Can I Prepare Answers for My Oxbridge Interviews?

'Prepare' your thoughts and responses to key areas

Just because you’re not memorising your responses, doesn’t mean you can’t anticipate key themes you might be asked to think about. The first obvious line of enquiry would be your motivation for studying your chosen course, why you have chosen this university, and how you plan to execute the required skills. Whilst you cannot predict the exact form in which they will ask this, you can bet heavily on admissions tutors being interested in these areas.

These are all themes you will have addressed to a greater or lesser extent in your personal statement (with the exception of university choice), so you should have a good starting point from which to think about your responses. Perhaps try discussing and explaining your personal motivation with a friend or parent, keeping the conversation loose and unscripted and allowing them to ask follow-up questions.

Be ready to talk about anything in your personal statement/written work

Another common pool from which interviewers draw is the work you have submitted as part of your application; the personal statement and written pieces (if applicable). Remember that the admissions tutors don’t know a lot about you, and so do not know the topics you will already be familiar with (outside of your school curriculum). Therefore, if they wish to discuss an area with which you are familiar in the interview, they will likely reach for your personal statement or written pieces as a starting point.

It goes without saying that you should have actually read (or watched, listened to, visited etc.) every resource you mention by name in the personal statement. If for some reason this isn’t the case (and you’ve got away with it thus far) then definitely make sure you’ve read it before the interview itself. Beyond this, you should have some opinions or reflections on the content (beyond just regurgitating the main points or plot) to discuss if asked. Again, try explaining the books you’ve read to a parent/guardian, teacher, or friend in an accessible manner before offering your intellectual thoughts as part of a casual conversation.

Another good idea is to reflect on how the sources you have researched (both those mentioned in the personal statement and others) link or connect to one another. Think about thematic links or points where authors either agree or disagree; offering ideas such as these can help prove you critical thinking skills in the interview.

Reflect on your admissions test performance

Another piece of material evidence the interviewers will have on you is your admissions test results (if you took one). There is a chance that they may wish you to reflect on your performance, the areas you found easier or difficult, or how you responded to a particularly difficult problem or topic. Reflect back on your performance and think about where you shone or where you could have improved. Remember to show humility and honesty with this; it is okay to be unsure about an answer you gave, provided you can reflect on it critically with hindsight (they will have your grades, after all, so there is no point pretending you did well on a certain question if you didn’t!).