Test taken: Philosophy Test
Number of interviews: 4
Length of interviews: 30 mins
Online interview: yes

In my first interview, we spoke about the problem of evil (an A-Level RS topic) which put me at ease slightly because I knew the content well for that topic. Aside from that, the tutors asked me questions about some of the books that I mentioned in my personal statement, as well as some of the opinions that I gave in my personal statement. My 2nd interview with St. Peter’s was virtually the same, as well as my 3rd interview (with Regent’s Park). My 4th interview was also with Regent’s Park, and this one differed slightly from the others because I was given a religious picture to look at and discuss with the tutors. Overall, the interviews were challenging because I was challenged a lot on the viewpoints that I gave, and sometimes I defended these and other times I accepted that my initial viewpoint was flawed/narrow etc. I also felt that being online for the interviews put me more at ease because I was in a comfortable environment and didn’t have to worry about body language or eye contact.

My school arranged some practice interviews with teachers from other schools a couple of weeks beforehand. I found these really useful because it allowed me to get used to having a conversation with a stranger and trying to explain my thought process to them. I also had after-school sessions with other Oxbridge applicants in my year, where our teacher would assign us random topics to discuss, and we would have to practise arguing a point coherently. I revised my A-Level religious studies content and refreshed my knowledge of the books I spoke about in my personal statement.

I did a past paper every week for 7/8 weeks leading up to the exam. On the Oxford website, there was a past paper with notes on how the questions should be answered, so I used the advice on that and applied it to the other practice papers. Other than that there were very limited resources available for the test that I could find.

Make sure you’ve thoroughly read all the books and articles you mention in your personal statement, but don’t worry too much about forgetting certain details, as long as you can demonstrate a clear understanding of the text. Also ensure you know your A-Level content because it’s likely the tutors will ask you questions about certain topics, but don’t be afraid to let them know if you haven’t studied something they’ve asked you about. When asked a question, don’t answer straight away; pause to think about your line of argument and try to think out loud so that the tutors can understand your thought process. Remember that the tutors are looking for ‘teachable’ applicants, so don’t hesitate to admit when you’re wrong, because that shows that you can recognise your mistakes and learn from them.