Oxford and Cambridge Interviews: Course Content
We offer different lengths of online course to help you through the application process. All support is one-to-one and helps to demystify all aspects of applying to Oxford or Cambridge and give you honest feedback about how to improve your chances of getting in.
Student may find it particularly helpful to do multiple interviews where they:
• wish to gain experience a wide range of interviewers and interviewing styles (students will generally have at least two interviews and there is no set format).
• would like the opportunity to reflect and work on feedback received in the first round of practice interviews.
• are pursuing joint honours courses such as (modern language, PPE or HSPS) as each interview will focus on a specific and different discipline.
| Module | Two hour | Half day | One hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview Preparation Session
For students opting for our extended programmes of support. Student will send us background on their application, how they are feeling about various elements and areas they would like advice on. The interviewer will introduce the student to the format, what interviewers are looking for and give the student the chance to practice answering questions. This will focus on what outcomes admissions tutors seek from interviews. This will help to maximise the value of your practice interviews | ✓ | ||
| Personal Statement/Written Submission Interviews
Designed to test the student’s ability to discuss material that they are already familiar with, previously studied in school and written about in their personal statement. Our interviewers will encourage the student to expand upon topics mentioned within the submission, outline their position on certain issues, while allowing scope to explore topics in a little more depth; vital skills in a real Oxford of Cambridge tutorial. If the application contained a written submission we can also base the interview on that. | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Subject Interviews
Students will be presented with a subject-specific problem, article or text that they have not seen before. In some cases the student will be asked to complete a short test and the student’s interview will be based on their answers. This can often be the most daunting part of an Oxbridge interview and requires the student to think clearly and carefully under pressure, and to confidently express recently formed ideas in response to the material. Our interviewers will push the student to expand upon their ideas, justify their arguments on a topic, and assess how they might modify their position if presented with conflicting ideas or examples; vital skills in a real Oxbridge tutorial. | ✓ (1) | ✓ (1) | ✓ (1) |
|
Feedback
Each practice interview hour has built in time for feedback. The interviewer will discuss the student’s performance, highlighting areas for improvement.. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full Feedback and Action Planning An interviewer will look at feedback across all six interviews, helping the student to tie together all the feedback, and translate learning into interview technique to take into the real thing. Together students and interviewers will create an action plan for final elements of your preparation, including a plan for the day of their real interviews. |