Introduction

Oxford and Cambridge are different from other British universities in many ways, not just in their traditions, history, or incredibly low acceptance rate, but also their admissions processes. As well as requiring an excellent personal statement and predicted grades, Oxford and Cambridge also require applicants to sit rigorous admissions tests and interviews. While these additional admissions processes can be intimidating, they are designed to highlight the students best suited to Oxbridge’s unique teaching style so they can admit the students most likely to thrive in their institution. 

This article will discuss the interview portion of the admissions process, why they’re important, and tips for success. Many would consider the interview to be the most important part of the application because it directly tests a student’s ability to discuss and problem solve in the same way an undergraduate at Cambridge/Oxford would in their supervisions/tutorials. 

What is a supervision or tutorial, and why are they important?

To fully appreciate the importance of the Oxbridge interview, it’s important to be familiar with the unique small-group teaching used at both institutions. Known as ‘tutorials’ at Oxford and ‘supervisions’ at Cambridge, these sessions involve sitting with an academic in groups of two or three and discussing problem sheets or essays, depending on your subject. Social sciences or humanities students might spend their tutorial/supervision sessions discussing reading material set by the lecturer, or diving deeper into ideas from the students’ essays. From STEM students, supervisions/tutorials revolve much more around problem sheets testing knowledge from lectures. 

As these sessions have so few students, each student is expected to contribute greatly to discussions and tutorials/supervisions are therefore intellectually intense. Furthermore, these sessions demand that students take novel approaches, think critically under pressure, and defend their ideas; exactly the skills that can’t be assessed through predicted grades alone. 

Given this unique system of small-group teaching at Oxford and Cambridge, their interviews are designed as a preview of real undergraduate learning, and how suitable the candidate is for it. Therefore, like in tutorials and interviews, candidates are presented with unfamiliar material, and the interviewer assesses the applicant’s ability to solve problems or form coherent arguments. 

Interview Tips

Know your syllabus inside out: You should be comfortable with all the content you have already been taught at A level of IB. Your interviewer will be building on those concepts, and if you are unable to demonstrate that you can handle high school work, your interviewer will deem you unsuitable for the much faster learning pace at Oxford or Cambridge. 

Think out loud: Counterintuitively, your interviewer is not necessarily interested in whether you arrive at the correct final answer. They are much more invested in how you think, how you arrive at your final answer. This means during your interview, you should be articulating your thought processes. For STEM students, this means if you are solving a problem but take a direction that’s not optimal, your interviewer can gently guide you back in the correct direction. For humanities or social science students, your interviewer might discuss new viewpoints with you, or test how you handle new concepts. 

Show enthusiasm: Interviewers are not only looking for the most capable applicants, they are also looking for the most enthusiastic for their chosen subject. These students, after all, are the most likely to enjoy their course and end up excelling. The personal statement is the main way in which admissions tutors assess enthusiasm, it allows you to demonstrate your engagement with your field outside of the classroom. However, a more subtle method is by assessing how a candidate handles interview questions. Does the candidate seem genuinely stimulated by the interview questions given to them? Can they think beyond the question itself? Not only are Oxford and Cambridge known for their academic intensity, but also for the individuals who are passionate about their field. 

Just practice: Like most other assessments, there is no better way to prepare than to just practice. You will likely be nervous during your interview, and for many students this presents a difficulty in demonstrating your true abilities. You may therefore find it useful to recreate the interview scene accurately to put you in the interview mindset. Some do this by asking unfamiliar teachers or school alumni to conduct realistic mock interview sessions with them. 

Practice Interview Questions

The best way to prepare is to practice interview-style questions, ideally with another person, preferably a teacher or older student who can act as your interviewer. 

However, a real difficulty with practicing interview questions is having access to quality interview questions. Often, interview questions found online are either too easy, which means it would never be asked in a real interview, or they are too difficult, which means students will find it hard to make progress in solving them. 

To decide whether an interview-style question is high-quality and worth doing, consider the following:

• Does the question use concepts accessible to A level/IB students?

• Is the question difficult enough to require some contemplation time?

• Does the question have hints in case the student requires a gentle nudge in the correct direction?

In any case, practising all interview questions you can access is the best approach and there are resources online. Examples include First Class Education’s interview questions, or Oxford’s subject resources. 

