Law @ Jesus, Cambridge in 2014

Interview format

Cambridge Law Test (CLT); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of pre-reading; Interview 2: new ideas about international law, personal statement

Best preparation

Use past papers

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Don't dwell on mistakes, focus on the next task

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: Cambridge Law Test (CLT)

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: no

Time between interviews: 1 hour 30 minutes

Length of first interview: 30 minutes; Length of second interview: 30 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My first interview had two interviewers: one took the lead and the other occasionally asked extra questions. The questions were based on a pre-reading exercise about the law surrounding murder and manslaughter. I felt pushed and tested in a positive way - they wanted me to achieve and once I had one answer, they would steer me on a different path. It was more of a conversation than an interrogation and I came out having really enjoyed it.

My second interview was about international law, for which the interviewers correctly assumed I had no knowledge of. I was more nervous in this interview as I knew nothing in advance but the interviewer was helpful and guided me through the interview. At the end of this interview, I was asked a few questions about my personal statement.

How did you prepare?

I prepared for the admission test by using online examples and past papers.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

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

My best advice is not to listen to other interviewees - after my admissions test, the group I had sat the test with all talked about their answers and I began to doubt my answers which made me nervous before my first interview. If the test or one interview feels like it went badly, try to forget about it and focus on the next task. Also, make sure you have read anything you mentioned in your personal statement, and maybe try to revisit them before the interview to refresh your memory. Try to demonstrate your enthusiasm for your subject - the interviewers want people who can engage with their questions and benefit from the supervision environment. If you know who in advance who your interviewers are, you could look them up on the college website. They may be specialists in a topic which particularly interests you, and this could inform your choice of question at the end of the interview.