oxford supplementary personal statement

Personal Statements for Further Study

A personal statement is your chance to explain your motivation for applying and why you are a great candidate for the course..

Guidelines given vary from the simple “Provide evidence in support of your application” to the more common “Tell us why you are interested in the course to which you have applied. Describe your academic interests and reasons for applying to XXX”. For some courses there may be a much more prescriptive and structured approach, requiring you to write a series of shorter responses to specific questions relating to your motivation, experience and suitability for the course. You may also come across some institutions that ask you to reflect on how you might add to the diversity of a cohort should your application be successful.

If you are applying to more than one university, each statement will need a different emphasis – do not use the same statement for all applications.

In your statement, you should demonstrate:

Motivation, enthusiasm, and a clear understanding of why you are making the application to this particular course, and to this particular institution.
How your academic background and other experiences have shaped your decision to apply and how the course contributes to your plans for the future.
Evidence that you have the ability, experience, skills and motivation to successfully contribute to the course, and to complete it.

Structure and Content

The opening paragraph sets the framework for the rest of the statement, think of it as your ‘trailer’. This is where you can grab the reader’s attention or lose it… You might start with a powerful anecdote, a brief narrative of your initial inspiration, or a thought-provoking statement linked to your academic interests.

Within the main body of the essay you should aim to cover:

Why you want to study this topic or field

Is it a natural extension of your current interests? How did you become interested in this area? Why does it continue to fascinate you? What have you done within your degree or outside of your study to fuel this interest? Would the course provide a step towards a longer-term goal?

Why you have chosen this specific course and institution

Are there particular options or modules that interest you? Is there particular expertise in that department? Has access to specific resources such as museum collections, libraries or laboratory equipment been a factor? Has the reputation (through recommendations or other means) of the course inspired you? Are you attracted by opportunities for collaboration or work placements? Have you attended any Open Days or other visits?

How your experience equips you for the course

Consider the subjects you studied at undergraduate level; your relevant skills (technical, language, computing, research methods); independent study or research; prior (relevant) experience; academic awards and other achievements. The focus here is likely to be on your academic suitability for the course, but if you have relevant work experience or extra-curricular activities that provide further evidence of your interest or ability then include them too. Your non-academic achievements might also provide evidence of project management, resilience, effective communication and so on.

Where the course might lead you

You don’t need to have a detailed career plan, but you do need to show how this course fits in with your general aspirations. Are you intending to continue on to a PhD? Do you have a broad interest in contributing to a particular issue or field, e.g. social enterprise, public policy, human rights, sustainability? Or do you have a more specific goal in mind? How will your chosen course help you to achieve your goals?

Closing paragraph

Use your closing paragraph to summarise your application, return to any themes you introduced at the beginning, and to restate your enthusiasm for the course.

Practical Advice

Writing effective personal statements takes time. Expect to go through several drafts and ask tutors, peers, careers advisers and others to review your statement before you submit it.
Good English, grammar and spelling are essential. Avoid jargon and make sure it can be understood by non-experts.
Keep the tone positive, fresh and lively in order to convey enthusiasm and make yourself stand out, but remember that this is a document introducing you in a professional capacity.
It’s a good idea to mention relevant individuals whose work has truly inspired you, but avoid name-dropping for the sake of it, and excessive and evidence-free flattery of the institution or the course.
If you refer to any papers or books then reference these correctly in a bibliography at the end of the statement.
Pay attention to any word limits. If none are stated then aim for no more than two sides of A4 or 1000-1500 words.
It is usually possible to apply for multiple courses at a single institution. Many (including Oxford) will require you to complete a separate application form for each course that you wish to apply for.

Research Proposals

For many PhD and some research Masters applications the personal statement is often accompanied by a research proposal – a document that sets out your research interests and proposed area of study. The detail required in this section varies hugely for different disciplines. For some science subjects it may simply be a list, in order of preference, of the named PhD projects you wish to be considered for. However, for most areas – and especially in the arts, humanities and social sciences – you will need to devote a considerable amount of time to developing your ideas, discussing them with potential supervisors and writing a proposal. Your academic tutors should be able to give you some guidance on writing research proposals, and there is some useful advice from Vitae and from Find a PhD .

Admission Essays for US Graduate Schools

The information in this handout applies also to applications to American universities. However, there are subtle differences in the style and approach to essays aimed at the US context. A statement written for the US is likely to feel more personal; think of it as your academic biography – setting out your inspiration for the academic path you have followed in the past, the present and into the future. The Careers Service runs a workshop on US applications early each Michaelmas Term. The Fulbright Educational Advisory Service also publishes guidelines on completing US applications. US university career services often provide useful advice on writing graduate school admissions essays. See for example: MIT graduate school essay advice , UC Berkeley advice on writing graduate admissions statements , UNC application essay advice and Yale advice on writing personal statements for graduate school.

Teacher Training Applications

The personal statement for postgraduate teacher training is the key part of your application. The question is quite prescriptive, and your focus should be on your motivation for becoming a teacher: particularly how your teaching and other experiences have contributed. Ideally you should also set out how these have helped you to understand the role, and the sort of teacher you aspire to be. The Careers Service runs a workshop on careers in teaching each Michaelmas Term, which includes advice about the application process. For more information, see the Careers Service information on Teaching in Schools .

Graduate Entry Medicine

Applications to graduate entry medicine courses are submitted via UCAS and include a personal statement. Much of the advice in this document also applies to medicine applications, but you are likely to need to place considerable emphasis on the relevant work experience you have gained prior to your application.

See Careers Service's information on Medicine as a Second Degree for further information.

CareerConnect EVENTS
RELATED NEWS

Looking for more?

Check the CareerConnect platform for all our upcoming events and opportunities, book appointments, find jobs and internships, and more.

Connect with us

Aug 12, 2018

How to write an Oxford personal statement

Make sure your personal statement conveys your interest in the subject – write down talks you’ve been to (and what they made you think), open days you’ve attended (and what you took away from them), and maybe even books you’ve read (and whether or not you agree with the author and why). Are you seeing a common thread? It’s less about what you’ve done and more about what you make of it! It’s best to only mention one book or one talk, but really go in to some critical analysis, rather than to just write a list of seven without any additional commentary.

Any extra-curricular activities should be ‘super-curricular’, i.e. related to your degree: for Maths, maybe the Maths Olympiad, for Science, maybe a Science EPQ or that time you entered a Lego competition (totally relevant to Engineering!). For Law, I talked about teaching and debating, and the self-discipline involved in teaching myself a language as an A Level. You can honestly make anything work – try to make yourself stand out a little by having something people don’t normally have! But don’t worry about not having twenty different hobbies – you don’t have space to mention more than one or two, and you won’t really be asked about your personal life at interview.

What I would reiterate, above all, is to not stress over the personal statement. If you’ve spelt everything correctly and you’ve got all your proof that you’re genuinely and voluntarily interested in your subject outside of school then you’re doing it right! And, to the year 12s going in to year 13 – for the love of all that’s holy, take a few weeks off this summer. Breathe. Let yourself detach from the intimidating university admissions process and the pressure of A Levels for a bit, because that will let you be so much more engaged when you jump back in.

#Oxford #OxfordUniversity #PersonalStatement #UCAS #College #Oxbridgeapplication #OxfordPersonalstatement

The Application Process
Personal Statements

Undergraduate admissions: How to write a personal statement

Prospective Students

Andrew Miller

Access Officer

13 Oct 2021

What is a personal statement?

Let’s start with the basics. A personal statement is the supporting statement that you send along with your UCAS application. It is your chance to tell universities, in your own words, why you will be a great student in your chosen subject. Your personal statement should demonstrate your interest in, and suitability to, your subject. It is limited in length to 4000 characters, which translates to around 500-600 words.

What do Oxford look for in a good personal statement

At the University of Oxford we read every personal statement, multiple times, so it is definitely worth spending a good amount of time writing it. We are interested in your potential in your chosen subject, so we are very keen to hear about anything academic . This means that were interested in what you have done/are doing at school, but also in anything that you have done above and beyond your school curriculum that can be linked to your chosen subject of study. We refer to these as super-curricular activities .

Super-curricular is different to extra-curricular, as extra-curricular is not related to your academic interest. Super-curriculars can be things you’ve read, listened to, watched or visited, or any number of combinations. However, this should not just be a list of things. We also want to know how these things support you academic ambitions. Why did you choose these activities? What impact did it have on you? What did you do next? You can use all of this as specific evidence of your interest in, and commitment too, your subject.

For some ideas you could start with some suggestions from the University of Oxford here .

Basic structure

As a base line, around 80% of your personal statement should focus on your academic and super-curricular activities:

You should have an opening paragraph explaining why you want to study the course
Followed by 3 or 4 paragraphs analysing your academic and super-curricular activities
Finally, a short closing paragraph about your extra-curricular interest, focusing on transferable skills, and future aspirations/career plans

Pitfalls to avoid

An important thing to remember is that if we invite you to interview we could use your personal statement as the starting point of your interview. This means it is a good idea to re-read your personal statement beforehand. It also means that you should not be tempted to embellish your personal statement with things you haven’t read or done because you think they sound good. If we ask about those things in interview it can get very awkward very quickly!

Likewise it is important that the personal statement is in your own words and not copied from anywhere else. You also do not need to be entertaining or funny, you just need to get to the point about your academic interests and your evidence for why you will be a good scholar.

Finally, please take care with spell-checking and use whatever opportunity you can to have someone (teacher, parent, etc.) proofread for you. Most schools will want to do this for you, so please listen to your teachers.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Further details can be found in our Privacy policy .

Where next?

How to choose your subject Read more
The application cycle Read more
UCAS and applying to Oxford Read more

Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division

Accessibility
Pre-clinical
Medicine: How to Apply

Medicine: Writing your Personal Statement

Download this page as a pdf document

Your personal statement is an important part of your application to Oxford. It allows you to tell us about your interests, achievements and ambitions in your own words. Although we do not formally score your statement we read it carefully. If you are invited for interview, the statement is likely to provide a focus for the questions that you are asked. It is therefore essential that your statement is an accurate, unembellished account of your activities. We may check the claims that you make on your statement: discovery of fabricated or exaggerated material – during the admissions exercise, or even later on during your time as a student – may bring into question your suitability to practise Medicine.

Present yourself in the best light: the same basic facts about yourself (in terms of education, interests, experience), when presented differently, can quite dramatically convey positive or negative messages about you to tutors.

For A100 Medicine at Oxford, UCAT and (if taken) GCSEs are predominantly used initially to determine whether or not you are short-listed for interview. The information that you provide in your personal statement becomes increasingly important if you are not short-listed on the basis of UCAT score and (if taken) your GCSEs. Of course, every detail becomes important once you have reached the interviews and are being considered for a place.

1. Please do not be shy in declaring any mitigating circumstances

These may help us to put your achievements or personality within a finer context. We actively look for reasons why you may have under-performed in examinations, or performed well against the odds. These may be factors associated with your schooling, health or domestic circumstances. If you are returning to study after a break, or switching vocation, it is even more important to highlight your reasons for choosing to study Medicine, and for you to demonstrate your determination, resilience, ability and commitment.

2. Do not simply recount everything you have ever undertaken

We’re looking for quality, not quantity! Remember that large numbers of applicants apply for our courses. Tell us in what ways you will stand out from the crowd. In choosing to talk about an activity, describe what you have drawn from the experience: has it changed you as a person? Did it surprise you?

3. We want to learn about you as a person, not just about your academic qualifications

If you have undertaken extra-curricular activities, or hold positions of responsibility at school, tell us why you sought these, and why they are important to you. You will not impress us by simply recounting that you took up a placement in Thailand, but we might be more appreciative if you tell us what you personally learnt from the experience, about your interaction with local people, and about shadowing the medical team working within your village.

Example: I have become involved with a city music and drama group, and work especially with the younger members. I find this exciting and more than occasionally challenging. Coaching for the group has given me experience in organising others, as well as teaching them. Watching group members learn and progress is thrilling, especially in the case of one of them who has ADHD. At first he was incapable of remaining still, silent or attentive for even a few minutes, but eventually became far more focused and calmer, making excellent progress in many areas.

4. Directly address our selection criteria in your statement

Here are our selection criteria and some examples:

Personal characteristics: suitability for medicine

Empathy: ability and willingness to imagine the feelings of others and understand the reasons for the views of others

Example: My volunteering in the local community and my studies in Religion and Classical Civilization have also increased my ability to understand varying cultural, ethical and social perspectives, and allowed me to look at issues in a wider context.

Motivation: a reasonably well-informed and strong desire to practise medicine

Example: My interest in the human body burgeoned while I was taking the Essentials of First Aid class organised by St John Ambulance. The two consecutive years of volunteer service in X Hospital that followed reinforced my passion for the subject.

Communication: ability to make knowledge and ideas clear using language appropriate to the audience
Honesty and Integrity
Ethical awareness
Ability to work with others

Example: I have had a weekend job at X since 2016, which has further allowed me to develop teamwork skills, taught me how to work towards personal targets when under pressure, and allowed me to interact with many different members of the public.

Example: Dancing has taught me valuable people skills; you learn to work intimately with fellow dancers and trust them completely.

Capacity for sustained and intense work

Academic Potential

Problem-solving: critical thinking, analytical approach
Intellectual curiosity: keenness to understand the reason for observations; depth; tendency to look for meaning; enthusiasm and curiosity in science
Communication skills: willingness and ability to express clearly and effectively; ability to listen; compatibility with tutorial format

Example: Studying History at A-level has helped develop my writing and critical analysis skills.

Example: At school I have taken part in a French exchange programme which greatly improved my language skills, independence and confidence.

5. You will not be alone in trying to open your statement with an attention grabbing intro

If you try this, make sure it helps tutors to learn something about what motivates and enthuses you.

Example: My vast collection of books and videos on "How the Body Works" when I was 7 years old first triggered my interest in the functions of the body. Watching the little personified, cartoon blobs that represented red blood cells run around an animated yet functioning body fascinated me and I longed to find out more. As a result, when a friend received a letter explaining their little girl had just been diagnosed with X at just 14 months old, I was intrigued to find out what this was.

6. The statement is called a personal statement for a reason

It should be written by you, not by your parents, siblings, or teachers. Do not plagiarise material that you find on the web as there is a great chance that such deception will be discovered.

7. Do not feel that there is a precise template to follow that will score you points!

We look for bright and independent thinkers, so try to be original!

Course Structure
Academic Entry & Age Requirements
Selection Criteria
Health & Fitness to Practise
Application Checklist
Application Process
Introductory Reading
Writing your Personal Statement
Anatomy of a Personal Statement
Graduate Applicants
Mature Applicants
International Applicants
Mitigating circumstances
Shortlisting Process and Admissions Statistics
Fees and Funding

College Application

Oxford Personal Statement Examples: Top 4

If you’re looking to craft the perfect personal statement, reading over some Oxford personal statement examples will be the best way to start. It’s one thing to read college essay tips or instructions on how to write the perfect personal statement, but another entirely to see an example of how it’s done.

How to start a college essay can be tricky, but we have you covered! In this article, we have Oxford personal statement examples for your edification so that you can write your own best work.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 12 min read

Oxford personal statement examples, example no.1.

We are made of stories. History itself is the story we tell ourselves about who we are, and our oldest stories are still with us. Gilgamesh would never have found his immortality but through his story being told over and over again. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts every year for some people, and no matter how many times we hear about his conversion from miser to “…as good a man as the good old city knew…” we have our hearts warmed, reminding ourselves of the importance of human comfort and generosity. I have come to my interest in the classics through my interest in the stories we tell that make us who we are.

My personal reading list always exceeds my school’s reading list. When I was a boy, I was gripped by the stories of heroes like Perseus and Hercules. As I grew, I sought further stories and came across the epic poems. Over the years, I have found many people who share my enjoyment of these tales, but often they do not truly know them. One of my perpetual fascinations with classics is how these stories change, or are perceived, in the public consciousness.

Want to learn easy ways to make your college essay stand out? Watch this video:

For example, many people know of the Labours of Hercules – or Herakles, as the Greeks said – but they rarely know why he was tasked with these Labours: he killed his children. We often make dark aspects of old stories into children’s stories. We see this with modern cartoon versions of far grimmer fairy tales. I believe that this has done our world a disservice. Instead of confronting unpleasant truths, we hide them. History is often whitewashed along with the stories to make it palatable.

My studies of the classics have led me to begin a work on Hercules – investigating how his story has been told and retold. I am also examining how the story has changed over the years, why it has changed and how retelling this story in gentler ways has paralleled pop culture dumbing down stories and ignoring unpleasant truths.

“It’s just a frog,” I thought, but no matter how I tried to convince myself of that fact, I didn’t find it any easier to dissect. I was disappointed in myself because I thought that a scientist should be dispassionate, logical, and capable of dealing with any sentimental subject in an objective fashion. Yet there was the frog, my scalpel poised dramatically above its little, amphibian torso. I was almost paralysed with sympathy, and I began to fear that I would never be a scientist.

When I was young, I would wander the woods, sketching plants and animals before looking them up at home. I am happiest when I am learning something new – even if it means unlearning a truth I “knew” the day before. I had loved labs and experiments, but I had hit the wall of dissection. Could I take these creatures apart? I love learning about them, but how could I slice them open?

I told my friend Jeremiah that I wasn’t going to dissect the bullfrog. I would drop the course and do something else with my life. “I’ll help,” he said, “Come on.” With his support and encouragement, I made the first cut and couldn’t believe what I saw; I was entranced by the intricacy of the frog. Being able to see and understand nature from an insider’s perspective, so to speak, was no longer “gross,” and my curiosity finally kicked in.

As I continued in biology, through lab experiments, dissections and investigations, I found myself reversing my position on the mentality of the scientist. It is not that we must be dispassionate, but that we must intimately feel a connection with the natural world. We are a part of this world – as perfectly slotted into our evolutionary position as any other creature. More excited than ever, I joined a biology club in our city where I was surrounded by biologists of all ages – amateur and professional – and I grew immensely. I was even awarded 1 st place in a biology Olympiad.

I believe that a truly successful scientist is one who finds harmony in the natural world, not one who exploits it, and I have had several conversations with my laboratory instructor on these points. He agreed with me, and we have been working on a rubric to create a more nature-friendly approach to the science curriculum at our school. He was already quite nature-conscious, but we both agree that we could be doing more to minimise our ecological footprints.

