Geography @ Fitzwilliam, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

Geography Admissions Assessment (GAA); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of pre-reading, graphs; Interview 2: personal statement

Best preparation

Discussing topics and current events with teachers

Final thoughts

Try to talk about the things you find interesting and engaging

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: Geography Admissions Assessment (GAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 1 hour
Length of interviews: 30-45 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I had a piece of set reading prior to the interview, and one article given on the day itself. We used these, alongside some graphs, for a discussion during the interview. Questions covered numerous topics and general conversation including personal statement. The second interview felt more relaxing as there was time to get used to the experience.

How did you prepare?

For the written assessment, I used past papers on Cambridge website.

Discussion of my subject on numerous topics and relevant current events with my teachers at school helped me prepare for the level of discussion needed for the interview.

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

My advice looking back would be to show genuine interest and enjoy the interview, talking about the things you find interesting and engaging.