Law @ Robinson, Cambridge in 2017

Interview format

2x interviews (each 20 mins); 1x test (40 mins)

Interview content

Interview 1: discussion of legal scenarios; Interview 2: discussion of pre-interview exercise

Best preparation

Practise debates; practise Cambridge tests

Final thoughts

It's okay to get things wrong; socialise with other students at interview; don't overthink the interview afterwards

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

My interview took place in December (initial application period). The day was structured so that I had two interviews and one written test. Cambridge conduct their own tests for student studying law, and so all applicants had to sit that. I arrived just in time to get to my test.

I went to the portersfor directions, and as soon as I left them I saw a group of people walking and found out they were there for the test too. We were directed by a student to a room and afterwards were collected again by a student. We went to a cafe and could stay there or go to the JCR. We got free meal tickets for the cafe, and could mingle with other applicants. Then we were directly taken to our interview site by a student helper. They collected us from each interview and took us to our next one. Then we were taken back to reception and free to go.

The test was around an hour but I had extra time included. The interviews were 20 minutes long. Before the second interview we were given a passage to read and make notes on for 20 minutes.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

The atmosphere of the interviews was very relaxed: the interviewers made it clear they weren't expecting us to get the answers correct, but instead analysing how we learned and thought. We were encouraged to think aloud and explain our reasoning. The first interview started off with light conversation and then we discussed three scenarios, and they wanted me to find the odd one out.

The passage we had to read for the second interview has three passages explaining the meaning of fraud, plus three different scenarios and whether they were fraud or not. All of the conversations required us to think carefully about the wording of the questions and precisely what the law was saying.

How did you prepare?

Best preparation was having obstinate debates with people who are very pedantic and play devil's advocate - it helps you to think in a different way. The practice tests that Cambridge provide were very helpful for the essay writing style and for helping shape my thought process as well.

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

It's okay to get things wrong, don't beat yourself up for it and also don't try to be perfect. If you knew everything, you'd be a lecturer not a student. Also, its a time to socialise with your fellow applicants and with the current students. Ask questions and make friends. You always feel as if the interview has gone worse than it actually did, and you can never tell - so once you're done, let it go, and focus your mind on things in the present.