My dream job is one that helps to balance human interaction with nature on a global scale, to fight climate change and ensure the survival of all natural species. I hope to study the natural sciences at Oxford to bring this about. I believe that my journey is one of lifelong learning, a concept stressed at your school. I am also interested in your research in sustainable urban development. I think that co-existing with nature is one of the all-important issues for humanity and for an aspiring biologist. I want to contribute to a world where, even if we dissect frogs, we do so with a sense of responsibility, not callous indifference.

Want to learn some tips for your college essays? Check out this infographic:

Example No.3

I was ten minutes into a well-structured argument as to why I was not argumentative before I realised the irony of my words. I shut my mouth, red-faced and laughing with the rest of my family. I come from a family of debaters. Not that being a debater is the only thing that makes me want to study history and politics at your institution. Politicians are more than just arguers, but my temperament is well-suited to challenging ideas and wrestling with those ideas in the public sphere.

I want to make a difference on a national level in the political arena, serving the public as a politician. I joined the debate club to learn how to perform well in front of an audience, how to test my ideas and most importantly, how to lose. I am proud of my track record, wins and losses. Losses can be a strength. My first debate was, “Be it therefore resolved that there is an obesity problem in this country.” I was assigned the “pro” angle, and I was so sure that I could win by appealing to statistical realities. However, I lost. My opponent had sharper arguments and convinced the audience that “problem” implied an inherent morality issue with obesity. I had no counterargument.

From that loss, I learned how to use language better, to anticipate counterarguments and to know my opponent’s position better than my own. Every loss is an opportunity to grow, and I love that I have been pitted against fierce opponents who make me earn every point. I would rather achieve fewer victories against a skilled debater than gain many victories against those who are ill-prepared. I also rarely lose on the same subject twice.

This is relevant to my political philosophy, which is that I believe politicians should be willing to change their opinions, even on important issues. If nobody changed their minds, we would all be pig-headed fools. I want the best information, and if that changes my mind, so be it. We need more changed minds and evidence-based policies coming from politicians who value truth and accuracy, as well as the ethics to provide morally defensible positions.

Thanks to my debate club experience, I was able to campaign successfully for student body president, a position I held for two years. I took this responsibility seriously, even if not every peer or authority figure felt the same way. During my time in student government, my proudest accomplishment was helping create a new scholarship programme to fund the university studies and housing of one student. I believe that politicians should fight for changes that will benefit people, not just institutions, so this scholarship was a particularly exciting project for me to work on.

Outside of political ambitions, my favourite thing to do is to go to museums and art galleries. I take tremendous pleasure in discovering who we were and are and being able to compare the two. I hope to bring my historical knowledge and understanding to my career in politics.

Whether I am debating at family dinner or quietly, reverently studying in a museum, my greatest joy would be to help people build the society that they want to see.

Example No.4

When the first atomic bombs were detonated, Oppenheimer famously stated, “I am become death, destroyer of worlds,” characterising the transcendent regret he felt. Of course, Oppenheimer was himself quoting from the Bhagavad Gita. When I think of Oppenheimer’s sorrow, I think of the importance philosophy has for a person navigating hard sciences, like mathematics.

For many people, philosophy and mathematics – what I hope to study at Oxford – are divorced from one another, if not opposites. One, resulting from the musings of a curious mind, is seen as almost useless in practical terms. The other is seen as cold, scientific truth in written form. But I believe they are linked. I loved reading Oxford’s published paper, “Influencing HIV/AIDS Policy in India Through Mathematical Modelling.” Our math knowledge, and the application thereof, can directly affect the world around us, improving it for all.

In my final year of high school, I wanted to write about the impact that mathematics has on the world. I wrote a paper on black holes. I interviewed a mathematician named Peter Richards who was working at a physics lab studying the phenomenon. Mr. Richards told me how the gravity of black holes creates event horizons, shaping space around them, but that scientists are investigating whether gravity is influenced by light. This cosmological-level chicken-or-egg question became the basis of my paper, which was about how we think about the universe and our place in it. Mathematics might one day answer who we are and why we are here. This paper won 1 st place in an essay competition and secured me a small scholarship.

Math is the language of the universe. I see it everywhere: in nature’s patterns and in the music I play. I have been learning to play flutes – everything from woodwinds to concert flutes to world music instruments like ocarinas. As my study of math deepens, I become more immersed in exploring the range of the instrument, which, in turn, transforms my music. Math reshapes the world around us.

This study of the interplay between mathematics and philosophy led me to study the mathematics of global populations, which I believe will soon become imperative research on how we can maintain a sustainable eco-system. I attended a recent event for mathematicians studying global trends, where I interviewed several prominent mathematicians in the field for the school paper. I got to ask these important persons about their thoughts on the responsibility mathematicians have regarding humanity and the care needed to help our species. A surprising number – two out of the five I spoke with – had given little or no thought to the idea of blending philosophy and mathematics. I was shocked at this mathematical proof that even people in the field did not give much thought to this.

I hope to combat this in my own life and studies, encouraging mathematicians to increase their conscientious use of their skills to better humanity in a direct way, as well as to be more conscious of their responsibilities in the world today.

Oxford recommends that you follow the UCAS advice on personal statements when writing your own. It is well worth taking your time drafting your personal statement because the admissions committee at Oxford reads each one several times. They are really interested in learning about anything academic because they are curious about your potential in your field of study. This implies that they are interested in both what you have done and are doing in school as well as anything you have done outside of the classroom that is related to the subject you have chosen to study. More than being the best extracurriculars for college , Oxford refers to these activities as super-curriculars . Super-curriculars can be anything “you’ve read, listened to, watched or visited” that relates to your academic interests, unlike extracurriculars.

About 80% of your personal statement should discuss your academic interests and super-curriculars. The recommended structure is as follows:

Opening paragraph explaining why you want to pursue the programme
3 or 4 paragraphs analysing your academic and super-curricular activities
Brief closing paragraph about your extracurricular interests, with a focus on transferable skills and career plans/future aspirations

To ensure that your personal statement applies specifically to the University of Oxford, first look at the school’s mission, vision statement and core values. Aligning your essay with these values will help prove that Oxford is the perfect fit for you, which is your main goal. This is the first step in how to write a college essay for this school.

You may also want to reference other important aspects of Oxford. Do they have research in the area you want to work in? Do they have a professor you cannot wait to study with? Do they have the curriculum set up in a way that best suits you as a student and your future goals? You need to show not only how you fit with Oxford, but also how the school will propel you forward in a way that no other school could.

Oxford’s Mission Statement

“We inspire people locally, nationally and globally by extending access to Oxford’s world-class teaching and resources through flexible and inclusive opportunities for study and research.”

Oxford’s Vision Statement

“To be a global centre of excellence for lifelong learning. Courses will be underpinned by the best teaching, research and support for learning to meet the needs of diverse, ambitious and intellectually curious students. Staff and students will work together within and beyond Oxford to foster a vibrant learning community attentive to the importance of promoting sustainability and social justice.”

Oxford’s Values

Finally, note that all Oxford personal statements have a character cap of 4,000, including spaces, and must be no longer than 47 lines.

Essay Writing Tips

Here are some general pieces of advice to keep in mind while working through your college essay review process. These tips will apply to your Oxford essays, but they will also be beneficial for any essays. Essays follow a basic structure and have a fundamental goal that is shared among them, even when specifics differ. So, you could be writing supplemental college essays , college diversity essays , or Harvard medical school secondary essays , but regardless of the type of essay or school, these tips will still apply.

The Main Objective

All essays are, directly or indirectly, “ why this college” essays . The admissions committee is looking for students who fit their institution and are excited about attending. Whatever your college essay topics are, you’re always answering that fundamental question.

Start Strong

College essay introductions are hard in and of themselves. Conquering the introduction means beating the blank page. Start with the best “"hook” sentence you can find. That means you need an attention-grabbing opener that compels the reader to continue.

Once you’re through the introduction, you must follow through with two or three paragraphs about your accomplishments or criteria the school expect to hear about – in Oxford’s case, those are your academics and super-curriculars.

Each story should answer the fundamental question: “Why is this person perfect for this school?"

Wrap it up with a conclusion that summarises your main points and, if possible, connects to the introduction like a loop.

Up to 4,000 characters, which includes spaces.

You don’t want to go so short you can’t say anything of substance. Brevity is the soul of wit, however, so don’t worry about having a personal statement that is “only” 300–400 words long. Don’t pad out your statement; say what you need to and no more.

Your personal statement shows your unique abilities and personality and why you are ideally suited for the institution and programme to which you are applying. Showcase qualities like perseverance, leadership, teamwork, curiosity, creativity, logic and personal growth.

Your main focus will be on academics and super-curricular activities.

Negative people don’t come off well, so dwelling on problems, whining, or badmouthing people is never a good idea.

Formal, standard essay format is perfect: hook sentence, introduction, main body – which expresses one or two main ideas – and a conclusion that comes full-circle, ideally connecting to the introduction. You can use the first person, since this is a personal essay.

Always follow the rule of “show, don’t tell” to demonstrate your qualities and abilities.

Free-associate for a while. Give yourself one or two minutes to write on the programme you want to take at Oxford and just free-associate. By the end, your passion for the subject will have won out and given you a good list of ideas to explore.

Your essay gets cut off. Never exceed the limit. So, in practical terms, if you exceed the character limit, or 47 lines, part of your personal statement will be missing.

Not formally, no, but it is being evaluated, so make sure you edit properly and go over spelling and grammar with a fine-tooth comb.

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions, get started now.

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your college applications stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee you'll get into your dream college or university or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Law 24/25 Entry
Oxford PPE 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Economics 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Modern Languages 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Land Economy 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Psychology 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge English 24/25 Entry
Oxford Human Sciences 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge History 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Geography 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Philosophy 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Classics 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Architecture 24/25 Entry
Cambridge HSPS Programme 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biomedical Sciences 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Engineering 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Natural Science 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Maths 24/25 Entry
Oxbridge Computer Science 24/25 Entry
Oxford Physics 24/25 Entry
Oxford PPL 24/25 Entry
Cambridge Veterinary Science 24/25 Entry
Oxford Chemistry 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biology 24/25 Entry
Oxford Biochemistry 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Medicine 24/25 Entry
Non-Oxbridge Dentistry 24/25 Entry
IMAT Medicine 24/25 Entry
Can’t Find Your Subject?
Law Interview Programme
PPE Interview Programme
Economics Interview Programme
Oxbridge Medicine Interview Programme
Natural Science Interview Programme
Engineering Interview Programme
Maths Interview Programme
Dentistry Interview Programme
Medicine MMI Interview Programme
Our Guarantee

Our Students

Student Success Stories

University Access Scheme
New Tutor Application Form
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does It Work?

Enrol on a UniAdmissions Programme by the 21st June and enjoy a £500 reduction on your fees. Schedule your consultation here today.

Secure your place on a UniAdmissions Programme by Friday, 21st June, and enjoy a £500 reduction on your enrolment fees. Schedule your consultation here today.

+44 (0) 208 068 0438
[email protected]

SCIENCE PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

HUMANITIES PROGRAMMES (25/26 ENTRY)

GET STARTED

Can't find your subject?

OXFORD TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

CAMBRIDGE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

MEDICINE TESTS (25/26 ENTRY)

View Our Free admissions guides & resources

How UniAdmissions Cracked The Oxbridge Formula

Applying for Oxbridge is an opportunity seldom approached correctly. So how do you enter the top 16% of a strong cohort of applicants that get an offer? Discover how UniAdmissions get 2/3 of our students in.

UCAT Registration 2024: What You Need To Know

Every year, thousands of medicine applicants take the UCAT aiming for top scores. To take the test, you must register first. This guide provides all the information you need to secure your UCAT registration.

Inside The UniAdmissions Portal: The UA Advantage

UniAdmissions students have access to the world's first dedicated Oxbridge admissions preparation platform, and this guide will help you discover exactly how the Portal will help you get your offer.

Discover all guides

ABOUT UNIADMISSIONS

Learn about who the world's first Oxbridge prep school are.

Learn about the Portal; the heart of our Programmes.

UniAdmissions' Foundation

The Foundation is our charitable arm to support disadvantaged students.

Students & Tutors

Discover who a UniAdmissions student is and our admissions criteria.

Learn about our high-performing Oxbridge tutors.

We're proud of our alumni. Read about their journey with UniAdmissions here.

Admissions Resources

Free Admissions Guides

Visit our Learning Centre and read our in-depth free guides.

We are the world's biggest Oxbridge application publisher. Learn more here.

Teachers Learning Hub

Learn about how to help your students get their place at Oxbridge.

Get Started

Access Student Portal
Oxbridge Programmes
Open Day Webinar
Tutor Application Form
Common Questions
Download Our Prospectus

Successful Personal Statement For Oxford English Language And Literature

Last Updated: 5th April 2022

Author: Rob Needleman

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it.

Today, we are looking through an English Language and Literature applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure them a place at Oxford. The English Language and Literature course at Oxford is one of the broadest degrees in the country, so let’s see how the applicant navigated around this to write a strong Personal Statement.

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

Enrolling on our Oxbridge English comprehensive Programme will give you access to Personal Statement redrafts.

Your tutor will give you actionable feedback with insider tips on how to improve and make your Personal Statement Oxbridge quality for the best chances of success.

English Personal Statement

George Eliot’s metaphor for imagination- ‘inward light which is the last refinement of Energy … bathing even the ethereal atoms in its ideally illuminated space’- is beautiful. The powerful image supported by the underlying liquid consonants skilfully leads to the action it describes, but it is also the suggestion of particle physics and mass-energy equivalence that interests me about this quotation. In this way, I have gained more from reading ‘Middlemarch’ as I appreciate Eliot’s constant links between science and fiction, and I believe scientific study has generally sharpened my abilities of analysis and concise expression.

I have loved working as a steward at the Globe Theatre; I had the opportunity to see many plays, including a production of Marlowe’s ‘Dr Faustus’. I read Dante’s ‘Inferno’ and several books of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ for a different portrayal of hell and sin to that depicted in ‘Dr Faustus’. I found the torment and suffering described by Dante graphic, whilst the first person narrative drew me closer to the pathos fear and disgust expressed. Milton’s depiction of a mental state is much more powerful in my opinion, and has interesting parallels to Faustus’ state of damnation. I also saw Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’, ‘All’s Well that Ends Well’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ whilst stewarding. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ reminded me of the surprising similarity between Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. Claudio and Hero’s troubled love and Don John’s self-proclaimed villainy seem to mirror the actions of Othello, Desdemona and Iago. Viewing comedy as a structure, ‘Much Ado’ contains the potential tragedy of ‘Othello’, but an added last act resolves all tensions and ends so happily and neatly that it seems to me rather unrealistic.

I enjoyed Dickens’ ‘Our Mutual Friend’ for its satirical portrayal of superficial London society. His depiction of characters and scenes make the novel humorous and therefore very different to ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Here, the powerful characterisation emphasises the terrible human suffering and moral corruption, for example his effective personification of ‘La Vengeance’, who encourages the cries of bloodlust from Parisians. I found it easier to empathise with Jude in Hardy’s ‘Jude the Obscure’ than with Dickens’ creations however, since his actions appear futile against the fate which continually works against him. There seems to be no hope in the novel, unlike the eventual triumph of love over death in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Just as in ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’, love and happiness seem only like a prelude to grief and sorrow linked with the relentless passing of time. I find Donne’s approaches to this theme interesting too: in both his love poems and the Holy Sonnets, Donne uses form to counter and control the passing of time and the prospect of change.

I have participated in many music groups and ensembles at school, having achieved Grade 8 with distinction in both Flute and French Horn. I have worked for two years in my local Cancer Research shop as part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award, and also spent a residential week with a charity called Activenture, looking after children of different ages and abilities, for which I received the Young Carer of the Year award. During my gap year, I plan to join my local orchestra and travel for three months around South America, but ultimately I am most excited about the time I will have to read and further explore English literature.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

Successful personal statement for economics at cambridge, successful personal statement for land economy at cambridge, successful personal statement for chemistry at oxford, successful personal statement for geography at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at oxford, successful personal statement for law at oxford, successful personal statement for classics at cambridge, successful personal statement for engineering at cambridge, successful personal statement for philosophy at cambridge, successful personal statement for veterinary medicine at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychological and behavioural sciences at cambridge, successful personal statement for psychology at oxford, successful personal statement for history at oxford, successful personal statement for physics at oxford, successful personal statement for cambridge mathematics and physics, successful personal statement example for computer science at oxford, successful personal statement for english at cambridge, successful personal statement for medicine at oxford university, successful personal statement for modern languages at oxford, successful personal statement for engineering at oxford, successful personal statement for natural sciences (biological) at cambridge, successful personal statement for economics & management at oxford, successful personal statement for ppe at oxford, successful personal statement for law at cambridge, successful personal statement for dentistry at king’s college london, successful personal statement for medicine at cambridge.

Download our Free Personal Statement Starter Guide

Good Points Of The Personal Statement

The candidate’s wide range of personal interests are clearly demonstrated, and — for the most part — are well-linked to their subject application, giving it further strength. They are able to use independent thought to illustrate how various bits of reading they have done are linked. The list of works they discuss ranges from poetry to plays to Victorian novels; a strong variety of works. They evaluate these across genres and are able to apply critical thought and analysis to them. Throughout their discussions of various texts, the applicant clearly illustrates their enthusiasm for the subject; their writing is energised by positivity and personal engagement with the material.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The candidate could have worked even harder to connect their extra-curricular activities to their application (though their relevance was clear in most instances). The effect of the applicant’s use of independent thought and personal experience was often slightly dulled by their use of highly personal and personalising terms such as ‘beautiful’, or simply ‘I enjoyed’. Though there is perhaps nothing wrong with these evaluations as an initial starting point, the candidate could have pushed further with their readings to interrogate these works further. Though the applicant demonstrates a wide literary foundation, their commentary did at times lapse into plot summary, which is less interesting than their own thought.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This candidate’s application reads as both impressive in its depth of knowledge and personal in its illustration of thought and enthusiasm. As such, it reads as a statement that is well-balanced and well-judged; the reader is able to get a good sense of this applicant’s interests on both a personal and academic level. The statement could have made greater use of critical language and could have included fewer instances of value judgments; small alterations which would have given the candidate’s discussions greater academic depth.

This Personal Statement for English is a great example of a statement done right. The candidate’s interest is clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Oxford, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years so you need to appeal directly to them.

