Psychological And Behavioural Sciences @ Murray Edwards, Cambridge in 2015

Interview format

2x interviews (1 hour each); 15 mins to make notes on an article

Interview content

Interview 1: A Level topics discussion, interpretting maps; Interview 2: general discussion, graph analysis

Best preparation

Reading books that interest you; revise A Level content

Final thoughts

Just enjoy the experience and show your passion

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 interviews were in early December on the same day. I arrived and was directed by students to the bar area to wait, and proceeded to the Council Room when it was time for my interview. I first had 15 minutes to read an article provided by the college, on which I could write notes. A student then collected me and took me to my interview room in the VSR for a general interview that lasted around 1 hour with 2 interviewers.

I had an hour break, then had my second interview that was subject specific in the Rectory (a room in the college) for another hour with 2 different interviewers (one PBS fellow and one HSPS fellow).

I didn't require any equipment, as they were just discussions in both interviews.

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In the first interview, we discussed things I had studied at A-Level, especially in Biology and general psychological constructs. They also showed me a map with some data and asked me to interpret it.

In the second interview, it was more of a general chat - they asked me what my favourite psychological study was, and about a book that I had read (which I had mentioned in my personal statement and happened to be one of my interviewers' favourite books!) and what I had learned from it. I also got shown a graph about colour vision and was asked questions about it, with the interviewer helping me to work through it. Finally, they asked me how I would carry out a certain study and we had a laugh about ethics (the interviewers appreciated a joke here and there because it was such an informal chat towards the end!).

The first interview was very difficult and I left almost crying, sure I had failed because I answered a lot of the questions wrong. I felt better after the second interview, as it was more relaxed and I got on well with the interviewers more - yet I was still convinced I hadn't got in. They didn't ask me any questions about my personal statement.

How did you prepare?

Read books outside of your A-Level syllabus and the recommended books on the Cambridge list - and only mention them if they genuinely interested you!

Revise your A-Level content (especially psychology, maths, and bio) before the interview (one of my interview questions was something I had learned in Biology only the week before, so they were very impressed with how quick I answered it).

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

Someone once gave me really good advice - if you don't enjoy the interview or training for a job/university course, perhaps it isn't for you. So when you're in the interview, I would say focus on enjoying yourself and showing your passion for the subject.