How to prepare for an Oxbridge interview - advice from an Oxford grad and interviews helper

For many people, the Oxbridge interview is the most daunting part of the application process, and something that can be tricky to prepare for. I was very nervous before my interview, certainly more nervous than I had been for any other part. I got through it though, and you can too! 

During my time at Oxford, I worked as an interviews helper twice, taking students to and from their interviews, so I've picked up some pretty good strategies for calming those nerves. I've also been employed by my college several times to give talks to students about the interviews process and how best to prepare. Over conversations with my tutors, I've learnt some top tips for how best to prepare for an interview.

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Debunking some myths:

1. Aren't the tutors trying to catch me out? 

A common myth is that those weird questions the tabloids love publishing each year are asked to try and catch students out. This is simply not true! The interview is a friendly conversation between you and your potential tutors to see your academic potential. While it is true that it probably won't be easy, no questions are designed to try and catch you out. Those urban myths like: "this tutor will randomly throw a tennis ball at you in the interview and if you catch it, you get in!" are also completely false. 

Weird questions like "how many litres of coffee do you think are consumed per day in London?" are not 'right/wrong answer' questions. The tutors ask this to see your reasoning process and assess how you approach unfamiliar, abstract tasks because that is often what you'll be doing over the course of your degree. They don't expect you to get (anywhere) close to the real answer and might not even know it themselves - it's about how you think, not what you know. See below for tips on how to approach these questions.

2. Aren't the tutors always testing me, even when they're just asking simple questions? 

It is a common misconception that from the second you walk into the door/enter the Zoom call of the interview, you are being assessed. Tutors will normally take the first minute or two to explain how the interview will work, that they might take notes and this is perfectly normal, that you are encouraged to ask for clarification if you need it at any point, and so on.

They might also ask at the end of the interview if you have any questions for them. This is also not a test: you don't need to ask any questions if you don't have any. 

Calming those nerves

Nerves are a perfectly normal part of the process - tutors are very aware that most, if not all, students will be nervous before and during the interview. I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's easy to get rid of those nerves, but here are some things to bear in mind that might help alleviate them! And if they don't, no worries! Being nervous won't affect the overall outcome of your interview: tutors are very good at spotting potential through those nerves. 

1. Try and treat the interview like it's a conversation.

At the end of the day, that's all that the interview is: an interesting conversation between you and the tutors about a subject you're (hopefully) very passionate about and keen to learn more about. 

2. Practice thinking aloud about your subject in the days/weeks running up to the interview.

This will get you used to the kind of interaction you'll be having in the interview. If you have a friend or family member who can talk about your subject with you, great! If not, no worries: talking to yourself (in your head or out loud, up to you) about a problem you've thought about or a new concept you've learned will get you used to the conversation you'll have with the tutors. 

How to ace the interview

1. Think out loud! No matter how bad you think your ideas are, speak!

Everyone I knew at Oxford thought their interviews went badly. Lots of people thought they said something silly, some people even said things that are just factually incorrect. But we all got in. The interview is not a test of what you know - it's a test of how you think. The tutors aren't mindreaders so you need to think out loud. Practice this with a teacher, a family member, a friend, or by yourself in your room with some example questions from online or some homework questions. That way, you'll not find the interview so alien when you actually get there. 

2. Take your time.

(1) does not mean, however, that you have to rush. If anything, taking your time is better than answering straight away: it shows you've taken the time to think over the question properly and you're interested in forming a strong answer, rather than a fast answer. If you're worried about the awkward silence, you can always say something like "I'm just going to take a second to think that over" or "I'll just have a think about that before I start formulating my response." 

3. Ask for clarification if you need it.

Tutors spend most days of their lives reading articles in their field, using specialist terminology that is second nature to them. It won't be second nature to you. If you don't understand anything, ask them what it means. They will NEVER mark you down for this - think about it, if you were reading an article for your degree, you can always just look up what something means in the dictionary. Why should the interview be any different? 

Like with taking your time, asking for clarification can often show you in a more favourable light. It shows you care about answering the question properly and you're not going to blag your way through an answer with your fingers crossed that you sound intelligent. 

4. If you can, link your answers to your A-Levels/wider study.

This might not always be possible, but if something in a question reminds you of a concept or an idea you've studied elsewhere, it's worth briefly mentioning that. 

E.g., "This reminds me of this idea I saw in [insert book here] because [insert reason why you think they're similar here]. In [book] the [author] showed this to be the case so I guess in this scenario, one approach might be..." 

This is quite likely to happen in STEM interviews, where you'll be given a difficult problem but it will use something you've covered at A-Level. Make sure to think out loud when you do this.

5. Answer the question you've been asked, not the one you want to have been asked.

It might happen that you're asked about topic A, and you know loads about this other topic B that is vaguely related. In these scenarios, it can be very tempting to just recite everything you know about topic B because you feel you are coming across as more well-informed. This is counter-productive. The tutors have asked you about topic A for a reason, so it is best to answer that question. 

If you don't know anything about topic A, don't panic. Maybe there are some things about it you can deduce from the question, from your wider knowledge, or maybe you just have to make some assumptions. All of those are ok: the tutors are interested in your abstract reasoning capacities, not your ability to memorise facts. 

6. Don't be afraid to change your mind! 

If at some point during the interview you have a thought, or the tutor says something that makes you want to change your mind, change it! Tutors want to see that you can react to different evidence and ideas. It's very rare that the first thing you think on a topic will withstand lots of scrutiny so if you find yourself feeling like you have a different opinion to the one you started out with, don't be afraid to change your mind! 

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I hope all of the above helps. You can also fine useful videos that offer similar advice on the interviews process on YouTube.