Go to our Free Personal Statement Resources page for even more successful personal statements and expert guides.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Oxford English application.

With our Oxbridge English Premium Programme we help you craft the perfect Personal Statement , produce and submit the best Written Work and teach you how to Interview effectively .

Discover our Oxbridge English Premium Programme by clicking the button below to enrol and triple your chances of success.

UniAdmissions students placed at Oxford And Cambridge

Continue learning about Oxbridge...

5 study secrets from actual oxbridge students.

We reached out to some successful Oxbridge students to find out exactly what their study secrets are. Here's what we…

AI Writing & UCAS Personal Statements: What You Need To Know

When it comes to writing in the 2020s, AI-Generation has become one of the most important issues for many industries,…

Oxbridge Personal Statements: A Complete Teacher’s Guide

As a teacher, you will support students with their UCAS Personal Statements every year, but what about Personal Statements for…

UCAS Personal Statements Are Changing in 2025

On January 12th 2023, UCAS announced that the traditional Personal Statement would be replaced by a multi-question form for university…

Writing an Economics and Management Personal Statement for Oxford? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, we…

Successful Personal Statement For Computer Science At Oxford

Read through a successful Computer Science Personal Statement for Oxford with a full analysis by Oxbridge Tutors. Find out why…

The Secrets to Oxbridge Admission.

We cracked the Oxbridge formula . Find out what we discovered here.
Looking for application support? Don't work with a random tutor. This is what you need to know first.
Get up-to-date Oxbridge advice with our webinars. Follow our Open Days led by our experts and stay updated.
Begin your Oxbridge journey with UniAdmissions through our programmes of support by clicking here.

Personal Statement Starter Guide

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice. Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements.

Get it directly to your inbox by registering your email.

How would you like to speak to an Admissions Consultant?

Supplementary personal statments

Quick reply, related discussions.

univeristy and apprentiship
Personal statment nursing
Dentistry Reapplying
A good personal statement
Exam re-takes
Personal statement
year 12 psychology help
personal statment
Service to rate your personal statement?
2nd year transfer assistance
Bristol dental hygiene & therapy 2019
Can I change my course at clearing?
UCAS Similaristies detection on PS
Do i need to do further maths to get into cambridge physical nat sci
Dentistry personal statement
Deferring 4 exams to the Supplementary period - MEng
Natural Sciences at Cambridge but Biomedical Sciences for other universities
Statement of aims a level media
Personal Statment
Applying for both HSPS and PPE

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Posted 1 month ago

Last reply 4 months ago

Last reply 5 months ago

Articles for you

How important is the personal statement on your Ucas application?

Will artificial intelligence put legal graduates out of work?

Why industry placements are so important for business students

You don’t need to take a law conversion course for the SQE… but here’s why you should

Student Good Guide

The best UK online resource for students

PPE Oxford Personal Statement Example

Below you can read a great personal statement for the Oxford course in PPE. The candidate successfully applied and was invited to interview at Oxford .

PPE Oxford Personal Statement

As I wandered the halls of Westminster, clutched my dictionary while watching Question Time, and poured over economic reports trying to grasp the principles within, I realised that I wasn’t indulging mere childhood curiosity – I was allowing my destiny to find me.

My thirst to understand the machinery of society was unquenchable, leading me to explore the intersections of politics , philosophy , and economics from my early days. I peppered my grandfather with wide-eyed questions on the impacts of policies as he recounted stories of spearheading union protests.

I ploughed through dense biographies of iconic leaders and treatises on rights by enlightenment thinkers, enthralled by their ability to reshape reality as my multi-coloured highlighters etched Rousseau’s Social Contract and my fingers folded page corners of Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom, I knew I was forging the first wrinkles into my brain that would one day house a masterful command of PPE.

This led me to choose A-level subjects – History , Economics, and English Literature – that would provide relevant conceptual foundations and prepare me for the rigorous PPE course. Achieving predicted grades of A*AA has equipped me with sharp analytical abilities, critical thinking skills, and articulate communication proficiency to succeed at Oxford .

My passion for politics was sparked by my grandfather’s involvement in trade union campaigns that opened my eyes to labour rights issues. As an inquisitive child, I peppered him with questions about policy impacts that he patiently answered, nurturing my intellectual curiosity.

This led me to proactively expand my knowledge by watching documentaries on sociopolitical movements, reading biographies of leaders like Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi fighting oppression, and following writers like Thomas Paine advocating radical reforms. I was fascinated by the power of political philosophy in inspiring real-world transformation.

An opportunity to intern with an MP at the Houses of Parliament allowed me unique insider perspectives on British politics. I closely observed the law-making process, party dynamics, and constituency responsibilities which reinforced deeper theoretical lessons from academic study. Attending parliamentary debates sharpened my critical thinking abilities as I analysed the argumentative techniques employed. Interacting with MPs from multiple parties also enlightened me on the varying ideological approaches which influence policy decisions. This first-hand experience solidified my passion for the multifaceted world of politics.

My interest in justice led me to participate extensively in school debates where I relished intellectual sparring, rhetorical skill development, and the construction of rational arguments. As president of the debating society in Year 13, I helped mentor junior students on persuasive speaking and logical reasoning to guide the school to county finals wins. In national Model United Nations events, building strong positions on complex global issues based on geopolitical constraints further honed my critical analysis and problem-solving abilities that will aid in my PPE study.

PPE’s interdisciplinary nature offers the perfect platform to advance my multipronged interests. Oxford’s tutorial approach will stretch my thinking capacities through rigorous engagement with eminent experts at the frontiers of their fields. The vibrant, diverse student communities I interacted with on-campus visits also strongly appealed to me; just the sort of collegial yet competitively stimulating PPE environment I seek to fulfil my potential as I chart my path in public service. I am confident my proactive passion for politics, honed philosophical perspectives, strong economics foundations, communication and leadership skills, and fierce work ethic make me well prepared to thrive on this prestigious course.

Personal Statement Examples

Animal Science Personal Statement Examples
Anthropology personal statement examples
Statistics Personal Statements
Classics Personal Statement Examples
Theology Personal Statement Examples
Physics Personal Statement Examples
Chemical Engineering personal statement examples
Oncology Personal Statement Examples
Psychiatry Personal Statement Examples
Earth Sciences Personal Statement Example
History Personal Statement Examples
Veterinary Personal Statement Examples For University
Civil Engineering Personal Statement Examples
User Experience Design Personal Statement Example
Finance Personal Statement Examples
Neuroscience Personal Statement Examples
Graphic Design Personal Statement Examples
Film Production Personal Statement Examples
Events Management Personal Statement Examples
Counselling Personal Statement Examples
Forensic Science Personal Statement Examples
Children’s Nursing Personal Statement Examples
Chemistry Personal Statement Examples
Sports Science Personal Statement Examples
Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Examples
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Personal Statement Examples
Quantity Surveying Personal Statement Examples
Social Work Personal Statement Examples
Physiotherapy Personal Statement Examples
Journalism Personal Statement Examples
English Literature Personal Statement Examples
Marketing Personal Statement Examples
Computer Science Personal Statement Examples
Fashion Marketing Personal Statement Examples
Dietetic Personal Statement Examples
Product Design Personal Statement Examples
Aerospace Engineering Personal Statement Examples
Geography Personal Statement Examples
Business Management Personal Statement Examples
Politics Personal Statement Examples
Psychology Personal Statement Examples
Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples
Zoology Personal Statement Example
Sociology Personal Statement Example
Fashion Personal Statement Example
Mathematics Personal Statement Examples
Software Engineering Personal Statement Examples
Philosophy Personal Statement
International Relations Personal Statement Example
Biochemistry Personal Statement Example
Dentistry Personal Statement Examples
Midwifery Personal Statement
Law Personal Statement Example
Medicine Personal Statement for Cambridge
ICT Personal Statement
Primary Teacher PGCE Personal Statement
PGCE Personal Statement Example
Games Design Personal Statement
Paramedic Science Personal Statement Examples
Occupational Therapy Personal Statement
Pharmacy Personal Statement Example
Criminology Personal Statement Example
Radiography Personal Statement
Actuarial Science Personal Statement Example
Artificial Intelligence Personal Statement Example
Accounting Personal Statement Examples
Optometry Personal Statement
Archeology Personal Statement Example
Design and Art Personal Statement Example
Economics and Business Personal Statement Example
Architecture Personal Statement Example
Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Examples
Nursing Personal Statement Example

Get the Reddit app

The best online community to share tips, ask for help and advice in your IGCSE's and O Level exams!

How to write An Oxbridge Personal Statement - From Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge offer holders

It's that time again.

The blank word document.

The steadily blinking typing cursor disappearing and reappearing on the page as your mind races through some key skills and qualities that your Careers teacher has been drumming into your head since Year 7.

The dreaded UCAS Personal Statement.

Compiling advice from myself and some friends, including those who have just gone through the admissions process and received offers from Harvard, Oxbridge, and many other prestigious universities, I condensed it all into this short blog.

https://onlyphysics.org/how-to-write-an-oxbridge-personal-statement/

For Year 12 students, get the notepad and pens out.

For IGCSE students, the bookmark function could come in a little handy ;) .

Hope you guys gain some value from reading it!

Applying to Uni
Apprenticeships
Health & Relationships
Money & Finance

Personal Statements

Postgraduate
U.S Universities

University Interviews

Vocational Qualifications
Accommodation
Budgeting, Money & Finance
Health & Relationships
Jobs & Careers
Socialising

Studying Abroad

Studying & Revision
Technology
University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements
International Student Personal Statements
Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Mature Student Personal Statements
Aberystwyth
Anglia Polytechnic University
Bath Spa University College
Bournemouth University
British College of Osteopathic Medicine
British School of Osteopathy
Canterbury Christ Church University College
Central School of Speech and Drama
Chester A College of The University of Liverpool
City College Manchester
Coventry University
De Montfort University
Edge Hill College of Higher Education
Falmouth University
Farnborough College of Technology
Glamorgan Centre for Art and Design Technology
Glasgow Caledonian University
Goldsmiths College
Heriot-watt
Heythrop College
King's College
Kingston University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Liverpool Hope
Liverpool John Moores University
London Metropolitan University
London South Bank University
Loughborough
Loughborough College
Middlesex University
Napier University, Edinburgh
Newcastle College
Northumbria University
Nottingham Trent
Oxford Brookes
Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh
Queen's, Belfast
Regents Business School London
Roehampton University of Surrey
Royal Holloway
Royal Veterinary College
Sheffield Hallam University
Southampton
Southampton Institute
St George's Hospital Medical School
St Mary's University College
Staffordshire University
Strathclyde
Swansea Institute of Higher Education
Thames Valley University
The Arts Institute At Bournemouth
The Glasgow School of Art
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
The London Institute
The Manchester Metropolitan University
The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
The Robert Gordon University
The Surrey Institute of Art and Design
The University of Bradford
The University of Buckingham
The University of Gloucestershire
The University of Huddersfield
The University of Salford
University College Northampton
University College Worcester
University of Abertay Dundee
University of Brighton
University of Central Lancashire
University of Derby
University of East London
University of Glamorgan
University of Greenwich
University of Hertfordshire
University of Lincoln
University of Plymouth
University of Portsmouth
University of Sunderland
University of Teesside
University of The West of England, Bristol
University of Ulster
University of Wales College, Newport
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
University of Wales, Bangor
University of Westminster
University of Wolverhampton
Writtle College
York St John College
Personal Statement Editing Service
Personal Statement Writing Guide
Submit Your Personal Statement
Personal Statement Questions 2025

Oxford University Personal Statements

We hope our collection of oxford university personal statements provides inspiration for writing your own. please do not plagiarise them in any way, or ucas will penalise your application. our personal statement editing & review services are availble if you feel you need a little extra help..

History Personal Statement Example 3 Recently, I found out that my grandma was gambled into slavery for seven years. She escaped her prison and made her way back to Hong Kong, 300 miles south. I was amazed at how courageous she was. This personal discovery led me to read Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans' which made me both proud and ashamed of my heritage...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 4 I find it amazing to watch as the digital revolution sculpts society at a rate that has never before been seen; there is so much to still be discovered. Quantum computing is a topic that particularly interests me, stemming from my studies and keen interest in physics...

Economics and PPE Personal Statement Example My aspiration to study economics at both advanced and degree level has stemmed from my lasting interest in current affairs and world development. These issues require an application of economics in real-life situations and can be related to many diverse subjects such as politics, philosophy and psychology...

English Literature Personal Statement Example 1 When I saw Gatz, John Collin's eight hour interpretation of The Great Gatsby, I noticed that Fitzgerald changes the colour of Daisy's hair every time he describes it. It is "like a dash of blue paint", "yellowy" like her daughters and then "dark, shining"...

Geography Personal Statement Example 2 In a dynamic world, the study of geography is increasingly important. The diversity of the subject and the interaction between the physical environment and human population is becoming even more evident with climate change and globalisation influencing our everyday lives...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 11 “If she’s smart she will study Medicine.” This is an unwritten rule in my culture - all Nigerian parents want their children to become doctors. What becomes of the aspiring psychologist in the family? I met a junior doctor, at an educational conference, who wanted to specialise in psychiatry...

History Personal Statement Example 13 Until I began my A-levels last September, I had never been to school or followed a formal syllabus. My parents homeschooled me. They guided, encouraged, and fed my interests with books, documentaries and discussions...

Natural and Biological Sciences Personal Statement Example Experiencing first-hand life as a human in the natural world, I have the authority to confirm that regardless of previous knowledge, unexplained phenomena still exist. As a scientist, I adore observing the unknown, analysing the known and making decisions accordingly...

English Personal Statement Example 22 What I enjoy above all else in a piece of literature is the feeling that it has brought about change, either in me or in some wider context. Literature which offers the opportunity for an adapted way of living or thinking, however slight, is I think a thing to be kept and treasured in our intellects...

English Literature and Creative Writing Personal Statement Example 1 I once aspired to be a visual artist, a photographer or painter. However, I later discovered the unique ability of poetry and the written word to maintain its power and resonance in a world saturated with images and messages...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 45 Advances in computer and information technology over the past few decades have brought about revolution in science, medicine, education, business, and entertainment. I wish to be part of the future revolution and that is why I want to study computer science...

English Literature Personal Statement Example 16 I believe that to read English is to read the human being itself: after all, we are all writers. Even in the very act of choosing our words - thinking them, speaking them, physically writing them down - we create something meaningful...

Human Sciences Personal Statement Example Perhaps what makes me different from other University applicants is that I have ambition to understand multidimensional human life. It is not the appeal of a top qualification or the zesty student lifestyle that attracts me to this course; but it is the long-term knowledge and answers to interdisciplinary human problems, and the enigmas that I will commit a lifetime investigating with perhaps no solution, that inspires me to apply...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 19 Physics is that branch of science without which science is just like a beautiful lamp with no light. For centuries, mathematicians and physicists have made plenty of scientific contributions thus helping the world make a better place to live...

History (Ancient and Modern) Personal Statement Example 1 It is those things we don’t yet know or understand that make history a fascinating, intellectual puzzle. We know a remarkable amount about history and the development of society but new archaeological discoveries, the dedicated efforts of historians, translators and other academics and advancements in areas such as archaeometry mean that the body of historical information is still expanding...

Archaeology and Anthropology Personal Statement Example 2 As an immigrant living in Spain, I am constantly reminded of the importance social and cultural factors have on my daily life, the language I speak, and the difference between the relationships I maintain with people from my own country and those I encounter here on a daily basis...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 49 My views about computing changed considerably when I heard about Linux. In the late nineties it was a newer operating system and tasks like installing and configuring were considered to be quite challenging in India...

Law Personal Statement Example 70 Law is ever changing, whether parliament is passing new legislation, existing legislation is being rewritten or the courts are interpreting laws in different ways. In the case of Anthony Bland the distinguishing of earlier precedents was vital...

History and English Personal Statement Example Studying history and English concurrently has appealed to me ever since I recognised the inseparability of the two disciplines closest to my heart. Personally, I believe that the literary style of a piece of writing is as important as scholarly research and I try to make my essays as lively as possible whilst still grounded in solid historical or literary method, dulce et utile, following the example of writers such as Richard J Evans...

Economics and Management Personal Statement Example 2 My interest in Economics goes beyond an appreciation of statistics and profit margins. In my mind, economics represents the relationship between people and their money – a relationship that dates back to the history of mankind...

German Personal Statement Example 7 The study of language has always been appealing and is the focus of much of my time and energy, but the study of the German language is what mesmerises me most. Before understanding German I was first intrigued by its sound, and as I began to learn it, I became fascinated by its complexity...

Economics Personal Statement Example 30 The ever-changing nature of the human science intrigues me. Newton’s laws of motion will never change, from wherever ‘the ball is dropped’. However, different strategies and policies have to be framed and implemented for each economic problem...

Mathematics & Computer Science Personal Statement Example I have found mathematics a fascinating subject since my early years. I enjoy it as it is challenging and logical. I am particularly interested in decision mathematics as it is a field that is directly related to real-life applications of mathematics and can be used to solve problems, such as finding the optimal solution for transporting materials from one place to another while minimising the cost...

Physics Personal Statement Example 15 I have always been intrigued by the world of physics. From everyday experiences to the most extreme boundaries of today's knowledge, I have always voraciously searched for answers to my questions. As I grew up, the elegance of mathematical demonstrations and of physical theorems fascinated me, and I have often dreamt of making contributions to the unification theory and of improving and simplifying the Navier-Stokes equations...

Electrical Engineering Personal Statement Example 2 The defining wonder of today’s age is electricity. In just two centuries, we have come from Faraday’s crude but prophetic experiments to devices just a square inch that can calculate in seconds what the most gifted of human minds might take days...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 70 The challenge of spending my working life immersed in the fascinating, ever-evolving world of the medical sciences, and the opportunity to use this knowledge to benefit others, has drawn me to seek a career in medicine...

Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE) Personal Statement Example 3 In this day and age virtually every aspect of our lives may be considered political. My passion to study Politics stems from this tenet and a belief that a comprehension of Politics is integral to understanding the current state of humanity...

Chemistry Personal Statement Example 18 Chemistry explores the properties of all matter and energy in our universe, which eventually leads to breakthroughs that benefit mankind, ranging from how to prevent food from decomposing to understanding what chemicals can help or harm you...

