Modern Languages And Linguistics @ Christ Church, Oxford in 2018

Interview format

2x 40 min interviews, over 2 days

Interview content

Discussed approach to MLAT test, readings given before interview; general discussion

Best preparation

Practice papers

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Did every MLAT paper; don't just side with interviewer(s), overcomplicate things, or use flashy language

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 interviews: 40 minutes each

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Neither interview mentioned my personal statement. My first interview focused quite a lot on how I went about my MLAT test and also focused on the provided reading material we had to complete before the interview. There were a lot of niche questions to test how I thought and they also played devil’s advocate with me to see if I’d be a yes-man or stick to my beliefs. We had lots of general discussion about things like my reasons for applying.

How did you prepare?

I used the practice papers.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

My preparation was very minimal, I didn’t want advice off of anyone as I wanted to do it off of instinct and what I thought was the right process. I did every MLAT past paper but nothing past that.

Stick to your guns in your interviews and don’t just side with the interviewer(s). Don’t try to overcomplicate things or use flashy language - just be as natural as possible.