Human, Social And Political Science @ Newnham, Cambridge in 2016

Interview format

HSPSAA; 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of extract; Interview 2: personal motivations

Best preparation

Read around the structure of the course

Final thoughts

Know your personal statement really well

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: HSPS Admissions Assessment
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 2 hours
Length of interviews: 45 mins
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was given a text about nationalism and asked about it - questions focused on how I understood it and how I could apply the theory. My second interview was more personal and focused on why I want to apply, how I think my target grades might improve.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I made sure I was confident talking about each part of my personal statement. I read around the course and made sure I understood the structure of the course.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Make sure you know a lot about the topics you talked about in your personal statement, as they will definitely challenge you on those.