university interview Archives - Gabbitas

Oxbridge: How Can You Best Prepare For The Interview?

Sarah Oshun-Williams — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:25:48 +0000

Applying to Oxford or Cambridge is a prestigious journey filled with intellectual challenges, and perhaps the most daunting part is the interview process. As part of the Oxbridge preparation, interviews are known for their rigour, demanding deep thinking, adaptability, and a strong understanding of your subject.

What to Expect from an Oxbridge Interview

The Oxbridge interview is unlike typical interviews – it’s designed to assess how you think, analyse information, and respond to new ideas. You’ll likely be interviewed by professors and experts in your chosen field, who will ask challenging questions to assess your ability to think on your feet.

Key aspects of the interview include:

Academic Focus: The interview questions will centre around your chosen subject. Expect topics that go beyond the A-level curriculum, requiring you to apply logic and critical thinking.
Unpredictable Questions: These may include hypothetical situations or problems designed to test your ability to reason.
Interaction with Tutors: Oxbridge interviews are often conversation-based, with tutors interested in seeing how you process information, approach challenges, and respond to guidance.

The goal isn’t to test how much you already know but rather to observe your thought process and intellectual curiosity. This unique structure makes Oxbridge interviews challenging to prepare for, which is why expert guidance can be invaluable.

How Can You Best Prepare for an Oxbridge Interview?

Authenticity is key to leaving a lasting impression. Oxbridge tutors want to know what you think, how you think, and how you articulate yourself – so stay relaxed, and listen carefully to the questions.

Here are a few general tips to follow as part of your preparation:

Review the selection criteria for your chosen subject.
Re-read your personal statement in case there are any follow-up questions on your submitted written work. This will also refresh your memory on the interests, motivations, and aspirations you highlighted as relevant to your field of study.
Apart from your own written work, explore external sources such as subject-related literature, school materials, websites, and journals. This can give you additional ideas to discuss during the interview.

Gabbitas Oxbridge Interview Tuition

Our team understands that the unpredictability of the format can be daunting. Our tutors, many of whom are Oxbridge alumni, focus on building candidates’ confidence and strengthening their critical skills.

How Can Our Tutors Help You Prepare for the Oxbridge Interview?

Realistic Mock Interviews for Authentic Practice: These interviews are tailored to reflect the specific college and course to which each student has applied, with tutors asking probing questions that mirror the actual interview. This approach not only improves a student’s ability to answer questions but also helps them grow accustomed to the unique intensity and rigour of an Oxbridge interview, building confidence through realistic rehearsal.
Detailed Feedback and Performance Analysis: Following each session and mock interview, students receive in-depth, constructive feedback that highlights their strengths and identifies areas for improvement. This feedback includes specific advice on refining responses, improving logical reasoning, and enhancing communication skills.
Developing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Oxbridge interviews test a student’s ability to think on their feet, reason through complex problems, and respond to new information. Our tutors focus on helping students develop these skills by presenting them with challenging questions, thought experiments, and logical puzzles. The aim is to cultivate a student’s ability to approach problems methodically, think critically, and communicate their thought processes effectively – all crucial qualities that Oxbridge interviewers assess closely.

Have a question about Oxbridge preparation? Contact our team directly.

(Image Credit: Oxford University)

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Unexpected Oxbridge Interview Questions

Gabbitas Dubai Rep — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 06:25:18 +0000

If you are successful enough to have secured an Oxbridge interview, then we’re sure you won’t have got this far by expecting it to be easy. But are you really prepared for everything you might be asked? Below are some of the most unusual and unexpected questions asked during Oxbridge interviews, with rationale from Oxbridge professors on why these are important and how they are designed to get you thinking!

Why do human beings have two eyes?

This question can be developed into a few different directions. Two eyes are important for 3D vision. Then why can we still see 3D when looking through one eye? What is the optimum position and distance between two eyes? How can maths, physics and biology help us explain 3D vision?

Why do animals have stripes?

The aim of this question is to get students to think about biological topics and put them into the context of successful adaptations of life on earth. So they may take an example of a striped animal that has developed its stripes for camouflage, or a harmless animal who has developed stripes to mimic a more dangerous species.

