Law @ Pembroke, Cambridge in 2016

Interview format

1x test (first day), 2x interviews (second day, ~30 mins each)

Interview content

Interview 1 - personal statement and general questions; Interview 2 - law scenarios, reasoning more important than final answer

Best preparation

Mock interview, knowing personal statement and A-Level revision was useful

Final thoughts

Don't worry if your test doesn't go to plan

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

I had been given the times and places of each assessment prior to my visit which I found with some help from student helpers. On the first day I had one written test lasting an hour for which I only needed a pen. On the second day I had two interviews lasting around half an hour each.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In my first interview I discussed my personal statement with general questions about myself and why I wanted to go to Pembroke.

My second interview was law based, here I was given different scenarios and was asked to discuss the lawfulness in case. This was mainly guess work and had been told the answers mattered less than how I approached the question.

How did you prepare?

I did fairly little preparation, I had one mock interview which was organised by my school but other than that I hoped knowledge of my personal statement and the A levels I was revising would get me through.

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

I wouldn’t worry too much about your written test, mine didn't go to plan and I got the chance to explain/discuss my thoughts the next day during my law based interview.