Computer Science @ Girton, Cambridge in 2022

Interview format

Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA), 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: maths questions, problem-solving Interview 2: questions about personal statement, computer science-related questions testing algorithmic thinking

Best preparation

Watching example interviews and practing questions

Test preparation

Past papers and YouTube videos

Final thoughts

Prepare well, and give it a go!

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 1 hour
Length of interviews: 30 minutes 
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My maths interview involved difficult problem-solving maths questions, including some stuff I hadn't seen before. 

My Computer Science interview had some questions about my personal statement and then some computer science-related questions that seemed to test algorithmic thinking.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

Following along with example interviews on YouTube and practicing problem-solving questions. Similar questions were asked at interview to example questions shown in youtube videos. 

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Past papers, YouTube videos (R2Drew2 is good for TMUA)

What advice would you give to future applicants?

It's worth giving a go at! I didn't get in first time (summer pooled) so don't put too much pressure on yourself. Those who really want it will prepare really well, so make sure you really want it!