was asked questions about why I wanted to study Italian and we had a general discussion about literature.

How did you prepare?

I practised doing old MLAT papers that I found online.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

I did not have a single mock interview and I think that actually helped, because that means it was completely genuine from my part and I did not say/not say anything simply because I had been told that was what tutors wanted/did not want to hear.

My strength during both interviews I'd say was the language aspect. The poetry analysis did not go terribly well.

My advice would be to just relax and stay true to who you are. Don't be afraid to speak your mind and stand up for yourself.