Economics Admissions Assessment (ECAA); 2x interviews (30-40 minutes each)
Interview 1: discussion of personal statement, A-level subjects, and a Guardian news article. Interview 2: Four questions, involving a scatter diagram, a choice-theoretic scenario, graph-sketching, and probability respectively.
Mock interviews; practising maths questions, particularly explaining them aloud.
Past ECAA and NSAA (Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment) papers; "Ultimate ECAA Guide".
Focus on maths, try to get the to crux of the question, and remember the interviewer is on your side.
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.
Test taken: Economics Admissions Assessment (ECAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: About an hour
Length of interviews: 30-40 minutes
Online interview: Yes
1) Discussion of my A-level subject choices and personal statement, turning into more general conversation. Informal, no fixed theme. Then, a discussion of a Guardian article, and the themes contained therein. I was challenged on my ideas. The actual level of knowledge of economics required was definitely no more difficult than at A-level.
2) Interpretation of a scatter diagram depicting different countries, a short problem set based on a choice-theoretic scenario, a graph sketching exercise, and a question in probability. Nothing beyond A-level, although each question required some thought. Relatively informal; the interviewers were definitely not trying to "catch me out".
Two
Revising the A-level course
Past papers (including maths sections from
Don't stress too much about knowing the ins and outs of all of A-level economics, the maths is far more important. Don't waffle generally around the question, but try to work out what you think is the crux of the issue. And don't worry; in general, the interviewer is very much on your side.