Philosophy Personal Statement Example (Mature Student) Since leaving education in 2006 I have always wanted to return; a great love of learning, desire for knowledge and natural curiosity throughout my life resulted in an ambition to teach. It was with this ambition in my heart that I took the plunge and returned to education, beginning my Access course last year with the intention of applying to study for a primary education degree...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 17 My decision to study engineering stems from a desire to contribute to the evolution of society through a process that does not just define our environment but our era. My personal inspiration is the Segovia aqueduct, an 800m long, 30 metre high Roman marvel which still stands today...

Ancient and Modern History Personal Statement Example 1 What makes history engaging and interesting to me is its interdisciplinary nature and its ability to take you on a journey to the discovery of humanity's past. History has been a constant source of captivation for me, from studying the mythology of Ancient Greece in primary school through to the study of the Russian Revolution at A Level...

University specific personal statements
All personal statements

What to expect

How can i prepare, interview timetable.

Technology required
Instructional videos
Sample questions

Demonstration interview videos

Code of Conduct

Interviews in 2024 for 2025-entry will be held online.

There are lots of myths about interviews at Oxford, but really they're just conversations about your chosen subject - like a short tutorial - with someone who knows a lot about it.

Why does Oxford interview?

A good deal of the teaching at Oxford takes place in small classes or tutorials, and your interviewers – who may be your future tutors – are assessing your ability to study, think and learn in this way.

The interview is designed to assess your academic potential. Tutors are looking for your self-motivation and enthusiasm for your subject. Decisions are not based on your manners, appearance or background, but on your ability to think independently and to engage with new ideas beyond the scope of your school or college syllabus.

Who gets invited to interview?

Oxford typically receives over 22,000 applications for around 3,300 places every year and shortlists approximately 10,000 candidates. With so many more applications than places, it just isn’t possible to interview everyone.

Tutors shortlist the candidates they feel have the strongest potential and meet their selection criteria best. Only those shortlisted are invited to interview.

If you do not get shortlisted for interview, unfortunately that means that your application has not been successful. If you are shortlisted for interview - congratulations!

Being invited to attend our interviews is a fantastic achievement in its own right, considering the number of strongly competitive applications that we receive each year.

How will I find out if I have been invited to interview?

You will receive a letter or an email indicating whether or not you have been invited for interview, usually between the middle of November and early December. Different courses will issue invitations on different days depending on when their interviews are scheduled. Your email or letter will usually come from the college you applied to. If you submitted an open application, it will come from the college you have been allocated to.

Sometimes you might get invited to interview by a college you did not apply to. This is part of our reallocation process, where applicants get moved around to make sure everyone interviewed has a similar chance of being made an offer.

Please be aware that you may only be given a week’s notice that you have been shortlisted. The sample interview timetable is available to view.

How will I know when my interview is?

All interviews are expected to take place in early to mid-December so please make sure you are going to be available during this time as interviews cannot be rearranged. The sample interview timetable is available to view.

Will I have more than one interview?

You are quite likely to have more than one interview. You might also be interviewed by more than one college.

In some subjects, you will be invited to interviews at more than one college before your interviews start.

In other subjects, you might have 'initial' interviews at your first college and then be invited to an 'additional' interview at another college after these have taken place. We aim to give everyone a minimum of 24 hours' notice of these additional interviews.

Where will my online interview take place?

Online interviews should take place where applicants feel able to perform at their best. This should be somewhere you have reliable access to the required technology (details to follow) and a quiet space, free from distraction. We hope that this will be either in your school or college, or your home or similar environment.

As soon as you receive your invitation to interview/s we suggest that you discuss with your school or college where you would like this/these to take place and to make arrangements accordingly.

Some applicants may benefit from enhanced school or college support, including those with special requirements as a result of a disability or those who have difficulty accessing the appropriate technology or a stable internet connection. We would be very grateful if schools and colleges could support applicants in these circumstances.

Who will interview me?

You will be interviewed by academic tutors, usually from a college. They teach and research at the University and decide who studies here. Normally you will be interviewed by two tutors, occasionally more.

If you are applying for a joint course, with two or more subjects, you should expect to be interviewed by tutors representing each of the subjects. For some joint courses you may be interviewed separately for each subject area.

What will I be asked?

Tutors will understand that you may be nervous and will try to put you at your ease. They want you to feel able to be yourself in the interview, and to allow you to demonstrate your skills and abilities. They will probably ask you a few simple questions to begin with: perhaps about something in your personal statement or why you have applied for a particular course. They will then move on to questions about your subject.

Depending on what is relevant for the course you are applying for, you may be given a text, a poem, a graph, or an object, and then asked to answer questions and comment on it. You may be given these before the interview, and will be advised if there is anything in particular on which you need to focus. Tutors may also refer to any written work that you were asked to submit.

Questions may be about the subjects that you are currently studying at school or college. However, you will also be offered opportunities to show whether you have read around the subject and to demonstrate your knowledge and interest beyond your school or college syllabus.

Go to the demonstration interview videos and sample interview questions tabs on this page for more of an idea of what to expect.

What if I don’t know the answer?

There may well be more than one right way to answer a question in which case tutors will be more interested in exploring your thought process. Remember they are trying to find out how you think, so anything you say will interest them.

Many questions are designed to test your ability to apply logic and reason to an idea you may never have encountered before. If you think you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t panic, but try and apply your mind to it – you may surprise yourself! You may also wish to explain that you haven’t covered that topic yet, but the key thing is to appear interested. Don’t play it cool because you’re nervous. Tutors love their subject and they want to teach people who feel likewise.

Sometimes tutors may suggest an alternative way of looking at a problem. They are looking for evidence that you are willing to engage with new ideas, and that you can be flexible in your thinking. Often your answers will lead to a discussion and students sometimes feel they learn a lot in interviews – despite their nerves. Interviewers are not trying to make you feel ignorant or catch you out, but to stretch you in order to assess your potential.

Top tip: don’t try and second guess what tutors are looking for – just be yourself.

Will I be asked about extra-curricular activities?

Tutors may ask you about extra-curricular activities which you have mentioned in your personal statement, particularly to help you settle into the interview. However extra-curricular activities will not be assessed unless they help to demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria for your course.

Do I have to ask a question at the end?

Please don’t feel as though you must ask a question. If you are given the chance to ask your own questions at the end of the interview, this does not form any part of your assessment.

What happens if I need adjustments because of a disability?

If there are any adjustments you need because of a disability, make sure that the college which has invited you to interview knows about these as soon as possible.

Please read the interviews section of our Guidance for disabled applicants page for more advice.

Listen to find out what to expect at your Oxford interview!

Download the full transcript of the podcast. Please note that although some of the information and experiences explained in the podcast are assuming interviews will be face to face and take place in Oxford, there is a lot which is relevant for online interviews as well.

We understand that it can be difficult to know what to expect from Oxford interviews or how to prepare, particularly if you or your teachers don't know anyone who has been shortlisted before. The following guidance aims to cover what we would like all shortlisted candidates to know.

After reading this and exploring the available resources, we hope you can feel prepared and able to demonstrate your academic ability and potential.

As soon as you receive your invitation to interview make sure to:

Talk to your school or college and agree where your online interview should take place. This should be wherever you feel able to perform your best - somewhere you have reliable access to the technology required and a quiet space, free from distraction. This is likely to be either in your school or college or your home or similar environment.
Find out which technology is required for your subject (view the tab on this page) and depending on whether it is in tier 1, 2 or 3 watch the relevant Instructional video. If you have any concerns about accessing technology, get in touch with the college inviting you for interview. Test the technology in advance so you can be confident about how it will work.
Familiarise yourself with the code of conduct for online interviews (view the tab on this page).
If you haven't already, then read about what to expect (view the tab on this page).
Feel good! Being shortlisted is already a significant achievement. From an applicant pool of around 24,000, we normally interview around 10,000 applicants. If you are invited for interview, then you are a strong contender for a place.

Once you are clear on the practicalities and arrangements for your interview, we recommend you begin to think about the content of the interview itself, the sort of questions you might be asked and what you would like tutors to know about how and what you think about your subject. You should also think about any revision you might need to do.

Our top tip is to practise speaking about your subject and your thoughts about what you've seen or read - these don't have to be formal 'mock interviews' - instead they could be chats with teachers, friends, or family.

If you aren't able to speak to other people, why not record a vlog to practise speaking, or hold an imaginary interview in your head, or even talk to the cat!

Whilst watching our demonstration interview videos (view tab), stop and start as many times as you like, so you can think about what your own answers might have been. It will all help you on the day.

Here are some more specific things that you can do to prepare:

Re-read your personal statement and any written work you have submitted.
Think about the answers you gave in any admissions test but don't worry if you can't remember these in detail.
Remind yourself why you've chosen this subject and why you want to study it at Oxford. These are questions the tutors might ask you.
As well as revising material you have studied recently, explore your subject in the wider world, for example via newspaper articles, websites, videos and TV programmes. We provide some suggested subject resources which may be a good starting point.
Remind yourself of the selection criteria for your chosen subject.
If you are applying for a course you haven't studied at school or college, be prepared to demonstrate your interest and show some background knowledge of the subject.
Take a critical view of ideas and arguments that you encounter in your everyday world - think about all sides of the debate.
Have a look at the Sample questions tab of this page and familiarise yourself with the kind of questions tutors might ask in your subject.
Go to the Demonstration interview videos tab on this page and hear tutors talk about how they interview for their subject, watch them interview a current student and listen to their commentary afterwards. If you can't find a video in your subject then watch one in the same tier as your own and for a similar subject. This will give you the best idea of what your own interview is likely to be like and you will also have a chance to see how the technology will work.
Keep practising explaining what you are thinking - almost as if you are thinking out loud.

On the day itself:

Wear clothes you feel comfortable in. You won't be judged on what you wear.
Once you’re in the interview, make sure that your head isn’t cut off by your camera, and that you can look directly at the screen.
Try and think of the interview as a conversation about your favourite subject with people who share your interest and know a great deal about it. Interviews are similar to Oxford's teaching tutorials and you may well find you actually learn a lot.
Don't worry if you don't know an answer immediately - see if you can work your way through it aloud. This lets tutors see how you think and means that your final answer is only part of what they find out.
Listen carefully to the questions and don't be afraid to ask for them to be repeated.
Have a copy of your personal statement or any written work you submitted to hand if you like, but don't let these distract you from the questions.
Have a paper and pen, in case you would like to make notes. You may also be asked to hold some paper-based workings up to your device's camera.
Wear headphones if you are likely to be distracted by background noise.
Make sure you have done any pre-reading sent to you - normally this will be emailed to you the day before your interview. Read the instructions carefully.
Don't try and search online for any answers during your interview - aside from the fact this is cheating - an interview is like a conversation and it will be very obvious if you zone out and are distracted. By agreeing to the code of conduct you will confirm that you understand that the use of assistive technology (including artificial intelligence) during your interview is prohibited, beyond any such technology required for your subject, or related to access arrangements for a disability.
Have a drink of water to hand - ideally in a bottle which won't spill!
At the end, you are likely to be asked if you have any questions but don't feel you have to ask something.
If the technology goes wrong or the connection is bad, make sure you tell your interviewers so that they are aware. If the interview can’t proceed then don’t worry - the college will rearrange it as soon as they can.
Finally, remember if you are being interviewed, then you are a strong contender for a place.

View the provisional timetable for online interviews in December 2024 for candidates applying for 2025-entry.

Technology for online interviews

For the past few years, interviews have taken place online using Microsoft Teams. Technology requirements have been divided into three tiers, with tier 1 involving the least technology and tier 3 requiring the most.

Most courses are in tier 1 where you will only need a computer for video conferencing using Microsoft Teams.

Note : In some cases, using Teams while logged into a school account, or whilst on a school network, might mean the use of a webcam or video feed is blocked. It is important that we are able to see you during the interview, as therefore it may be necessary for you and/or your school to ensure there is a workaround in place so that you can use a webcam. For example, if taking the interview at home, instead of using your school account, you can join the call anonymously using a browser.

Interviews for some subjects are likely to require the use of a shared virtual whiteboard and in other, more mathematical subjects, a separate touchscreen device will be needed for the whiteboard along with a basic universal stylus so you can share mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or add text.

No candidate or their school will be expected to purchase a touchscreen device in order to participate in their Oxford interviews. Where necessary, for tier 3 subjects and where there are more technology requirements, colleges will discuss arrangements with schools and applicants in order to find a practical solution for everyone involved.

Which subjects use each tier, and what technology will I need?

You may be invited to more than one interview. For each one you will be sent a separate Microsoft Teams calendar invitation, which you will need to accept by clicking ‘Accept’, ‘Yes’ or equivalent (depending on your email client).

By clicking on the link contained within the invitation you will enter a virtual interview lobby and interviewers will then ‘admit’ you to your interview. Your invitation will also include all other information you need to be aware of in advance of your interview.

Read our detailed guidance on how to connect to Microsoft Teams for your online interview.

In some cases, interviews are expected to take place in schools, and so you and your school will need to check that you have access to the required technology listed on this page.

Please note that, in a small number of cases, you might be invited to an interview that uses a lower technology tier than the one listed in this section (for instance, you may not require Tier 3 technology for a Philosophy interview if applying for Mathematics and Philosophy). This will be explained to you in your invitation to interview.

We recommend that, for all tiers of interviews, you (and your school, if applicable) test your technology setup in advance of interviews.

Video conferencing only

Tier 1 subjects

Ancient and Modern History
Archaeology and Anthropology

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Biomedical sciences.

Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Classics and English
Classics and Modern Languages
English and Modern Languages
English Language and Literature
European and Middle Eastern Languages
Experimental Psychology
History and English
History and Modern Languages
History and Politics
History of Art
Human Sciences
Law with Law Studies in Europe

Materials Science

Medicine (Graduate-entry)

Modern Languages

Modern Languages and Linguistics
Philosophy and Modern Languages
Philosophy and Theology
Philosophy and Linguistics
Religion and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Theology and Religion.

Essential equipment

A computer, with a microphone, speakers and a webcam with access to Microsoft Teams as the video conferencing tool, either installed in advance or via an internet browser. You do not need to have a Microsoft account in order to use Microsoft Teams for this purpose.

You should also have the following:

Some plain paper and pens to take any notes (you may also be asked to share on screen a written response to a question)
A copy of your personal statement, and any written work you submitted (you may be asked about these)
Access to any pre-reading you may have been sent to look at in advance of your interview (only applicable to some subjects).

Other than Microsoft Teams, you do not need any additional hardware or software for interviews in this tier.

During the interview your interviewers may wish to show you a document by sharing their screen or to hold something up to the camera for you to see. Likewise, you may be asked to display rough working using your computer’s own camera.

Video conferencing and interactive virtual whiteboard

Tier 2 subjects

Biochemistry, economics and management.

History and Economics
Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

You will need a computer, with a microphone, speakers and a webcam with access to Microsoft Teams as the video conferencing tool, either installed in advance or via an internet browser.

You do not need to have a Microsoft account in order to use Microsoft Teams for this purpose.

For interviews in this tier, you will also need access to an online virtual whiteboard via the website or app, Miro , on the same device on which you are accessing Microsoft Teams.

We recommend that you create a Miro account prior to your interview to practise using a whiteboard – this is free to do. When you create an account, you will need to give your email address and create a password. This triggers a 6-digit access code which is sent to your email address.

You will be asked during registration to give your company name and role but here you can instead just enter your full name and when asked for your role, click on the option 'Not company-related'.

Either before your interview or at the start of your interview, you will receive a link by email to a Miro whiteboard from the Oxford college running your interview. You will need to follow this link, which will open the whiteboard either in your browser or in the Miro app.

During the interview, your interviewers may wish to show you a document by sharing their screen, by pasting it into the Miro whiteboard, or by holding something up to the camera for you to see.

Likewise, you might be asked to display any rough working using your computer’s own camera. Further, the interviewers may use the Miro whiteboard to write out mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or to add text.

You may be asked to do the following using Miro:

Add basic markings using the ‘draw’ tool to highlight, point to, or annotate an existing image or text
Add text using the ‘text’ tool.
In interviews using tier 2 technology, you will not be asked to write out complex mathematical notation using the whiteboard.

Read our additional guidance for those needing to register with Miro and using Miro in tier 2 interviews.

Video conferencing, Interactive Virtual Whiteboard and Natural Handwriting Capture via a basic universal stylus.

Tier 3 subjects

Computer science.

Computer Science and Philosophy

Earth Sciences

Engineering, mathematics.

Mathematics and Computer Science
Mathematics and Philosophy
Mathematics and Statistics
Physics and Philosophy.

You will also need a touchscreen device and basic universal stylus so you can access and write on a Miro whiteboard.

It is possible that if the computer used to access Teams is touchscreen, no separate touchscreen device will be needed and the Miro whiteboard can be run on this at the same time.

See the note under technology required on this page for further details.

For interviews in this tier, in addition to the device on which you are accessing Microsoft Teams, you will also need a basic universal stylus and a touchscreen device for accessing a Miro Whiteboard . This can be a tablet, or a touchscreen laptop/Chromebook and should have a screen at least 8 inches in size, so a mobile phone is not likely to be suitable.

Note: Candidates with tier 3 requirements for their interviews may not need a second screen if the computer that they will be using for the video call has a touchscreen of at least 11” (28cm). The computer will need to be able to run Teams and Miro in separate windows (tablets using App versions may not allow this functionality).

Any universal (capacitive) basic stylus will allow candidates to work collaboratively on the Miro whiteboard. The stylus does not need to be a ‘smart’ or ‘active’ stylus like an Apple Pencil. The Teams window may be reduced during collaborative use of Miro to allow sufficient space for whiteboard workings.

Create a Miro account so you can practise using a white board before your interview – this is free to do. When you create an account, you will need to give your email address and create a password. This triggers a 6-digit access code which is sent to your email address.

Either before your interview or at the start of your interview, you will receive a link by email to a Miro whiteboard from the college running your interview. You will need to be able to access this link on your touchscreen device in order to access the whiteboard you will use in your interview, so you should login to your email account on this device before your interview starts.

Interviewers may wish to show you a document by sharing their screen, by pasting it into the Miro whiteboard, or by holding something up to the camera for you to see. Likewise, you might be asked to display any rough working using your computer’s own camera.

In addition, the interviewers may use the Miro whiteboard to write out mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or to add text.

You may be asked to do the following using Miro on your touchscreen device and a stylus:

Add markings using the ‘draw’ tool to highlight, point to, or annotate an existing image or text
Add text using the ‘text’ tool
Write out mathematical notation using the ‘draw’ tool with your stylus, as though you were writing on a piece of paper
Sketch a diagram using the ‘draw’ tool with your stylus, as though you were drawing on a piece of paper.
Read our additional guidance for those needing to register with Miro and using Miro in tier 3 interviews.