Imagine we had no records about the past, except everything to do with sport – how much could we find out about our history?

Answers to this question could relate to race, class or gender relations in society. They could reflect international politics, which countries were involved in particular events, and economic development, how sports were watched at certain times. It could also tell us about values within society – more aggressive versus more gentile sports, and even health, if we consider participation rates. What interviewers would be looking for here is how far the candidate pushed their analysis.

Should poetry be difficult to understand?

This type of question has no right or wrong answer. It is used as a basis for a candidate to take a new direction of discussion – what sorts of ‘difficulties’ do we have in mind? Are these specific to poetry, or writing in general? Professors are looking for a willingness to venture down a new path, to have a go and show potential to develop thinking further. This is the type of candidate who would thrive in an Oxbridge environment.

How hot does the air in a hot air balloon have to be to lift an elephant?

This sort of question is used to test how materials science applicants think about problems and how they might operate within a tutorial. It is not so much about solving the question, but seeing how readily they can see into the core of the problem.

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Preparing for University Interviews

Gabbitas Dubai Rep — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:19:13 +0000

For most students applying to study in the UK, once the UCAS form is filled in and sent off, you can sit back, relax and wait for the offers to come in. However, for particular courses and universities this is just the start point of the process. If you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge, or if you have applied to read Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science, or potentially for some Law or Design programmes there will be a requirement for an interview.

So if you are called for an interview what are the things that you need to prepare for?

Timeline

Be aware of when the interviews are likely to take place and how much notice you can expect. Medical and Law interviews can take place at any time and individual universities will publish likely dates on their website. For Oxford and Cambridge the interviews will take place in early December and you can expect to receive up to 10 days’ notice.

Where to interview

Universities will often offer a range of options as to where you can be interviewed. Some will be able to interview you in country, others will want you to be present at the university and some will be happy to do the interview over skype or the equivalent. If there is a chance to get there in person there is a double benefit of face to face contact and also the opportunity to get a feel for the university and who else is applying to be on the same course.

Style of Interview

In many cases the interview will be more of an informal chat to see how motivated you are about the course and how much you know about the university.

But for medical students you are more likely to go through the MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) which will involve a series of stations assessing different relevant skill sets from your situational judgement to how clearly you give an explanation or how you prioritise making decisions.

An Oxbridge interview is more likely to be one to one or with a panel including one or more professors. Here they will be asking questions designed to see how you think and how you draw on your existing knowledge and use it in unfamiliar situations.

What are they looking for?

The interviewer is testing your ability to think – they are not necessarily looking for right answers. They are offering you scope to show them what you can do and to see how you articulate and work through a problem. In all cases they are looking for potential, so don’t be afraid to plunge in and think out loud as you explore the questions. If you stay quiet they will not be able to see what they are missing!

How should you answer?

It is worth remembering that not all the questions are designed to trip you up – some will be testing things you already know but in a different context, so don’t ignore the obvious and try not to over complicate things. There may not even be an answer but the interviewer wants you to explore a balanced approach to analysing the information. The key is to keep going – if if you take a ‘wrong turn’ do not give up – every step you take is evidence of your problem solving skills. Make sure that you take time to understand the question and answer the one asked not one you prepared earlier….. Be humble, they are not looking for ‘know it alls’ you are going to university to learn. And be enthusiastic!

How to prepare

It is vital to get as much practice as possible. This will help you develop confidence, to get used to hearing yourself talk out loud for extended periods of time and to work out strategies for answering questions. Read up around your subject so you are familiar with relevant current issues and make sure you are completely familiar with what the university offers, what the course consists of and your personal statement.

How to be successful?

Be prepared, be calm, be up to speed and make sure that on the day you feel rested, clear headed and confident. Be confident in your opinions and be polite. But most of all be yourself!

Sample Questions

Do bankers deserve the pay they receive? And should government do something to limit how much they get? (Economics – Oxford)

Calculate the distance between New York and London. (General Oxbridge)

Why is sugar in your urine a good indicator that you might have diabetes? (Medicine)

Explain how to tie a shoe lace without using your hands to demonstrate. (MMI Medicine)

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