Map Oxbridge Applications, 58 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ
Search Search
CART 0

Why do Oxford and Cambridge Interview?

The first step to excelling in your Oxford or Cambridge interview is understanding why they are interviewing you in the first place! Learn more in this guide written by our expert advisers and former Oxbridge admissions tutors.

In this article...

Why do Oxford and Cambridge Interview?

Oxford and Cambridge Universities are known (perhaps even notorious) in part for their detailed and difficult application process. One very important aspect of this process is the interview. Perhaps the most talked-about part of the Oxbridge application process, the interview, involves attending one or several interview sessions with admissions tutors at the college or department you’ve applied to (or the college into which you have been placed) so that tutors can get a better idea of who you are, how you’re likely to interact with the course, and ultimately whether you deserve a place on their course.

There are a lot of rumours surrounding the Oxford and Cambridge interviews - you may well have heard tales of interviewers throwing their shoes out of windows or asking students to stand on their heads - but, in reality, these interviews are nothing more than a brief opportunity to talk with some world-leading experts about the field you’re interested in studying. Regardless, it still pays to prepare thoroughly before walking into your first Oxford or Cambridge interview. An important stage in in preparing for interviews and figuring out what tutors want from you is to understanding why the university requires every applicant to be interviewed in the first place.

 

NEED STRATEGIC GUIDANCE?

Our Private Consultations provide in-depth evaluation, strategy and next steps to achieve results. Suitable for those aged 14 upwards.

Book a consultation

Assessing Potential

Probably the main aim of an interview at Oxford or Cambridge is to assess the potential abilities of the applicant on the course they’re applying for. This involves not only understanding how good they are in strict academic measures (i.e. by looking at their predicted or already achieved GCSE and A-level grades), but also how they perform in the unique academic environment of an Oxford or Cambridge college. The interview itself is set up to replicate a ‘tutorial’ (Oxford) or ‘supervision’ (Cambridge), a unique part of the Oxbridge education system in which one or two students meet with a tutor to discuss an essay they have written or topic they have been studying in academic depth. A good deal of the teaching at Oxford and Cambridge is conducted in this way, and the interview replicates this to allow your potential future tutors to assess your ability to study, think, and learn in this way. Tutors are looking for your potential to study to a very high level, engaging with ideas that are newly presented to you and responding to concepts in an interesting way.

It’s important to remember that tutors want to see a demonstration of your self-motivation and enthusiasm within the area you’re applying for. Tutors will not factor in your mannerisms, appearance, or background, but instead your ability to think independently and to engage with ideas beyond the scope of your school syllabus. You will not necessarily be asked to show specific knowledge of your subject, but rather tutors want to see your abilities with unseen content.

It is, however, worth noting here that STEM subjects tend to have more questions relying on prior knowledge from your GCSE and A-Level courses than do humanities subjects, but both use the principles and techniques you will have learned in class. Therefore, for all Admissions Tests, in particular STEM subjects, it is definitely best practice to make sure that you have the fundamentals of your subject down (think about the main formulae or methodological practices you covered in GCSE and A-level) and ensure that you can carry them out in different situations, since this is what the test is really designed to examine.

Expanding on your application

Another important aspect of the interview process is the chance for applicants to expand on their application, such as the knowledge they demonstrated in their personal statement or admissions test, and discuss their interests in a more in-depth manner with a like-minded academic. Students attending interviews at Oxford or Cambridge are likely to have very similar grades (i.e. the very top ones!), so picking between them just on these criteria is difficult, and with such a short personal statement, using just the UCAS application can be limiting. Therefore, the interview is designed to give applicants a little more time and space to express their interests, enthusiasm, and thinking abilities to their tutors first-hand. Again, tutors won’t necessarily be looking for you to demonstrate how much knowledge you have, but instead to show just how much you are willing to engage with the kind of material the course is likely to throw at you, and how flexible you will be in applying your existing knowledge to it.​​

 

Ultimately, the whole point of the interviews is to make sure that you get the best possible chance to demonstrate your passion and abilities in your chosen field, and to show your potential future tutors how well you’re likely to fare in tutorials or supervisions at the university of your choice. Think of the interview as an opportunity to put your best foot forwards, and you’ll be nicely placed for success!

Read more free Oxbridge interview resources here

Mock Interview Package

Our Mock Interview Package helps you to prepare for these through four one-hour, subject-specific, formal mock interviews with four different Oxbridge-graduate interviewers, with constructive, detailed feedback.

RECENT ARTICLES

Read More

Update on Oxford University Admissions Tests

Read More

What To Do If You Don’t Get an Offer From Oxford or Cambridge

Read More

How Early Should I Start Thinking about Applying to Oxbridge?

JUMP TO SECTION

Mock Interview Package x4

The interviews for Oxford and Cambridge are, arguably, the most important part of your application. The package gives candidates four subject-specific mock interviews, designed to recreate the real interview environment, and help candidates gain confidence in the process of how to get into Oxford or Cambridge.

Book your session
Oxbridge Applications Logo

Our Oxbridge-graduate consultants are available between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday, with additional evening availability when requested.

Oxbridge Applications, 58 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ

Who We Are
Application Strategy
School Support
Social
Social

Site by i3MEDIA
Close

Recently Updated Blogs

blog Update on Oxford University Admissions Tests

***Please note that this is the latest information regarding admissions tests from Oxford University as of January 2026. If more updates are released, we will endeavour to update our blog as soon as possible.***   Update on Oxford University Admissions Tests This week Oxford University have announced that, from 2026,…

blog What To Do If You Don’t Get an Offer From Oxford or Cambridge

It’s January and thousands of Oxford and Cambridge applicants have either just found out or are soon to find out whether they are being offered a place to study at Oxford or Cambridge. However, as is inevitable, the majority of very promising applicants will unfortunately receive the news that they…

blog How Early Should I Start Thinking about Applying to Oxbridge?

How Early Should I Start Thinking about Applying to Oxbridge? You may not have reached your year of application, or even A-levels, or even GCSEs, but you think you might want to go to either Oxford or Cambridge when the time eventually comes around. The question that might now be…

blog Your Guide to Oxford and Cambridge Offers

When are Oxford and Cambridge Offers Released? Oxford offers will be released on Tuesday the 13th of January 2026. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by the university of their decision. Applicants will also be able to see the results of their application on the UCAS online portal.…

blog Why It Pays to Start Early on Your University Application

Why It Pays to Start Early on Your University Application Applying to universities, especially renowned institutions like Oxford and Cambridge, can be a daunting and highly competitive process. However, as we have learned from our almost 25 years of experience helping students with their applications, with careful planning and starting…

Added to cart

View Cart