2 x 25-30 mins
Language problem sheet; personal statement
I looked over a brief summary of the texts I had mentioned in my personal statement and made sure I had one interesting thing to say about each one.
Don't put pressure on yourself - I went in to it with a very much "I have nothing to lose" type of mindset, and this really helped as I wasn't stressed and could allow myself to relax and think more openly.
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: None
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: A day
Length of interviews: 25-30 minutes
Online interview: No
In the first (faculty) interview, we worked through a problem sheet related to language. It's was self-explanatory and wasn't too difficult. I made sure to relay/explain my thought process, which I think is really important. Then they asked just a couple of straightforward questions about my background learning the language and my personal statement. Everyone was very sweet and welcoming and I relaxed in to it - I really, really enjoyed it in the end. My second interview (college) was equally enjoyable - this was based off of my personal statement and the questions were fairly predictable. Just make sure you re-read your statement before the interview. You really get in to the discussion, and it should end up being a great chat.
The most useful preparation I did was practising thinking critically and creatively. There's really no way to prepare for what they might ask you other than re-reading your personal statement and making sure you're comfortable having a brief discussion on anything you've written about on there. I looked over a brief summary of the texts I had mentioned, and made sure I had one interesting thing to say about each one. (That's really important - being exciting, interesting and passionate). Finally, I prepared answers for the questions 'Why your subject,' and 'Why your college,' which they asked.
Don't put pressure on yourself - I went in to it with a very much "I have nothing to lose" type of mindset, and this really helped as I wasn't stressed and could allow myself to relax and think more openly.