3 x 45-60 min interviews, TSA
Hypothetical experiment discussions; looked at philosophy definitions and explored different thought experiments
Talked through sample interview questions
Practice papers
The interview, while obviously more pressured, can sometimes be a little taste of what tutorials can be like - so use it as an opportunity to see if you would enjoy it!
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: Thinking Skills Assessment (
Number of interviews: 3
Time between interviews: Maximum of a day
Length of interviews: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Online interview: No
In my psychology interviews, we talked through several hypothetical studies. One of these was completely imaginary, and for others, some research materials or partial results were given, and I was asked to make certain inferences based on these. I enjoyed them a lot, because we got talking about some really interesting stuff. Tutors were patient and open to me asking for clarification. In my philosophy interviews, we looked at definitions and explored different thought experiments. I really enjoyed them too! The questions were definitely difficult beyond A-level, but nothing was impossible and tutors helped me if I got stuck.
I talked through sample interview questions (which can be found on the Oxford Admissions website) - I honestly think that doing the TSA may have helped me get in the right mindset.
Practice papers
Try to have fun! The interview, while obviously more pressured, can sometimes be a little taste of what tutorials can be like - so use it as an opportunity to see if you would enjoy it! It's easier to relax when you're testing out the uni as well as it testing out you.