Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment; 2x interviews.
Interview 1: unfamiliar academic topics topics; Interview 2: personal statement based
Look over your A Levels notes.
Take past papers under timed conditions.
Try to enjoy the process and don't be afraid to put your ideas out there!
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.
Test taken:
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 4 hours
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: No
In my first interview I was given two problems. Both were on areas of science I had never seen before and the theory was explained and I was expected to come to an answer. I struggled with some areas but I was guided through with hints and managed to solve both problems.
The second interview was a lot less academic and focused more on me as a person and my personal statement. The personal statement questions were loosely related to things I’d mentioned but I was asked about a book I’d mentioned so if you refer to a book on your personal statement make sure you've read it!
The most important thing I did was looking over my Year 12 notes and knowing that I was confident on all of the knowledge I was meant to know. I also had a
I used the information booklets to look over what I needed to know and then learnt anything I haven’t covered at school. I then did every past paper twice, ensuring to do it under timed conditions.
If you have an idea, say it! Even if you think it is wrong, it’s better to speak your thoughts and explain yourself than sit there in silence. Sometimes the answer is much simpler than you’d think so don’t try to overthink things, take it steady and just enjoy it :)