Common Interview Myths vs Reality

Many applicants approach their Oxbridge interview with misconceptions that create unnecessary anxiety and can actually hinder performance. Let's address some of the most persistent myths about what interviewers are actually looking for.

Myth: The interviewer is trying to catch me out.

Reality: Interviewers are genuinely trying to help you succeed, not trick you into failure. Their goal is to identify students who will thrive in the tutorial system, which means they need to see you at your best. When they ask challenging questions or present unfamiliar material, they're creating opportunities for you to demonstrate your thinking process and intellectual flexibility. The questions may push you beyond your comfort zone, but this isn't malicious, it's designed to simulate the academic environment you'll experience as a student.

Myth: I need to know advanced university-level content

Reality: Oxbridge interviews assess your potential to learn at university level, not your existing university knowledge. All questions are designed to be approachable using A-level or IB concepts, even if they require applying that knowledge in novel ways. The interview tests whether you can take familiar ideas and extend them creatively when faced with unfamiliar problems. In fact, candidates who try to deploy advanced material they've superficially learned often struggle more than those who demonstrate deep understanding of core concepts.

Myth: Getting stuck means I've failed

Reality: Encountering difficulty during your interview is not only common but often expected, it's what happens next that matters. Interviewers deliberately ask questions that challenge you precisely because they want to observe how you respond to intellectual obstacles. Students who navigate uncertainty with curiosity, ask clarifying questions, try alternative approaches, and incorporate feedback demonstrate exactly the qualities needed for tutorial-based learning. Some of the strongest interview performances include moments where candidates initially struggled but then worked collaboratively with their interviewer to develop their understanding.

Myth: Silent thinking time makes me look unprepared

Reality: While thinking aloud is generally encouraged, brief pauses for genuine reflection are perfectly acceptable and often appreciated. The key distinction is between productive silence, where you're clearly processing information or jotting down notes, and unproductive silence where the interviewer has no insight into whether you're making progress. A simple "Let me think about this for a moment" followed by 15-20 seconds of visible contemplation shows thoughtfulness, not hesitation. What interviewers want to avoid is extended silence where they can't tell if you're stuck, confused, or simply need time. The solution is to narrate your thinking process during longer problems while allowing yourself brief pauses for particularly complex steps.

Red flags: What not to do in your interview

Don’t pretend to understand when you don’t: Nothing damages credibility faster than nodding along to concepts you haven't grasped, then attempting to build arguments on shaky foundations. Interviewers can immediately recognize when candidates are bluffing. If something isn't clear, say so: "Could you clarify what you mean by...?" or "I'm not sure I've fully understood that point…” This honesty demonstrates intellectual maturity and creates opportunities for genuine learning during the interview.

Don't simply memorise and regurgitate: Interviewers recognise rehearsed answers immediately, and such responses actively work against you. They're not interested in performances or polished speeches about topics you've prepared in advance. They want spontaneous intellectual engagement with new material.

Don't give up when questions get difficult: The moment you encounter challenging material is precisely when interviewers are most interested in your response. Saying "I don't know" and stopping shows you lack the persistence needed for demanding academic work. Instead, treat difficulty as an invitation to explore: "This is challenging, but could I try approaching it from..." or "I'm not certain, but here's what I'm thinking..." Intellectual resilience matters more than always being right.

Conclusion

Your Oxford or Cambridge interview is unlike any other academic assessment you have encountered. It’s not about demonstrating what you already know, it’s about showing how you handle new information. Applicants who excel in the interview stage are those who thrive when challenged, and engage with ideas that push them beyond their comfort zone. 

The interview serves as your gateway into the tutorial/supervision system that defines the Oxbridge experience. While your grades and well-crafted personal statement have already demonstrated your academic capability, the interview reveals something far more important: your potential to flourish in an intellectually demanding environment where learning happens through dialogue, debate, and critical examination of ideas.

Success in your interview requires more than subject knowledge, it demands intellectual courage. You need the confidence to voice half-formed ideas, the humility to acknowledge what you don't understand, and the resilience to persist when questions become increasingly difficult. These qualities cannot be assessed through exam results or written applications, which is precisely why the interview remains such a crucial component of Oxbridge admissions.