What if the technology goes wrong or internet connection is lost?

Please don’t worry. We know that these things can sometimes be a problem, and your interviewers will understand. We do recommend that you - and your school if that’s where you’re having your interview - test the technology beforehand, to make sure it works and that you’re comfortable with it.

Remember your interviewers will want you to do well, and be able to see your potential. If the technology goes wrong or the connection is bad, make sure you tell your interviewers so that they are aware. If the interview can’t proceed then don’t worry - the college will rearrange it as soon as they can.

Instructional videos for online interviews

Tier 1: video conferencing only.

Required for:

Biology, Biomedical Sciences
Fine Art, Geography
History, History and English
History of Art, Human Sciences
Materials Science, Medicine

Download the full transcript of the Tier 1 video.

Tier 2: Video conferencing and Interactive Virtual Whiteboard

Politics and Economics.

Download the full transcript of the Tier 2 video.

Tier 3: Video conferencing, Interactive Virtual Whiteboard and Natural Handwriting Capture via a stylus

Download the full transcript of the Tier 3 video.

Sample interview questions

These sample interview questions come direct from the tutors who conduct the interviews. We hope they'll make you think, and help you understand why we ask the questions that we do.

Interviewer: Alison Salvesen, Mansfield College.

Can archaeology ‘prove’ or ‘disprove’ the Bible?

Candidates in my subject come from a wide variety of backgrounds and qualifications, so we generally try to tailor the interview questions to the individual according to what they have on the UCAS form or wrote about in their submitted work, in order to find out whether they have a genuine interest in the subject area and an aptitude for the course.

For this particular question I would be looking for an answer that showed the candidate could appreciate that the Bible was a collection of documents written and transmitted over several centuries, and containing important traditions that have a bearing on history, but that academic study of the Bible means that it has to be examined carefully to see when and where these traditions had come from and for what purpose they had been written.

Whereas they should recognise that archaeology relies on non-literary sources preserved from ancient periods such as the remains of buildings and tools. These can often be dated by scientific means (and so appear more objective than literature), but we still frequently need additional information such as inscriptions or evidence from other similar sites in order to make sense of the ancient remains.

In the end I would hope the candidate would work towards a realisation of the very different nature of these types of evidence, which sometimes gives a complementary picture, while in others it may be contradictory. Both require very careful interpretation, and just arguing that ‘The Bible says’ or that ‘Archaeology proves’ is much too simplistic. (The same kind of thing applies to archaeology, the Quran, and non-Islamic historical sources for a study of the early Arab conquests.)

Interviewer: Kathryn Scott, Christ Church

Would you expect this compound to be more soluble in octanol or water? (The student will be shown the structure of an organic compound with functional groups that they will be familiar with from A-level/IB studies).

We do not expect the student to know the answer to this question straight away, and in fact getting the correct answer isn’t important here. It is more useful for us to see how the candidate applies their chemical knowledge to a problem they are unlikely to have considered before, how they justify their conclusions and whether they are capable of considering alternative possibilities.

If a student struggles with a starting point we would prompt them to describe more generally the different kinds of interactions that hold molecules together and to comment on their relative strength. We would then encourage them to think about what interactions the specific compound might make first with octanol and then with water. A good approach to answering the question would be to first consider the individual functional groups separately and then to discuss the compound as a whole.

The extension to this question asks the student to interpret some graphical data and requires a more technical introduction. We are careful at this point to make sure that the student has understood the explanation before moving forward with the question.

The relative solubility of a compound in octanol vs aqueous solution can be determined by putting a sample of the compound in a 1:1 mixture of octanol and aqueous solution and then measuring the concentration of the compound that has dissolved in each of the solvents. For one particular compound the relative solubility varies with pH as shown in the following graph. Can you interpret this graph?

We would clarify the compound discussed here is different to the one in the first part of the question and that ‘aqueous solution’ means water with acid or base added to control the pH.

The aim of this question is to see whether the student can understand a new concept and apply it to a problem. One approach to this question is to first consider the flat regions of the graph. Between pH 0 and 4 the compound has a relative solubility very close 4. The student can use the equation to work out that this corresponds to much more of the compound dissolving in octanol than in water.

In contrast, between pH 9 and 14 the relative solubility of approximately zero corresponds to almost equal concentrations of the compound dissolving in octanol and water. The student then needs to consider how the structure of a compound might change as pH is varied. If they struggle at this point we might give a specific prompt, for example, 'What form would you expect a water molecule to be found in at low pH?'. Ultimately the prompts lead to the idea that the charge of a compound can change with pH due to gain or loss of hydrogen ions.

The graph shown here corresponds to a compound where the vast majority of the molecules are neutrally charged between pH 0 and 4. As the pH is raised a greater proportion of the molecules will lose a hydrogen ion to become negatively charged, being charged reduces the solubility in octanol and so the relative solubility decreases.

The plateau region above pH 9 occurs because almost all of molecules have lost the hydrogen ion by this point. Although the compound becomes negatively charged, it does not become more soluble in water than octanol, this suggests that the compound also includes functional groups that interact well with octanol, such as alkyl chains or rings. It is important to note that a student would not have to make all of these points to do well in the interview.

Interviewer: Owen Lewis, Brasenose College.

Why do some habitats support higher biodiversity than others?

This question encourages students to think about what high-diversity habitats such as rainforests and coral reefs have in common. In many cases, patterns or correlations can help us to identify the underlying mechanisms. For example, a student might point out that both rainforests and coral reefs are found in hot countries and near the equator. The best answers will attempt to unravel exactly what it is about being hot or near the equator that might allow numerous types of plant and animal to arise, persist and coexist.

Do new species evolve more frequently there, or go extinct less frequently? Once students have come up with a plausible theory, I'd follow up by asking them how they would go about testing their idea. What sort of data would they need?

Interviewer: Martin Speight, St Anne's College.

Why do many animals have stripes?

The main aim of the question is to get applicants to think about biological topics and put them in the context of successful adaptations to life on Earth. So I might expect students to start by thinking of some stripy animals, then move on to thinking about categories of striped animals – for example those that are dangerous (such as wasps, tigers, and snakes), those that have stripes for camouflage (such as zebras but also tigers), and those whose stripes are harmless mimics of dangerous ones.

They might think of specific examples for detailed comparison: tigers and zebras for example both have stripes for camouflage and blending in with background, one to hide from prey and the other to hide from predators.

Other things that would be worth considering include whether stripes may only occur in the young of a species; whether the colour of the stripes matters rather than just the contrasting stripe pattern, and why do stripe size, shape, width and pattern vary in different species. There are no right or wrong specific answers to the questions – I'm just interested in candidates' speculations about the advantages of having stripes.

Here's a cactus. Tell me about it.

We wouldn't actually phrase the question this way – we give the student a cactus in a pot and a close-up photo of the cactus's surface structure and ask them to describe the object in as much detail as possible using the plant and the photo. We are looking for observation, attention to detail, both at the large and micro scale.

We ask them to account for what they see – this means they don't have to use memory or knowledge about cacti (even if they have it) but to deduce the uses and functions of the shapes, sizes, structures that they have just described. So for example, why be fat and bulbous, why have large sharp spines, surrounded by lots of very small hair-like spines? Why does it have small cacti budding off the main body? There will frequently be more than one logical answer to these questions, and we are likely to follow one answer with another question – for example:

‘The big spines are to stop the cactus being eaten, yes, but by what sort of animals?' We would also bring in more general questions at the end of the cactus discussion, such as what are the problems faced by plants and animals living in very dry habitats such as deserts.

If you could save either the rainforests or the coral reefs, which would you choose?

I'd expect students to be able to use their general knowledge plus their common sense to come up with an answer – no detailed knowledge is required. Students might then be asked about the importance of natural features, such as biodiversity and rare species, and human interests, such as the fuel and food, ecotourism and medicines we get from rainforests or reefs.

Finally there are impacts to consider from climate change, soil erosion, pollution, logging, biofuel replacement, overfishing, etc. The final answer doesn't matter – both reefs and rainforests must be managed sustainably to balance conservation and human needs.

Is it easier for organisms to live in the sea or on land?

Firstly candidates should define 'easier' – does it mean less complexity, less energy expenditure, less highly evolved, less likely to be eaten etc? Then candidates could think of problems caused by living in the sea, such as high salinity, high pressure, lack of light etc.

Problems living on land include extra support for the body, avoiding desiccation, the need for more complex locomotory systems (legs, wings etc) and hence better sensory and nervous systems etc. Then ask in which of the two ecosystems have animals and plants been more successful? So now they have to define 'successful'...

Why do lions have manes?

Some of the best interview questions do not have a 'right' or a 'wrong' answer, and can potentially lead off in all sorts of different directions. Applicants might have picked up ideas about the function of a lion's mane from independent reading or from watching natural history documentaries. That's fine – but I'd follow up their response by asking how they would test their theory.

When I've used this question in interviews I've had all sorts of innovative suggestions, including experiments where lions have their manes shaved to investigate whether this influences their chances with the opposite sex or helps them win fights over territory.

Ladybirds are red. So are strawberries. Why?

Many Biology tutors use plant or animal specimens – often alive – as a starting point for questions and discussion, so applicants shouldn't be surprised if they are asked to inspect and discuss an insect or a fruit. Red can signal either 'don't eat me' or 'eat me' to consumers. I'm interested in seeing how applicants attempt to resolve this apparent paradox.

Would it matter if tigers became extinct?

This question is not about hoping students will display their expert knowledge of tigers. Most applicants would instinctively answer 'Yes...', but it is the 'because....' that interests me, and can help to distinguish critical thinkers. I might follow up this question by asking if it would matter if less glamorous creatures – like fungi – went extinct.

Interviewer: Robert Wilkins, St Edmund Hall

Why is sugar in your urine a good indicator that you might have diabetes?

This question builds on general knowledge and material studied at school in biology and chemistry to assess how students approach a clinically-relevant problem. It’s commonly known that diabetes is associated with sugar (glucose) in the urine; this question asks students to think about why this occurs.

Students have usually have learnt that the kidneys filter blood to remove waste products, such as urea, that must be eliminated from the body but many other useful substances which must not be lost – including glucose – are also filtered. Given that glucose is not normally found in the urine, students are asked to speculate as to how it can all be recovered as the urine passes through the kidney’s tubules.

The process involves reabsorption by a carrier protein that binds the glucose molecules and moves them out of the renal tubule and back into the blood. Students should appreciate that, in binding glucose, the carrier will share properties with enzymes, about which they will have learned at school: the capacity to reabsorb glucose is finite because once all of the carriers are working maximally, no further glucose reabsorption can occur.

A successful applicant will make the connection that an elevated level of glucose in the blood in diabetes leads to increased filtration of glucose by the kidneys and saturation of the carriers that perform the reabsorption, resulting in ‘overspill’ of glucose in the urine.

Interviewer: Jan Schnupp, St Peter's College.

Why do a cat's eyes appear to 'glow' in the dark?

This question builds on commonly held knowledge and on material covered in Biology at school about visual processes. The question assesses criteria such as scientific curiosity (has the applicant ever wondered this themselves? Have they formulated any theories?) and scientific reasoning, based on information provided by the interviewer as the interview progresses.

After establishing that the applicant understands that light is detected by photoreceptors in the eye (and exploring and explaining this concept if it is a new one), the discussion would consider how the glow might be advantageous to the cat, seeing whether the applicant can appreciate that it may help the animal to see in the dark.

Possible explanations for the glow would be discussed with an expectation that applicants might recognise that the light could be generated within the eye or alternatively that light entering the eye is in some way reflected back out.

Having established the second possibility as more being more plausible, the interviewer would probe to see whether the candidate recognises the significance of giving photoreceptors two chances to capture light as rays pass into and then out of the eye and why at night this might enhance vision.

Interviewer: Martin Galpin, University College.

How many different molecules can be made from six carbon atoms and twelve hydrogen atoms?

This question gives candidates an opportunity to demonstrate a wide understanding of chemistry and there is no simple, immediate answer.

Most candidates would start by drawing some molecules to construct some that satisfy the requirement of six carbons and twelve hydrogens. If the candidate gets stuck, the interviewer may ask them to explain how many bonds they’d expect each carbon and each hydrogen to form.

This part of the interview tests candidates’ familiarity with different kinds of molecules, their ability to visualise molecules in three dimensions and then draw them, and their ability to decide if two differently-drawn molecules are actually equivalent. During this process, the interviewer would also be looking at how well the candidate responds to prompting.

After a few minutes, the interviewer may use the question to move the discussion toward concepts such as chirality, cis-trans isomerism, ring strain, and isotope effects. Candidates may not have heard of these before, which is fine and to be expected; the interviewer wants to see how quickly the candidate picks up new concepts and whether they can offer plausible explanations for them.

The interviewer might finish the discussion with a rather more difficult question, such as ‘is a molecule only stable if all the carbons form four bonds?’, thus challenging what is taught at school and getting the candidate to think critically about the nature of a chemical bond.

Interviewer: Gail Trimble, Trinity College.

Why do you think Dido kills herself in Aeneid 4 ? Couldn’t she just have gone back to her old life?

I would never ask a question like this without the student mentioning the text first, as we don’t assume that all applicants will have read the same things. Many candidates have never studied Latin or Greek before at all, so we certainly wouldn’t assume that they had any particular knowledge.

I would open this part of the interview by asking the applicant to choose a Classical text that they have enjoyed. This could be something they have read at school/college or on their own, in the original or in translation – it just needs to be something that they found interesting and that they would be happy to discuss.

A good answer to this question about Aeneid 4 might point out that the work contains hints that Dido’s sister and the people she rules will be devastated by her death: she actually has a lot to live for. The answer might look for things Dido says that suggest she’s killing herself because she has lost her self-respect, and perhaps ask whether this rather obsessive focus on self-respect is a typical characteristic of ancient heroes.

Other typical questions might be about why so much of the Odyssey is about Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, rather than the adventures at sea that everyone remembers, or whether Achilles or Hector is the real hero of the Iliad ? It really depends on what the applicant says they have read. We’re looking for candidates to be able to pick out details in the text that support the argument they want to make - and opposing arguments, too.

The questions allow us to see whether candidates are open-minded and able to see how others, both today and, crucially, in the ancient world, might put the evidence from the texts together to draw different conclusions. And we would hope that candidates would think about how, although literary texts often encourage us to react to their characters as if they were real people, actually these characters are constructed by an author, and what we see of them always reflects that author’s choices.

Interviewer: Brian Harrington, Keble College.

How do pirates divide their treasure? A group of 7 pirates has 100 gold coins. They have to decide amongst themselves how to divide the treasure, but must abide by pirate rules:

The most senior pirate proposes the division.
All of the pirates (including the most senior) vote on the division. If half or more vote for the division, it stands. If less than half vote for it, they throw the most senior pirate overboard and start again.
The pirates are perfectly logical, and entirely ruthless (only caring about maximizing their own share of the gold).

So, what division should the most senior pirate suggest to the other six?

This is a standard logic problem and is a good example of the type of question that could be asked. I like to see how students can take directions, and if they can break problems into smaller subsets, and work through a complex concept applying a solution in an algorithmic way. If students have any questions, I want them to ask – not to sit in silence feeling stuck!

Solution to the 'pirate problem'

The solution involves looking at what happens with only 2 pirates, and working up from there.

(We assume that the most senior pirate has the letter A. Others will be B, C, D etc, depending on how many there are in the group.)

Pirate A suggests he gets all the gold. He votes for it, so it carries.

Pirate A gets 100 coins, pirate B gets 0.

Pirate A knows that if he’s thrown overboard, pirate C would get nothing (as the situation would revert to the two pirate example above, with pirate C promoted to pirate B). So if pirate A bribes pirate C with 1 coin, pirate C will vote in favour.

Pirate A gets 99 coins, pirate B gets 0, pirate C gets 1.

Pirate A knows that if he dies, then pirate C gets nothing (again, it will become the 3 pirate case, and pirate C will be promoted to pirate B), so he needs 1 coin to bribe him.

Pirate A gets 99 coins, pirate B gets 0, pirate C gets 1, pirate D gets 0.

Now Pirate A needs 3 votes, so he must bribe each of the pirates who would get 0 coins if he dies with 1 coin each.

Pirate A gets 98 coins, pirate B gets 0, pirate C gets 1, pirate D gets 0, pirate E gets 1.

Same story: bribe pirate C and pirate E.

Pirate A gets 98 coins, pirate B gets 0, pirate C gets 1, pirate D gets 0, pirate E gets 1, pirate F gets 0.

In this final stage (although you can continue indefinitely!) the senior pirate has to get 4 votes, so must bribe 3 pirates… might as well bribe the 3 that have the most to lose if he dies (ie, pirates C, E and G). Pirate A gets 97 coins, pirates C, E and G get 1 coin each, and the others get nothing.

Interviewer: Conall MacNiocaill, Exeter College.

How can we estimate the mass of the atmosphere?

This question can be addressed in a variety of ways and addresses several of our selection criteria: an aptitude for analysing and solving a problem using a logical and critical approach; lateral thinking and hypothesis generation; the ability to manipulate quantities and units; and the ability to apply familiar concepts (pressure, force etc.) to unfamiliar situations.

Candidates often like to start off by thinking about the composition of the atmosphere, and how we might know that, what its density is, and then to ways of estimating its volume.

We look to see if there are ways of simplifying the problem: for example, could you treat the Earth and atmosphere as a sphere slightly larger than the Earth and subtract the volume of the Earth from the larger sphere to get a volume for the atmosphere? The difficulty with this approach often lies with determining where the atmosphere ends and how the density might vary with altitude, how applicable concepts like the ideal gas law are in these circumstances, and these are uncertainties that we might explore in a discussion.

An alternate approach is to see if there are properties of the atmosphere that we can observe at the surface that might enable us to estimate the mass. One such property is atmospheric pressure, which is a force per unit area. The force can also be described as a mass multiplied by an acceleration, which on Earth is the acceleration due to gravity. Hence, if we have some idea about atmospheric pressure we can calculate the mass pressing down on a unit area. If we can estimate the total surface area of the Earth (approximated by the surface area of a sphere) we can therefore calculate the total mass of the atmosphere.

Interviewer: Roger Benson, St Edmund Hall.

