2023 OxbridgeApplications
My Oxbridge coaching service aims to demystify the application process;
in particular, to dispell popular misconceptions concerning the Oxbridge interview.
Your Oxbridge interview won't be testing your factual subject knowledge;
you wouldn't be in the room unless you had amply demonstrated that in public exams.
Rather, the interview will attempt to explore that elusive, flexibility of mind
with which good Oxbridge candidates approach unfamiliar intellectual challenges.
Having taught philosophy and logic at the University of Oxford, I'm well-placed to
provide Oxbridge candidates with a realistic experience of the interview process.
The remainder of this page covers:
If you're shortlisted for interview you'll be invited to stay for a few nights at one of
the Oxford of Cambridge colleges.
The selection process will go on for a number of days, and you may be interviewed by
more than one college. Furthermore, you may have more than one interview at the college at which
you're staying.
Depending on the college, and the course for which you're applying, you may
also be given a short text to read before the interview. You'll then be asked questions
about that in the interview.
Above all, don't be intimidated by how clever and confident other candidates sound.
Part of the skill of the experienced Oxbridge interviewer is to penetrate beyond a thin veneer of intellectual pretence.
The personal statement that you submitted to Oxford or Cambridge is a rich source of
potential interview questions.
I offer a personal statement analysis service where I scrutinise your statement and return
20 interview questions that it prompts me to consider.
The point is not to predict possible interview questions that might arise. Rather, by exposing yourself to the calibre
of question that you might encounter in interview, you begin to develop the kind of Oxbridge mindset admissions tutors are looking for.
It is also an economical way of preparing for interview, prior to any formal invitation from Oxford or Cambridge.
The Oxbridge interviews simulate the intensive tutorials that are
at the heart of teaching at Oxford and Cambridge; so the best Oxbridge
interview preparation is to practice answering interview
questions posed by an experienced Oxford or Cambridge tutor.
I offer online Oxbridge interview practice, over the internet, using Skype's free
video-conferencing facilities.
The simulations remove the mystery
behind the whole Oxbridge interview process; and my feedback helps you to organise
and express your thoughts naturally and clearly.
The online practice interviews also simulate the last-minute comprehension and
reading exercises that many colleges are fond of setting.
The kinds of questions asked in your Oxbridge interview will be driven by two key requirements
that each successful candidate must satisfy: do you understand precisely the nature of the
course for which they're applying; and will you make a success of your studies at Oxford or Cambridge?
The starting point for tutors conducting your Oxbridge admissions interview is your
personal statement.
This will very likely be used to frame both initial 'ice-breaker' questions, and more probing
subject-matter questions.
It follows that the more you have thought
and talked about the things you have mentioned on your personal statement, the better your
performance in your Oxbridge interview will be.
If you have a question about your Oxford or Cambridge interview,
that's not covered in the following FAQ, then by all means email me
and I'll endeavour to answer it:
