Modern Languages @ Jesus, Oxford in 2015

Interview format

1x 20 min interview & 1x 45 min interview, 1 day apart

Interview content

Interview 1: English poem and German prose given beforehand; Interview 2: personal statement, MLAT

Best preparation

Practice papers, grammar exercises

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

When given a text, think about why you've been given it and why it might be interesting.

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: 1 day

Length of interview 1: 20 minutes; Length of Interview 2: 45 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In one interview we discussed an English poem and a German prose text that I had been given time to prepare for. The questions were about context and authorial intention.

In the second interview, we discussed my personal statement and MLAT.

The second interview was more relaxed, but I felt comfortable in both.

How did you prepare?

I did practice papers, as well asgrammar exercises (e.g. on irregular verbs).

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

When looking at a text, think about why they are showing it to you- Why is it interesting? Does it make a point about refugees, about memory - about history, war, cultural divide?