Tell me what this rock looks like.

For this question, you are given a hand sample of rock to examine, and are asked to describe what you see. In the second part of the question, you are asked to suggest how the rock formed, and why it looks the way it does (it is made of crystals of several different types, and the types of crystal vary in their average size).

This question does not rely on pre-existing knowledge of geology or rocks. In fact, what we are interested in is whether the candidates can make accurate and critical observations (what does the rock look like?) and are able to interpret the meaning of those observations using their knowledge of physical and chemical processes (reasoning ability: aptitude for analysing and solving problems using logical approaches).

As with many of our questions, we don’t want candidates necessarily to tell us the ‘right’ answer straight away. We want to see that they are motivated, and keen to engage with the topic. We don’t want to intimidate or overwhelm the candidates with difficult questions that they haven’t encountered before. But we do want to see that they can get to grips with new information and use it in their reasoning. So we often provide suggestions and small questions that help to guide the conversation at various points.

In the first part of the question, when describing the rock, we want candidates to organise their observations, so they have some structure. For example, the rock is made of crystals, some of which have well-defined shapes. The crystals vary in colour and size, and probably represent different chemical compositions (different minerals). The smaller types of crystals generally have less well-defined edges.

In the second part of the question, we want to see that candidates can use their knowledge of crystal formation – from GCSE and possibly A-level – to interpret why the rock appears as it does. The crystals indicate that the rock formed by crystallisation of molten rock from a liquid to a solid. Some crystals might be larger because they took longer to form. Crystals with poorly-defined shapes may have formed last, fitting into whatever space was available at the end of the process. These observations can be used to discuss the history of cooling of molten rock.

Interviewer: Terry O'Shaughnessy, St Anne's College.

The Holiday Puzzle:

'Alex and Brian are cousins. They are planning a four-day holiday in Venice and they each have 400 euros to spend. (They have already paid for their return flights and for their hotel room.) On the flight to Venice Alex and Brian discuss how they should each allocate their spending over the four days.

Alex believes that the satisfaction he gains from spending a certain amount x euros on a given day is proportional to √ x . Explain why this might be a reasonable way to represent his preferences. If he has these preferences how would you expect him to allocate his spending over the four days?

Brian has the same preferences as Alex, but he knows that he tends to be impatient. This means that, on any given day, he tends to give extra weight to the current day’s spending when he makes his spending decisions for that day. Thus on a given day he behaves as if the satisfaction he would gain from spending x euros would be √(2 x ) whereas the thinks that on subsequent days the satisfaction he will gain from spending x euros will be only √ x .

If Brian has these preferences how would you expect him to allocate his spending over the four days?

Is there a better way for Brian to allocate his spending and, if so, how might he achieve this better outcome?

Does your analysis of this problem have any implications for any current economic policy issues?'

After asking one or two general questions such as 'what topic in Economics have you enjoyed most, or found most surprising' we move on to working through a puzzle. We give the candidate a copy 10 minutes before the interview starts. We might spend 10-15 minutes going through the implications of the puzzle during the interview, though this depends on how far candidates get, and how quickly they get there!

Each puzzle is designed to see how willing candidates are to abstract from the complexities of a 'real world' case involving some economic principles and to put such principles 'to work'. There are usually some simple mathematical ideas involved (in this case, the idea that the utility function provided implies that it is best to allocate spending uniformly over the four days). However, we do not expect any calculations to be performed, though drawing a diagram is often useful (as it is in this example).

Interviewer: Brian Bell, Lady Margaret Hall.

Do bankers deserve the pay they receive? And should government do something to limit how much they get?

This is a very topical question in light of the recent financial crisis. A simple answer might be that since banks are generally private firms and workers are free to work where they wish, then the pay they receive is just the outcome of a competitive labour market.

In this story, bankers earn a lot because they are very skilled and have rare talents. It is hard to see a reason for government intervention in this case – though on equity grounds one may want to have a progressive income tax system that redistributes some of this income.

A good candidate would wonder why it is that seemingly equivalently talented people can get paid so much more in banking than in other occupations. Do we really believe that bankers are so much better than other workers in terms of skill?

An alternative story is that the banking industry is not competitive and generates profits above what a competitive market would produce. This would then allow workers in that industry to share some of those profits and so earn much more. In this case, there is a role for government intervention - making the market more competitive. The key point about this question is trying to get candidates to think about the economics of pay rather than just whether they think it is fair or not.

Interviewer: Steve Collins, University College.

Place a 30cm ruler on top of one finger from each hand so that you have one finger at each end of the ruler, and the ruler is resting on your fingertips. What happens when you bring your fingers together?

This would never be the opening question in an interview - we usually start with a first question that gives the candidate an opportunity to get comfortable by discussing something familiar. We then ask more technical questions based on material in the GCSE and A-level syllabi. This question would come later in the interview, when we present candidates with an unfamiliar scenario and ask them to use what they know about familiar concepts (such as friction) to explain something.

Almost everyone in this example will expect the ruler to topple off the side where the finger is closest to the centre to the ruler because they expect this finger to reach the centre of the ruler first. They then complete the 'experiment' and find both fingers reach the centre of the ruler at the same time and the ruler remains balanced on two fingers.

We like to see how candidates react to what is usually an unexpected result, and then encourage them to repeat the experiment slowly. This helps them observe that the ruler slides over each finger in turn, starting with the finger that is furthest from the centre. With prompting to consider moments and friction, the candidate will come to the conclusion that moments mean that there is a larger force on the finger that is closest to the centre of the ruler. This means that there is more friction between the ruler and this finger and therefore the rule slides over the finger furthest from the centre first.

This argument will apply until the fingers are the same distance from the centre. The candidate should then be able to explain why both fingers reach the centre of the rule at the same time as observed. In some cases, particularly if we have not done a quantitative question already, we might then proceed with a quantitative analysis of forces and moments. We might even discuss the fact that the coefficient of static friction is higher than the coefficient of dynamic friction and therefore the 'moving' finger gets closer to the centre than the static finger before the finger starts to move over the other finger.

Interviewer: Byron Byrne, Department of Engineering Science.

How would you design a gravity dam for holding back water?

This is a great question because the candidate first has to determine the forces acting on the dam before considering the stability of the wall under the action of those forces. Candidates will probably recognise that the water could push the dam over. The candidate would then be expected to construct simple mathematical expressions that predict when this would occur. Some may also discuss failure by sliding, issues of structural design, the effects of water seeping under the dam, and so on.

The candidate will not have covered all the material at school so guidance is provided to assess how quickly new ideas are absorbed. The question also probes the candidate's ability to apply physics and maths to new situations and can test interest in and enthusiasm for the engineered world.

English Literature

Interviewer: Lucinda Rumsey, Mansfield College.

JK Rowling has just published a book for adults after the hugely successful Harry Potter series. In what ways do you think that writing for children is different to writing for adults?

Candidates who have grown up on Harry Potter might have read Rowling's new book and have thought both about Rowling's change of audience and their own change as readers from child to adult. But even without knowing Rowling's work at all candidates could say something about themselves as readers, and how as readers they approach different kinds of books, and how writers develop a body of work and write for different audiences.

Mainly I always want to know that whatever they are reading, candidates are reading thoughtfully and self-consciously, and are able to think as literary critics about all the books they read. I worry that not all candidates might have the same access to a wide range of literature, and I am careful to judge them on what they know, not on what they don't know. If I asked that question about Shakespeare some candidates might have a view of his literary output, but many wouldn't. If I start with Harry Potter, everyone at least has a starting point of recognition. And I think Rowling deserves a mention as I am sure that there are many people applying to study English at university this year who became avid readers because of her books.

Interviewer: Emma Smith, Hertford College.

Tell me about [this literary work you have mentioned in your UCAS personal statement]

I'd want to start with something the candidate has already identified as something they want to talk about (so be honest on your personal statement!). I'd want to get a sense of what the candidate picks out about it, and perhaps to try to move the discussion onto matters of form ( how the text is written) rather than content ( what it is about).

That might include - how does the author choose to begin or end the work and why? is it a first-person or a third-person narrator, and what effect does that have? what kind of vocabulary and writing style are chosen? what assumptions does it make about its readers?

There might be other questions too: does the biography of the author have any relevance to our interpretation? do we need to know something about the historical context to understand it differently? how would we evaluate whether it is 'good' or not, and does that matter? where might its meaning be ambiguous? can it be compared to one of the other texts mentioned or studied to clarify any one of these aspects?

All of these approaches are intended to develop a discussion - like a tutorial - and to work with something the candidate is already familiar with - something they have read and/or studied and enjoyed - but to ask some more sideways or expansive questions about it, moving away from the character or close-reading focus which is often prominent at A-level but is supplemented or challenged by other reading methods during university study.

Interviewer: Lynn Robson, Regent's Park College.

Why do you think an English student might be interested in the fact that Coronation Street has been running for 50 years?

First and foremost this brings popular culture into the mix and also shows that techniques of literary analysis can be applied to other media. It could also open up discussion about things such as techniques of storytelling; mixing humorous and serious storylines/ characters; how a writer might keep viewers or readers engaged; collaborative writing; the use of serialisation, and how writers/texts might move from being perceived as 'popular' (like Dickens, say) to be 'canonical'.

Interviewer: Lorraine Wild, St Hilda's College.

If I were to visit the area where you live, what would I be interested in?

The question gives candidates an opportunity to apply concepts from their A level geography course to their home area. They might discuss urban planning and regeneration, ethnic segregation and migration, or issues of environmental management.

The question probes whether they are able to apply ‘geographical thinking' to the everyday landscapes around them. It reveals the extent to which they have a curiosity about the world around them. By asking specifically about their home area the question eliminates any advantage gained by those who are more widely travelled and have more experience of a variety of geographical contexts.

Interviewer: Ian Forrest, Oriel College.

What would a historian find interesting about the place where you live?

We use this question to open a discussion that could go in a number of different directions. We want to encourage candidates to talk about a subject on which they know something, but where probing questions can lead them to look at what they know in a new and revealing light. It was very common for candidates to say that nothing interesting ever happens where they live, but this was a chance for the interviewers to encourage them to reflect on what we mean by historical significance, and why some places seem unremarkable in those terms. It also allowed us to hear candidates describe things like a town in decline, unusual street names, or pride in local sports teams, and then to ask them what questions a historian should ask in order to set these in context. It’s also a good question because it allows us to steer candidates away from prepared scripts (which are always a waste of time), and for us to see evidence of some of the instincts and skills that are really important in good History students: observation, noticing the unusual, being interested in the world around them, a questioning attitude, and the ability to see things from new angles.

Is violence always political? Does 'political' mean something different in different contexts?

This pair of questions allows the interviewer to deal with historical material from any period the candidate is studying or knows about from more general reading. It could also be answered extremely well from contemporary or current affairs knowledge.

The aim of the question is to get the candidate to challenge some received notions about what constitutes politics, and to think about how political history might be studied away from the usual kings, parliaments etc. A good candidate would, with assistance, begin to construct categories of when violence looks more and less political.

A very good candidate would, with assistance, begin to construct a useful definition of 'political', but this is challenging. The main aim would not be to solve these problems, but to use them to find some new interest in a subject that the candidate already knows something about.

Interviewer: Stephen Tuck, Pembroke College.

Imagine we had no records about the past at all, except everything to do with sport – how much of the past could we find out about?

I would say this to a candidate who had mentioned an interest in sport on their personal statement, though it could equally be applied to an interest in something else – like film, drama, or music. What I would be looking for is to see how the candidate might use their imagination, building on something they know about (probably much more than I do) to tackle questions of historical research.

Answers could relate to the racial/class/gender relations in society (who played the sports, and which sports, at any given time); international politics/empire (which countries were involved, did groups of countries play the same sport); economic development (the technological development of sports, how sport was watched); the values within a society (bloodthirsty sports to more genteel sports); health (participation rates); or many other issues – the list is long.

I would usually ask supplementary questions, to push the students further – and often, I would have no answer in my mind, but would simply be interested in seeing how far the student could push their analysis.

Which person (or sort of person) in the past would you most like to interview, and why?

Candidates know that this is not a right/wrong type question. The question is not so much about which person the candidate wants to meet, but what sort of issues the candidate wants to find out about (which can be quite revealing) and then working out the best way to do so.

'Meeting' Elizabeth I or Winston Churchill might be exciting, but if the candidate wants to find out about, say, their leadership style, they might be better off asking questions of a courtier or member of the war cabinet. Or if they wanted to find out what we don't know about any given period, they might want to interview people who didn't leave any written records.

Sometimes we might encourage the candidate to think through whether the person they selected would be willing or able to reveal the information they sought (and we allow plenty of time for the candidate to change the issue they want to find out about, and reconsider their choice of person).

Interviewer: Sian Pooley, Magdalen College.

What can historians not find out about the past?

The aim of this question is to encourage candidates to think critically, creatively and comparatively about how historians know what happened in the past. I would use this sort of open question to allow a candidate to talk about the availability of historical evidence in whatever time period, place or theme interested them from their school-work or wider reading.

For instance, a candidate might start off by saying that they had been studying Tudor England and historians don't know much about the lives of the poor because they were less likely to be able to write. Given these lower levels of literacy, we could then talk about what sources historians can use to learn about the lives of the majority of the population in sixteenth-century England. This would require the candidate to think creatively about alternative sources (and their drawbacks), such as, for instance, criminal court records in which people who could not write were required to give oral testimony as witnesses.

Historians are always interested in explaining continuity and change over time, so I might then ask the candidate to compare what historians can know about Tudor England to another time period or place that interests them. For instance, if they had also studied the USA during the Depression, I might ask the candidate whether the gaps in historical evidence are different in interwar America.

By thinking comparatively across four-hundred years and in different continents, a candidate might be able to draw some thoughtful conclusions. They might want to think about how structures of power have altered over time or about how social norms for what can be recorded and kept in archives have changed. This is the sort of conversation that no candidate could predict in advance. The hope is that the discussion allows candidates to show their understanding of, and enthusiasm for, history, and – most importantly – their ability to think independently, flexibly, and imaginatively about the past.

Interviewer: Ben McFarlane, Faculty of Law.

What does it mean for someone to ‘take' another's car?

There is no right answer to this question. For example, can you take a car without driving it, or even without moving it? Our focus is on the candidate's reasoning – how he or she formulates an initial definition, and how he or she then applies and refines that initial definition in response to hypothetical examples provided by the interviewers.

One example might be: 'I am walking along the street when it starts to rain. I open the door of an unlocked car and sit there for 15 minutes until the rain passes. Have I ‘taken' the car?' The aim of the interview is to give the candidate a chance to show his or her application, reasoning ability, and communication skills.

Interviewer: Liora Lazarus, St Anne's College.

If the punishment for parking on double yellow lines were death, and therefore nobody did it, would that be a just and effective law?

Candidates are not meant to give a right or wrong answer to this question. They need to demonstrate that they have recognised the various issues that arise.

The candidate who distinguishes between 'just' and 'effective' does best. The issues are different once that distinction is made. A just law might not be effective, or vice versa. The issues of how proportionate the punishment is to the crime refer to the justness of the law. The answer to its effectiveness is already in the question: 'and therefore nobody did it.'

Interviewer: Imogen Goold, St Anne’s College.

Should it be illegal to run a red light in the middle of the night on an empty road?

Studying law requires that students understand what the law is, and also about what it should be, that is to think normatively. We are particularly interested in their capacity to justify their views and interpretations. This involves being able to analyse concepts and to critically appraise arguments and the reasoning behind a position, as well as to consider objections and to offer rebuttals to those objections.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question; we would be using the example to see how well the candidate could justify their stance. For example, a candidate might say that if no one was harmed by running the light, then it wouldn’t hurt to run it so it shouldn’t be illegal. This would be suggesting that the law is based on preventing harm. We might then explore whether this is the only purpose or the dominant purpose of the law, and how that might shape how legal rules need to be constructed, whether there are any circumstances in which exceptions might be valid and how effective exceptions could be created.

Here, we would be looking to see how well they can see the problems with their approach and the difficulties inherent in drafting a rule that works in every situation without being too broad. This line of discussion would draw out their capacity to respond to challenges to their position, their ability to amend their initial answer when it no longer seems sustainable, and their ability to think precisely.

Another candidate might suggest that even if no one is harmed, it is important that laws are respected and we could examine why this is the case. For example, if running lights was only illegal when it was dangerous, this would leave it to each person’s assessment of ‘dangerous’, so we could never be sure when someone would run a light, leading to chaotic traffic.

This question also picks up on ideas about what it means for something to be illegal and citizen’s relationship with the law, whether it can ever be justified to break the law and what might be a sufficient justification. This could lead into more philosophical discussions of what it means for a law to be binding and how legal rules might differ from moral rules or guidelines.

A candidate might begin to consider whether there is something special about legal rules – are they different from other kinds of rules, such as those of a game, moral rules, social rules, club rules and so on. We could use this as a way into exploring with them whether the fact that something is illegal is itself a reason not to do something, over and above, perhaps, the harm the rule is aiming to prevent.

Candidates might then think about how law makes other people’s behaviour more predictable so that we can plan our own actions, or how the law might serve functions like punishing wrongdoing. An example might be that because the law makes murder illegal and those who kill are punished, I can expect that I can leave my house and generally not expect to be killed, so this allows me to decide it’s safe to go outside.

Concocting evidence

'You are the sheriff of a small town on the American frontier 150 years ago. A young woman from a prominent white family in your town has been killed. She was white, and a rumour is spreading that the killer was a young black man, even though no evidence of this has been brought forward. There is increasing disquiet in the community. Some people are scared for their female relations, while the family and their friends are desperate to avenge her death.

You are worried that if you don’t find the killer soon, the townspeople will take matters into their own hands and mete out vigilante justice. You are particularly concerned that there will be violence amongst the townspeople, and possibly racially-motivated killings, if nothing is done. You have no idea who the real killer is.

A homeless man comes to town. He has no friends or family in the town; no-one has seen him before as far as you know. You do not suspect he committed the murder. However, you do think you would be able to concoct enough false evidence to convince a jury that he killed the young woman and sentence him to death.

Do you concoct the evidence to save the town from violence and potentially prevent the deaths of numerous people?

Would your answer be different if:

1) You discovered that the real murderer was the son of another prominent local family, and you believed it highly likely revealing the killer’s identity would lead to violence between the two families which could well result in numerous deaths?

2) You knew that the homeless man had been convicted of another murder and was on the run from a death sentence from another town?

