For Oxbridge candidates, the interview is one of the most challenging, thrilling, and nerve-wracking aspects of the application process. I know that I was excited to receive my invitation to an interview at Cambridge, but I was also nervous - what will I be asked? How will I be assessed? And what would happen if, say, I forget the genitive singular of third declension Latin nouns? Hopefully, this blog post will help demystify the much-mythologised Oxbridge interview and offer some tips on answering interview questions.
What happens during an Oxbridge interview? Ignore the urban legends about interviews – the reality is (fortunately) a lot more predictable. Broadly, interviews replicate the small-group teaching that makes both universities famous. While the specific details differ depending on the university, department and course, interviews are designed to spark discussions. You might be asked to look at an object and comment on it, consider a philosophical dilemma, solve a multi-stage problem, or discuss something you mentioned in your personal statement. Very often, there isn't a correct answer to the question, and interviewers play something of a devil’s advocate. They want to see if they would enjoy discussing topics with you every week at university, something more important to them than taking the most intelligent candidates who think they know it all already.
What are admissions tutors looking for? Oxford and Cambridge interviewers are not looking for the best-dressed students with the longest answers to study at their colleges. They are trying to assess your potential and passion for your subject, so you can turn up in jeans and a jumper if that makes you feel most comfortable. The discussions that emerge from their questions are a great chance for the tutors to understand how you process new information and apply what you already know to new scenarios.
How should I answer an interview question?
Oxbridge interview questions are designed to provoke thought and kickstart discussions, often with little time to think. At Insight Education, we teach three frameworks that can help order your thoughts and provide a structured, coherent answer. These three frameworks are REAL, PESC and TIPS.
REAL and PESC are intended to be used together. REAL stands for Research, Enthusiasm, Analysis and Lateral thinking. PESC, meanwhile, frames analysis and lateral thinking by encouraging interviewees to consider Political, Economic, Social and Cultural impacts. These frameworks encourage students to adapt their existing knowledge to tackle the question in a new way.
To apply these frameworks, if an applicant was asked “Why is income per head between 50 and 100 times larger in the United States than in countries such as Burundi and Malawi?”, they may tackle it like this:
Research – the question is considering income gaps in countries, so a candidate may bring in knowledge about poorer countries and why they’re in that situation.
Enthusiasm – the candidate may then discuss why this interests them and demonstrate further understanding about the topic. This question about income gaps is important because it helps understand why some countries are rich and others poor.
Analysis – here, the candidate analyses the reasons for these countries being poor. PESC comes into play. Maybe there’s rampant political corruption in these cases or resources are mismanaged.
Lateral thinking – finally, the candidate answers the question, considering all of the above. The US may not have had the same degree of difficulties as poorer countries, which thus explains the disparity.
With this method, you’d be demonstrating that you’ve read beyond the course, are passionate about your subject, and are able to think in innovative, logical ways.
TIPS is mostly used for maths-based problems. It stands for Tools, Information, Proposal and State. This breaks down the process of answering the question into a set of simple stages. It works as follows:
Tools – consider what tools you can use to solve the problem. For example, if you have spotted a rate of change in the question, you might need to use differentiation.
Information – consider what the question already tells you about the problem – it may indicate the steps you should follow. Oxbridge questions can also include extra information you do not need, or that you only need for a latter part of the question, so make a note of what is relevant.
Proposal – suggest a method you could use to solve the problem. This might not be correct, but this isn’t a bad thing – you’re demonstrating that you can think creatively. It also means that if you make a mistake in your workings, the interviewer can see you had the right approach and is better placed to help you.
State – state the information that you know and the information you need at each point. Work through each stage of the problem carefully, speaking out loud.
These frameworks are great because they help illustrate your thought process to the interviewer, allowing the interviewers to understand how you think.
What if things go wrong in my interview? It’s worth keeping in mind that the interview is only one part of the application process. It’s undoubtedly an important part but not the only thing that matters. If it’s any comfort, I don’t know many Oxbridge students who felt their interviews went well. In my own interview, I completely forgot how the aforementioned third declension nouns worked and was still offered a place. Interviews are a difficult part of the Oxbridge application process. However, as long as you keep it REAL and remember your TIPS for success, you’ll stand the best chance you can get when you’re sat opposite an Oxford don in December. If you want some examples of how REAL and TIPS can be used to answer Oxbridge interview questions, check out our Youtube channel.
By Thomas Cleere(Insight Education)
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