Engineering @ Murray Edwards, Cambridge in 2014

Interview format

2x interviews (30-40 mins)

Interview content

Physics: old & new content; Maths: questions & personal statement

Best preparation

Mock interviews & knowing interviewers aren't trying to catch you out

Final thoughts

Nope

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

2 interviews, each 30-40 minutes. One was physics based, one was split between maths and personal statement questions. 2 interviewers in each.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Physics interview was 50% based on content I'd already covered, but stretching the knowledge I already had, for example regarding forces. The other 50% was on content that was new to me.

The other interview was a mix of questions about things I'd mentioned in my personal statement, such as work experience, and maths questions. Mostly using familiar techniques, but applied in a way I hadnt seen before. There were a lot of questions where I knew the answer to the first bit straight away, but then they asked something harder I really had to think about.

I felt the physics went ok, the maths wasn't great and the personal statement part went quite well

How did you prepare?

My school arranged practice interviews which were really useful as you got to have a go at answering the types of questions you might be asked. Contact with current studentswas also pretty helpful as they can reassure you that the interviewers arent trying to catch you out.

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

Nope!