3) You did have evidence of the homeless man’s guilt in the murder of the young woman, but you knew it would be rejected by the court on a ‘technicality’ of evidence rules? Would you concoct new evidence?'

This is a complicated question and we would take the candidate through the scenario slowly and discuss their reasoning to the first part before moving on to each variation in turn. This question delves into the role of the law in society and what is meant by justice. There are many ways to answer it.

What we would want to see is the candidate reasoning about issues like whether the sheriff should be purely utilitarian and act so as to prevent violence, or whether other considerations like justice should override this, even if it means loss of innocent life. Strong responses would include lots of explanation of their thinking about why there might be good reasons for the law to be committed to only punishing the guilty; the goals of punishment and its justifications; and why we need to promote trust in law enforcement institutions and the law.

Really great answers might think about how rules of evidence aim to promote justice, and might consider how something could be a technicality (or not). Candidates could also think about what a purely utilitarian legal system might look like and the problems it might pose, and why even if the law must be utilitarian in many ways, this needs to be tempered with other considerations.

Interviewer: Steve Roberts, St Edmund Hall.

How hot does the air have to be in a hot air balloon if I wanted to use it to lift an elephant?

When I actually used this question in interviews, no-one actually got as far as an actual 'X degrees C' answer in the ten minutes or so we allowed for it, nor did we expect them to. We use this sort of question to try to find how applicants think about problems, and how they might operate within a tutorial. We make this clear to interviewees before even giving them questions of this type.

Things we are looking for include how readily they can see into the core of a problem (what's the essential physics in this? – what concepts and equations might be useful?); how they respond to hints and suggestions from us (can they take a hint or two and run with it, or do they have to be dragged through every step?); their approach to basic concepts (how does a hot air balloon work, anyway? What else operates like one?); estimates (typical size of balloon, weight of elephant) and sorting out what's important (what about the weight of the balloon itself?); and how they use 'rough maths' to get a quick idea of the likely sort of answer, using sensible approximations in working through formulae, and keeping track of units.

Interviewer: Rebecca Cotton-Barratt, Christ Church.

Imagine a ladder leaning against a vertical wall with its feet on the ground. The middle rung of the ladder has been painted a different colour on the side, so that we can see it when we look at the ladder from the side on. What shape does that middle rung trace out as the ladder falls to the floor?

This question tests whether you can do what mathematicians do, which is to abstract away all the unimportant information and use mathematics to represent what’s going on. I’d initially ask the candidate what shape they think will be formed, and then ask them how they can test this hypothesis.

They might initially try sketching the ladder at different stages – this is fine, but ultimately what we want is something that we can generalise and that is accurate (you can’t be sure that your drawing is that accurate, particularly when you’re making a sketch on a whiteboard and don’t have a ruler). So eventually they will fall back on maths, and try to model the situation using equations.

If they get stuck we would ask them what shape the ladder makes with the wall and floor, and they’ll eventually spot that at each stage the ladder is forming a right-angled triangle. Some might then immediately leap to Pythagoras’ Theorem and use that to find the answer (which is that it forms a quarter circle centred on the point where the floor meets the wall).

This is a fun question because the answer is typically the opposite of what they expect because they think about the shape the ladder makes when it falls (which is a series of tangents to a curve centred away from the wall and the floor). A nice extension is what happens when we look at a point 1/3 or 2/3 up the ladder.

Interviewer: Richard Earl, Worcester College.

How many ways are there to cover a 2 x n rectangular grid with 2 x 1 tiles?

The question would typically be posed with the caveat – 'I don’t expect you to have the answer straight away; try working out the answer when n = 1,2,3,4 say'. So here is something to investigate. Maths interviews are usually conducted over a piece of paper, sometimes at a white board and so diagrams will get drawn and the student will find the answers are 1, 2, 3, 5 for the first four cases. Some systematic care may be needed to explain why the fourth answer is 5 and why no sixth solution has been missed.

A relatively comfortable few minutes has been spent on this, but it’s also important that the student and I aren’t talking at cross-purposes. At this point I usually tell the student the next two answers at 8 and 13 – any thoughts on the emerging pattern? The answer is the Fibonacci sequence – where a term of the sequence is the sum of the previous two eg 8 = 5 + 3, though it’s not important if the student hasn’t met this before or has forgotten the name. The next stage of the interview is about understanding why that pattern should be appearing here.

When done with this bit of the interview hopefully the student has taken on board a few new ideas. So the question moves on to: 3 x n rectangular grids and 3 x 1 tiles, to 3 x n rectangular grids and 2 x 1 tiles. Hints will continue to be needed, but also there will be plenty of chance to see just how much the student has taken on board from earlier and how well s/he can adapt what’s been learned.

One of the reasons I found this a good question in the past was that its knowledge content is low, no more than GCSE. But its internal complexity is sufficiently difficult to test the brightest students, especially in the final part, whilst also allowing students repeated chances to show what they were learning and share their thinking.

Interviewer: Andrew King, Exeter College.

Put these countries in order by their crude mortality (deaths per thousand of the population): Bangladesh, Japan, South Africa, the UK.

Interviews for Medicine aim to gauge candidates' understanding of the science underpinning the study of medicine, as well as skills in scientific enquiry. This question invites candidates to think about a public health question and epidemiology that can be approached in many different ways, without necessarily knowing anything about specific mortality rates around the world.

We would expect the initial discussion to probe the differing causes of death that contribute to mortality rates – such as those 'Western diseases' heart disease and cancer – and how they compare to those found in developing countries (high infant mortality, infectious diseases, poor nutrition, high rates of HIV etc.). The majority of candidates will expect Bangladesh or South Africa to have the highest crude mortality rate, and will be surprised to find that it is in fact Japan.

The other part of the mortality rate calculation is of course the age of the population: we would ideally steer the conversation towards a discussion of why a wealthy but older country like Japan might have a higher mortality rate, while a country like Bangladesh – which many people might initially expect to have a high mortality rate due to relative poverty as a country – actually has a relatively lower mortality rate because of its young population.

Similarly, Britain actually has the second-highest mortality rate because of the age structure of its population: we are a relatively old country and a majority of deaths occur in older people. We wouldn't expect students to get the right answer on their own, and in fact that's not the point: the point is to see how they apply their understanding of social and cultural factors in health and illness to a problem of epidemiology.

Some students might already have a detailed knowledge of demography, others might need to be given more relevant information – the point isn't what they know, it's what questions they ask to make their conclusions, and how they interpret information to draw those conclusions. We might then go on to discuss how you could make a valid comparison between mortality rates in different countries.

Interviewer: Chris Norbury, The Queen’s College.

The viruses that infect us are totally dependent on human cells for their reproduction; is it therefore surprising that viruses cause human diseases?

Like most good interview questions, this could be a starting point for any number of interesting conversations. Most candidates will have a reasonable understanding that viruses are essentially parasitic genetic entities, but the interviewers are not really looking for factual knowledge.

In a tutorial-style discussion, strong candidates will engage with the paradox that viruses need us for their own reproduction, and yet cause us damage. They might point out that some of our responses to viral infection (such as sneezing) favour the spread of the virus. The interviewer might steer the discussion towards viral infections associated with high mortality, and the idea that any virus that killed off its host entirely would run the risk of extinction – unless it could infect other host species too. Candidates may have come across examples of viruses that jump from non-human animals to human hosts in this way.

We might then ask if the candidate considers it possible that there are viruses that infect humans and reproduce successfully, but do not cause any disease. How might we go about finding and characterising such viruses? These questions probe selection criteria including problem-solving, critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, communication skills, ability to listen and compatibility with the tutorial format.

Interviewer: Helen Swift, St Hilda's College.

What makes a novel or play ‘political’?

This is the sort of question that could emerge from a student’s personal statement, where, in speaking about their engagement with literature and culture of the language they want to study, they state a keen interest in works (of whatever type they mention, such as a novel, play or film) that are ‘political’.

We might start off by discussing the specific work that they cite (something that isn’t included in their A-level syllabus), so they have chance to start off on something concrete and familiar, asking, for instance, ‘in what ways?’, ‘why?’, ‘why might someone not enjoy it for the same reason?’.

We’d then look to test the extent of their intellectual curiosity and capacities for critical engagement by broadening the questioning out to be more conceptually orientated and invite them to make comparisons between things that they’ve read/seen (in whatever language).

So, in posing the overall question ‘what makes this political?’ we’d want the candidate to start thinking about what one means in applying the label: what aspects of a work does it evoke? Is it a judgment about content or style? Could it be seen in and of itself a value judgment? How useful is it as a label? What if we said that all art is, in fact, political? What about cases where an author denies that their work is political, but critics assert that it is – is it purely a question of subjective interpretation? And so on.

The interviewers would provide prompt questions to help guide the discussion. A strong candidate would show ready willingness and very good ability to engage and develop their ideas in conversation.

It would be perfectly fine for someone to change their mind in the course of the discussion or come up with a thought that contradicted something they’d said before – we want people to think flexibly and be willing to consider different perspectives; ideally, they would recognise themselves that they were changing their viewpoint, and such awareness could indicate aptitude for sustained, careful reflection rather than a ‘scattergun’ effect of lots of different points that aren’t developed or considered in a probing way.

Undoubtedly, the candidate would need to take a moment to think in the middle of all that – we expect that ‘ermmm’, ‘ah’, ‘oh’, ‘well’, etc. will feature in someone’s responses!

Should poetry be difficult to understand?

This question arose out of discussion of a few poems that a candidate said he had read, and we were talking through how these poems were conveying meaning (through things such as tone and the imagery they used). We wanted to push the candidate into more conceptual thinking to test his intellectual curiosity and how he would handle moving from familiar particulars (the poems he knew) to less familiar ways of approaching them.

What's important for candidates to realise is that we don't expect a single correct answer to such a question; it's a starting point for a new direction of discussion: what sorts of 'difficulties' might we have in mind? Are these specific to poetry or do they also feature in other types of writing? And so on.

What most interests us is that candidates are willing to venture down a new path, however uncertain this may feel: to have a go and show that they have the potential to develop their thinking further – and thus thrive on the sort of course we offer. Literature forms an important part of a Modern Languages degree at Oxford, but we know that most candidates won't have studied literature formally before in the language for which they're applying.

What we want to know isn't that they've read a certain number of texts to prove their interest, but that they have the aptitude for studying texts: that they're able to think carefully and imaginatively about whatever they've had chance to read (poems, prose, drama) that's interested them, in any language.

What is language?

Although I would never launch this question at a candidate on its own, it might grow out of a discussion. Students sometimes say they like studying Spanish, for example, because they 'love the language'. In order to get a student thinking critically and analytically, the question would get them to consider what constitutes the language they enjoy – is it defined by particular features or by function (what it does)? How does form relate to meaning? And so on.

What makes a short story different from a novel?

To further their subject interest and to discover whether the Oxford Modern Languages course is a good fit for them, candidates are encouraged to try reading some literary texts in the foreign language. We know that most won't have studied literature formally before in the language for which they're applying, so this will be reading that they've undertaken independently.

In that respect, short stories, such as those by Guy de Maupassant, are a good and a popular place to start: they're engaging, memorable and can feel quite approachable. So if a candidate mentions s/he has read a few short stories, we might begin by asking them which they found the most engaging (or, for instance, the most challenging) and why.

After developing this discussion for a short while, we might then push outwards from particular narratives to broader, conceptual issues, such as 'what is a short story?' or, differently posed, 'what makes a short story different from a novel?'

This isn't a question on which we'd necessarily have expected the candidate to have reflected already; it would be the beginning of a conversation, which would start by breaking down the question itself and building up an answer gradually: what might we want to think about in making such a comparison? What elements of plot design or structure or character presentation might differ? Are there, in fact, salient differences? Is it a valid opposition to make?

We'd be looking for a willingness to try out new ways of thinking and an aptitude for thinking carefully and imaginatively through a perhaps initially unfamiliar issue. That we'd been speaking about one or two particular stories before posing this 'bigger picture' question would mean that the candidate would have ready to hand material to illustrate her/his responses.

In asking such a question, I as interviewer don't have in my mind a fixed answer or set of expected points as the candidate starts to respond; the follow-up on any question depends on how s/he sets about thinking her/his way through it.

Interviewer: Stephen Goddard, St Catherine's College.

In a world where English is a global language, why learn French?

I might use this question early in an interview in order to set the candidate thinking, and to elicit some idea of their motivation before moving on to more specific questions. Given the nature of the Modern Languages course, I would be interested in responses about the French language as a 'window' into French culture/literature/history, knowledge of which is valuable in itself/essential to understanding today's world, etc.; but would also be happy to see candidates investigate some of the assumptions underlying the question: Is English a global language? What about Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, etc.? Can we not in fact still consider French a global language? And so on.

Interviewer: Jane Hiddleston, Exeter College.

What do we lose if we only read a foreign work of literature in translation?

This is a good question as it helps us to see how candidates think about both languages and literature. They might be able to tell us about the challenges of translation, about what sorts of things resist literal or straightforward translation from one language to another, and this would give us an indication of how aware they are of how languages work.

They might also tell us about literary language, and why literary texts in particular use language in ways that make translation problematic. This might lead to a discussion of what is distinct about literary works, and this helps us to see what kind of reader they are more broadly.

We don't do this with the expectation that they have already read any particular works, however, but in order to get a sense of why they think it is worth studying literatures in foreign languages. This is an important issue, given that Modern Languages students at Oxford read a lot of literature in the language as part of their course. Occasionally candidates are able to give examples of famous lines or quotations that risk being misread when translated into English. This issue might also be something we discuss when we read an extract or poem in the language together during the interview.

Interviewer: Dan Grimley, Merton College.

If you could invent a new musical instrument, what kind of sound would it make?

This question is really very open-ended, and I'm interested in answers which demonstrate a critical imagination at work--what kinds of sounds do instruments/voices make now, and how might these be imaginatively extended/developed? Are there new ways of producing sound (digital media) which have transformed the way we listen or understand sound? Is the idea of an 'instrument' somehow outdated these days, and can we imagine more symbiotic/hybrid ways of generating/experiencing musical sound? It's by no means limited to classical music – I'd welcome answers which deal with musical styles and tastes of all kinds (and which are produced/consumed in all places).

Interviewer: Laura Tunbridge, St Catherine’s College.

What are the different ways in which you listen to music? How does that change the way in which you think about what you're listening to?

Music interviews often have several parts: there may be questions about your interests or on broad topics, and many colleges will give a reading and/or a short piece of music to look at beforehand, which you will be asked questions about. Some colleagues play music in the interview and, similarly, ask what your thoughts are about it. The point of all this isn't to find out what you don't know but to get a sense of how you read a text or understand a piece of music, and how you think through issues or material.

We are very much aware that the types of music people play and care about are varied and the course itself covers a wide range, from global hip hop to Mozart, medieval song to sound art. It's not a question, then, of liking the right stuff but of finding out how curious you are, and how well you can apply what you already know to something new.

Standalone questions like this one, are more unusual, but suggest the kinds of topics that might be used to prompt discussion. The question allows students to use their own musical experiences as a starting point for a broader and more abstract discussion about the different ways people consume music, the relationship between music and technology, and how music can define us socially.

There might be follow-up questions about whether students think a particular way of listening has more worth the others, for example. It could also prompt other discussions; for example, we tend in Western Europe to be silent in concert halls: why might that be and what is the effect? Does it encourage a certain kind of attentiveness and respect? Might it put some people off? What would be the effect of, say, clapping between movements of a symphony to your understanding of how the music works?

I might also expect to discuss whether particular types of music suit being listened to in particular ways; whether listening on headphones changes the way you experience what's going around you; and what makes some soundtracks better than others.

We are interested in probing their understanding of music and its contexts, so thinking about how you share music with others and how the environment in which you listen to music affects the way you experience it. If you hear the same tracks live, at a festival or concert, what factors change how you hear and think about the music? The study of music is about more than just examining composed works, and a question like this gets at that aspect of the course.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Interviewer: Cecile Fabre, Lincoln College (now of All Souls).

'I agree that air transport contributes to harmful climate change. But whether or not I make a given plane journey, the plane will fly anyway. So there is no moral reason for me not to travel by plane.' Is this a convincing argument?

The interview is not meant to test candidates' knowledge of Philosophy, since more often than not, they have not studied this subject before. Moreover, we are not trying to get them to guess or arrive at 'the right answer'. Rather, the interview is about candidates' ability to think critically, to deal with counter-examples to the views they put forward, and to draw distinctions between important concepts.

This answer raises the difficult question of individuals' responsibility, as individuals, for harmful collective actions. Some candidates might be inclined to dispute the premise that air transport contributes to climate change: that’s fine, but we would then ask them to accept that premise for the sake of argument. Whether they are able to do that is in itself an important test, since much of philosophical thinking proceeds in this way.

Some candidates might say that the argument is a good one: given that what I do makes no difference, I have no moral reason not to do it. At this point, I would want to know what they consider a moral reason to be (as distinct from or similar to, for example, a practical or prudential reason).

I would also push them to think about other cases: for example, the bombing of Dresden (one jet fighter less makes no difference to the collective outcome – so why not go and fight); or voting (why should I vote in a general election, given that my vote makes no difference)? Are the cases the same? Are they different? If so, are the differences or similarities relevant?

That is to say, do those differences and similarities help us think about the original case? Do they help us to work out a view about individual responsibility in those cases? For example, in the Dresden case, the individual jet fighters act together as part of an organisation – the air force – whose aim is to bomb Dresden. But we cannot say of companies such as British Airways that they aim to cause climate change. And the air passengers cannot really be described as acting together. Does this make a difference?

Suppose that you could plug yourself into a machine for the rest of your life, which would give you all the experiences you find enjoyable and valuable. Once in the machine, you would not know that you are plugged in, and that these experiences are not real. Would you go into the machine? If so, why? If not, why not?

The interview is not meant to test candidates’ knowledge of Philosophy, since more often than not, they have not studied this subject before. Moreover, we are not trying to get them to guess or arrive at ‘the right answer’. Rather, the interview is about candidates’ ability to think critically, to deal with counter-examples to the views they put forward, and to draw distinctions between important concepts. Thought-experiments are an important part of doing Philosophy.

