2x interviews (15 mins + 30 mins) + pre-reading (15 mins)
First interview: tough discussions around issues raised in personal statement; Second interview: a set of questions in relation to the pre-reading such as the possible subject, period, audience, nature of the language and geographical location; some personal statement questions; more relaxed than the first.
Practice interviews; reading
Don't be afraid to change your mind & admit you're wrong; remember, they're looking for people they want to teach.
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.
My interview was in mid December towards the end of the period. My first interview was with a non subject professor and included general scrutiny of my personal statement, although this was not the case for any other applicants I spoke to. The interview was meant to last 15 minutes and a timer was set, but my interviewer continued through the end of this for another 10 minutes. After an hour break I was taken to a teaching room to read a written source for 15 minutes, before being taken to a half hour subject interview with two faculty professors. This lasted around half an hour, but was a relatively informal discussion in a comfortable environment.
My first interview revolved around a discussion of my personal statement, which my interviewer essentially went through section by section. The question style felt
The second was more relaxed and I was given 15 minutes prior to read a source. We discussed who I thought was speaking, period, audience, nature of the language and geographical location. Following on from this, I was quizzed on various non academic activities, and asked about presentations I had given which were mentioned in the personal statement. They mentioned the essay I had written to send to them in October, but did not think it needed further discussion. I felt it was a relaxed and friendly environment with interested academics, but some people had the opposite experience.
Don't be afraid to change your mind, admit you're wrong, or reconsider any statement you've made. It shows that you're capable of growing intellectually more than being a sign of weakness. Remember: they're looking for people they want to teach.