Natural Sciences (Physical) @ Queens', Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment; 2x interviews.

Interview content

Physics and Maths questions similar to those found on Isaac Physics .

Best preparation

Keep on top of A Level content.

Test preparation

Use PAT and MAT papers as additional practice.

Final thoughts

Don't worry if you get stuck!

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: Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 1 hour
Length of interviews: 1 hour
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was asked physics and maths questions in my second interview, which were of the style of Isaac Physics questions (level 5/6). I was also asked organic chemistry questions. I had to choose topics to discuss before my interview.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

My physics teacher gave me a mock interview. I didn’t really prepare in any other way other than read ahead in the course. 

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I practiced using previous NSAA papers and marked them. I also tried to use the Oxford PAT and MAT papers as practice.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

The interview is likely to be quite hard and stressful, but try to keep calm. Things go wrong in interviews (they did in mine!) and just because you get stuck on one question doesn’t mean you’ve done badly. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re struggling - the question will probably be difficult and needing a hint won’t ruin your chances of an offer.