The experience machine is a thought experiment (it’s also at the heart of the movie The Matrix, of course.) It invites candidates to think about what makes a life worth living. Some candidates might be tempted to go into the machine, on the grounds that a good life is a pleasurable life. If so, we would invite them to consider the case of the addict with unlimited supplies of pleasures-inducing drugs. We would also invite them to consider the distinction between ‘experiencing’ and ‘doing/acting’: could actually carrying out those pleasurable activities be a better measure of a good life than merely experiencing those pleasures?

Other candidates might say, on the contrary, that they would not go into the machine, precisely on the grounds that a good life is not merely one in which we experience pleasure. Depending on how they construct their argument, we would try and see what they make of the distinction between what is pleasurable and what is valuable (some experiences might be valuable precisely in so far as they are not enjoyable.) In all cases we want them to reflect on whether a good life, for me, is simply what I say it is, or whether a good life must be objectively good.

Interviewer: Tim Mawson, St Peter's College

Are our deaths bad for us?

I quite like this question because whichever way one answers it, new questions open up. One can distinguish between the process of dying and the state of being dead. The first seems non-problematically something that might well be bad for us (involving suffering), but the second is harder to assess – not least because one can have differing understandings of what the state of being dead is: is it permanent annihilation? Is it somehow waiting unconscious for a resurrection? Is to die simply to be transported instantaneously to some new realm? Or is it something else again? And can one know which? Whichever way the discussion goes, interesting topics branch off. These can include the nature of the self and personal identity; the rationality (or otherwise) of religious beliefs.

There are also different understandings of what ‘badness’ is or would be – are all bad things that happen to us things which affect our consciousness, in which case how could annihilation (if that’s what being dead is) be bad for us? And wider discussions of the nature of value might open up from there. Is there a world of value in some sense ‘out there’, waiting to be discovered, independent of what we might happen to think or feel about it? Or is value more ‘in here’, waiting to be created, depending on our own individual (or societal?) thoughts and feelings?

Students might also have different understandings of the ‘us’ in the original question: perhaps it’s good for us as a species that individuals die off; perhaps it’s bad for each of us as individuals that we die off. Perhaps there isn’t an answer that applies across the board to all of us considered as individuals – some individuals' deaths are bad for them; some aren't. Questions in practical ethics come up here – to do with euthanasia and the like.

Most people have instinctive reactions to these types of questions, answers that feel right to them without argument. In Philosophy, we are less interested in what that answer or series of answers might be, but how the person developing their thinking justifies it with argument or adapts it in the light of counterargument; how they respond to new considerations – new conceptual distinctions, new evidence, and so on; how (or if) they spot inconsistencies or growing implausibility as their series of answers and ideas develop, or bonds of mutual support between their answers and ideas.

Why is income per head between 50 and 100 times larger in the United States than in countries such as Burundi and Malawi?

The question is focused on perhaps the most important economic question there is: why are some countries rich and some countries poor? As with most economics questions, there is no simple or unique answer.

Candidates need to think about all the potential reasons why such income gaps exist. A good starting point is to think about whether the amount of capital and technology available to workers in different countries is the same and if not, why not?

US workers are much more productive because they have access to the best technology - the US is at the technological frontier. But why do poor countries not just buy the same technology and be as productive? Possibly, the education levels are too low to allow for the use of such technology or perhaps there are insufficient savings to purchase the technology or the infrastructure might not exist.

Good candidates should recognise that institutions matter a lot - respect for property rights and the rule of law appear to be pre-requisites for sustainable development. Other factors might include trade restrictions by the rich world on poor countries exports, civil wars, disease (eg AIDS, malaria) etc. The trick is to think widely and not try and fit the answer to some lesson that has been learnt in school.

Interviewer: Dave Leal, Brasenose College.

When I was at school in the 1970s, there was talk of a pensions crisis that would one day hit. The talk persisted in the 1980s, and the 1990s – and then there was a pensions crisis, and little had been done politically to prepare us for it. Is there a fault with the British political system that means we can't sensibly address serious medium and long-term problems when they are identified?

This question was an invitation to think about democracy and its limitations – it's a big question, but an important one. I have had candidates come up with good discussions about voting methods – for example, how having proportions of parliament voted in for much longer terms might promote more long-term policy thinking.

Another approach might be to reflect on the responsibility of the electorate; if they do not think in long-term ways, it may not be politicians who are to blame, and the problem may be down to education. One might reflect upon the importance of having an unelected second chamber to which all really important business could be delegated. One candidate suggested that no one should be allowed to stand for parliament unless they have dependent children, with the thought that this would ensure a personal motivation towards longer term thinking on a variety of matters.

There is no single 'right answer' to the question; most answers given serve as the basis for further elaboration. For example, in the case of longer parliamentary terms: What would be the wider consequences of that change? Would they be desirable? We are testing the capacity to begin to locate the source of a problem, and try out solutions through discussion. The precise solution students suggest matters much less than evidence of the refining of ideas and of self-correction where necessary.

I'm having trouble with the meaning of three words: Lie, Deceive, Mislead. They seem to mean something a bit similar, but not exactly the same. Help me to sort them out from each other.

When I used this question, candidates adopted a number of strategies. One was to provide definitions of each of them - which turned out to be less easy than one might think without using the other words in the definition. Or they could be contrasted in pairs, or, like a good dictionary, examples might be given of sentences where they are used.

No particular strategy was 'correct', and a variety of interesting discussions developed. A few candidates were inclined to think that it might be possible to lie without intending to; most reckoned that one could unintentionally mislead. A fertile line of discussion centred on misleading someone by telling them the truth. When Lucy tries to console Mr Tumnus, the faun, in Narnia, she tells him that he is 'the nicest faun I've ever met'. Which does sound comforting. She's only ever met one faun, though - him - so he's also the nastiest faun she's ever met. If he had felt comforted by her remark, would he have been deceived? And, in saying something true, had she deceived him, or had he deceived himself?

Questions of this sort help us to test a candidate's capacity to draw nuanced distinctions between concepts, and to revise and challenge their own first moves in the light of different sentences containing the key words.

Discussion may well lead into areas which could crop up during a degree in philosophy, including questions in ethics, the philosophy of mind and of language. It's not, though, a test of 'philosophical knowledge', and the content of the discussion begins from words which candidates should have a good familiarity with.

Until asked this question, they would probably think that they knew their meanings pretty well. Those for whom English isn't a first language might be thought to be at a disadvantage, but they often do strikingly well at such questions, better indeed than native speakers. There may well be reasons for this, which could form the basis of a different interview question.

Interviewer: Ian Phillips, St Anne’s College.

What exactly do you think is involved in blaming someone?

Questions like this help draw out a candidate’s ability to think carefully and precisely about a familiar concept, evaluating proposals, coming up with counter-examples, disentangling considerations, and being creative in proposing alternative approaches.

Obviously the notion of blame is an important one in moral theory but insofar as blame is an emotional attitude it also brings in issues in the philosophy of mind. Debates about the nature of blame are going on right now in philosophy so the question is also partly a prompt for doing some philosophy together – which is exactly what we hope to achieve in a tutorial.

With a question like this we’re not looking for a right answer but instead whether the candidate can be creative in coming up with examples and suggestions, and can think critically and carefully through their implications. So, for example, many candidates start out by suggesting that for A to blame B, A would have to think that B had done something wrong.

Many also make the point that B needn’t actually have done anything wrong. We can use this opening suggestion to consider a simple theory of blame: blame is just thinking that someone has done something wrong. When this is put to candidates, most recognize that blame seems to involve more than this.

This shows their capacity to evaluate a proposal, and we’ll typically ask them to illustrate their verdict with a counter-example: a case where someone thinks someone has done something wrong but doesn’t blame them. Candidates will then be encouraged to offer and test-out more sophisticated proposals about the nature of blame.

Some might suggest that blame involves a more complex judgement than just that someone has done something wrong. Others instead might argue that real blame requires feelings of some kind on the part of the blamer: anger, or resentment, for example. And again we can put these proposals to the test by looking for counter-examples.

Good interviews will often generate all kinds of interesting and revealing discussions that show a candidate’s ability for analytical thought: for example about self-blame, cases of blame where the blamer knew the blamed had done nothing wrong, and indeed cases of blaming something inanimate (such as a faulty printer or phone).

Interviewer: Jeffrey Tseng, St Edmund Hall.

A ball, initially at rest, is pushed upwards by a constant force for a certain amount of time. Sketch the velocity of the ball as a function of time, from start to when it hits the ground.

Physics interview questions often start with a question like this which looks as though it could have come from the Physics Admissions Test. In this example, I've asked the student to sketch a graph, and then I’d help him or her to get through the problem. Students do make mistakes, and that’s fine as I don’t expect them to know all the material, especially as the interview progresses. It's not assumed that a less-talented student will need more help on any given problem, and for this reason it can be difficult for students to judge how well they're doing during the interview. If a student gets things correct straight away, I just move on, either to further aspects of the original question, or to others. For instance, the above line of questioning could easily result in a discussion of satellites, orbits, weightlessness or dark matter.

It's usually a guided discussion rather than a matter of getting answers right or wrong straight away. I want to see how students respond to guidance and how they correct themselves, hopefully less by guessing than by thinking through what they know and what I've told them. Or in other words, while I am looking for a correct answer in the end, I'm even more interested in rigorous thinking.

Interviewer: Kate Watkins, St Anne’s College.

A large study appears to show that older siblings consistently score higher than younger siblings on IQ tests. Why would this be?

This is a question that really asks students to think about lots of different aspects of psychology, and we guide students when discussing it to think about both scientific factors such as maternal age (mothers are older when younger siblings are born - could that play a role?) and observational analysis about how birth order might affect behaviour and therefore performance on IQ tests.

It’s a great question because students begin from the point they are most comfortable with, and we gradually add more information to see how they respond: for example, noting that for example the pattern holds true even taking into account things like maternal age. This can lead them to think about what the dynamics of being an older sibling might be that produce such an effect - they might suggest that having more undivided parental attention in the years before a sibling comes along makes a difference, for example.

Then we introduce the further proviso that the effect isn’t observable in only children - there is something particular to being an older sibling that produces it. Eventually most students arrive at the conclusion that being an older sibling and having to teach a younger sibling certain skills and types of knowledge benefits their own cognitive skills (learning things twice, in effect).

But there isn’t really a ‘right’ answer and we are always interested to hear new explanations that we haven’t heard before. What we are interested in is the kinds of reasoning students use and the questions they ask about the study - what it takes into account, what it might not – that tells us about their suitability for the course. And of course it doesn’t matter if you have a sibling or not - though depending on family dynamics, that can add an interesting twist to the conversation!

Interviewer: Nick Yeung, University College.

Imagine that 100 people each put £1 into a pot for a prize that will go to the winner of a simple game. Each person has to choose a number between 0 and 100. The prize goes to the person whose number is closest to 2/3 of the average of all of the numbers chosen. What number will you choose, and why?

I like this as a question for Experimental Psychology because answering it brings in a range of skills relevant to the subject. Partly it involves numerical and analytical skills: the question implies that the answer will be 2/3 of some other number, but which one?

Some people's first guess is 2/3 of 100, i.e., 66 or 67, in which case I'd ask them what numbers everyone else would have to pick for them to win. In this case, everyone else would have to choose 100, which is unlikely. More often people first guess 2/3 of 50 (= 33), which seems intuitively more likely.

At this point, and usually without prompting, the recursive nature of the solution becomes clear: If there is good reason for me to choose 33, then maybe everyone else will choose 33 too, in which case I should choose 2/3 of 33... but then everyone will think this and choose 2/3 of 33 too, so I should choose 2/3 of that number.. and so on.

Assuming everyone thinks like this, then everyone will eventually settle on 0 as their choice – this is the formal ‘game theory’ solution. At this point, I'd ask questions that bring out the candidate's broader reasoning skills in terms of thinking how we could define what it is rational to do in this game.

Game theory gives one definition of rationality, but does it give a plausible winning answer – that is, is it likely that everyone, all 100 of them, will go through exactly the thought process we've just described? If not, is 0 really a rational answer?

The question also has a psychological angle in thinking about reasons for people's behaviour and choices: Will everyone put in the same effort? Will everyone be motivated to win? When I've used this question in live audiences, sometimes people say they'd pick the number 100 just because it'd throw a spanner in the works for everyone playing the game rationally. How should this affect your choice of answer? What if the stakes were increased so that everyone put £1000 into the pot at the start?

What's clear from all of this is that we're not looking for a single answer. Rather, we're interested in seeing how people think through a problem, figure out what are the relevant factors, respond when new information is provided, and so on.

An experiment appears to suggest Welsh speakers are worse at remembering phone numbers than English speakers. Why?

This would never be given as a one-line question out of context – it is one of a set of questions I ask students after showing them a psychology experiment case study with data about short-term memory in English and Welsh speakers.

The key point is that numbers are spelled differently and are longer in Welsh than in English, and it turns out that memory (and arithmetic) depend on how easily pronounced the words are. I would hope the student would pick out this connection between memory and how easy to spell or pronounce a word is, and how that relates to spelling and pronunciation in Welsh versus in English.

The interview is structured so that further hints and guidance are provided if the student doesn't immediately see this problem with the design of the experiment described in the problem sheet. This basic question can then lead to interesting discussion about the role of language in other cognitive abilities, such as memory or maths. This question is meant to be deliberately provocative, in that I hope that it engages candidates' intuitions that Welsh people aren't simply less clever than English people!

What is 'normal' for humans?

We're keen to point out to potential psychology applicants that primarily psychology is the study of normal human beings and behaviour; in part this is because of a suspicion that potential undergraduates are attracted to psychology to help them study forms of human life they find strange (neuroses, psychoses, parents).

There are various ways that this question might be approached, but some approach that distinguishes the normal from the statistical average is a good start. Issues such as whether normality is to be judged by 'biological' factors that might be held to be common to humans, or whether it's normal within a particular culture or at a particular period of history, might also be worth addressing.

We are mainly looking for a line of thinking which could be developed and challenged. Once candidates show a defensible position regarding what might serve as the basis of normality, we extend the discussion to (for example) the relation between abnormality and eccentricity.

Interviewer: David Popplewell, Brasenose College.

Why do human beings have two eyes? This question may result from a more general discussion about the human senses. It can develop in a number of different directions, partly depending upon the knowledge and expertise of the interviewee.

For example, two eyes are important for three-dimensional (3D) vision. Why is it that we can still see in 3D when only looking through one eye? What determines the optimum position and distance between the two eyes? Why is it that we see a stable view of the world even though we are constantly moving our head? How can an understanding of mathematics, physics and biology help us explain 3D vision?

The discussion may develop into a consideration of the different senses and the role they play in us interacting in our environment, including interacting with other people, and the nature of perceptual experience.

Interviewer: Miles Hewstone, New College.

Should interviews be used for selection?

This question could come out of a discussion of errors and biases in human judgement – that we sometimes overlook some information, while attaching too much weight to other information; and we are often over-confident about the decisions we make.

What sources of information might be used to select, for example, Oxford students? Why? How do we know that information is valid? What does validity even mean? Once we have chosen what information we will consider, how can we combine it? And what are we trying to predict? (What is the criterion?). How would you design a research study to see how well different sources of information do, in fact, predict how well we can select Oxford students? What would your study need to measure? Would there be a control group? If so, what kind of control group? What would you need to control for?

Theology and Religion

Interviewer: Andrew Teal, Pembroke College.

Is someone who risks their own life (and those of others) in extreme sports or endurance activities a hero or a fool?

Theology and Religion doesn't require A-level Religious Studies, so we always want to find issues that enable us to see how a student is able to handle and unpick a question, relating the particular to more general concepts.

This question appeared to work well because there really isn't a single answer – it's open not least because we could state the opposite case and observe how flexible, reasoned and committed each student was.

The question is properly approached from many perspectives and opens up many topics – is there something distinctively human about going beyond boundaries? Is this impulse selfish, or does it contribute to the whole of humanity's attainment? Is the heroism of those who respond to the needs of the sportsperson more heroic still? What debts do individuals owe to society, and society owe to individuals? What is a hero, and is that category in opposition to folly?

What we found with this question is that it did manage to open what is a stressful occasion into a real discussion, and we want to offer places to gifted candidates who are willing to think out loud with us in tutorials, and in a college community, whilst they are still explorers into truths.

Interviewer: Peter Groves, Worcester College.

Is religion of value whether or not there is a God?

This is a question we would hope any candidate for Theology and Religion would enjoy answering. It raises a number of issues for them to explore. What is our definition of religion, and how fluid is that definition? What do we mean by value, and how might it be measured? Are the effects of religion in the past as important as its consequences in the present?

A candidate might also want to ask what we mean when we say ‘there is a God?’ Is affirming this statement enough, or should religious or theological enquiry be more specific – is talk of God in the abstract as helpful as discussion of particular religious ideas or texts? How would we construct a case for the value of religion in the absence of belief in God?

A good answer could engage with one or more of these problems, and we would hope in conversation develop further questions. For example, can we adjudicate competing claims in conversations such as these? Is a worldwide religion such as Christianity or Islam intrinsically more or less valuable because of its number of adherents? Do ethics or aesthetics have a part to play: can I claim religious ideas have value if they inspire great art or music or poetry? Who gets to decide what is great? Does religion affect this decision?

All these possible questions represent directions in which the conversation might go – none is particularly wrong or right, but strong candidates will see a number of different routes available for them to explore, and could choose whichever interested them most.

Other subjects

If your course isn't listed here, please refer to the questions for other courses which are most similar to yours. The questions are intended to give you an insight in to the type of questions that may be asked, rather than to give specific examples of topics that will come up. You may also like to refer to the Interviews Guide and the selection criteria for your course, which you can find on your course page .

Recorded with our tutors and current students, these subject-specific demonstration interviews will give you a good idea of what to expect from your own interview.

Each video begins with an introduction from the tutors explaining why they interview and the format or structure of the conversation. This is followed by the sample interview itself and then a tutors' commentary during which they discuss how they feel the interview went.

You might like to stop and start the videos as you watch, so you have time to think how you might have tackled the questions and of course you can rewind and watch as many times as you like. Don't worry if the students seem confident and articulate, remember they are used to tutorial teaching now and tutors will not expect you to be as familiar with this sort of academic discussion.

If you can't find a video for your subject below, then we recommend that if possible, you watch one in the same tier (visit the Technology required tab) as your own and for a similar subject. You can also explore the Additional video resources where you will find interview information for other subjects.

Archaeology and Anthropology (tier 1)

Download the Archaeology and Anthropology video transcript .

Biology (tier 1)

Download the Biology interview transcript

Biomedical Sciences (tier 1)

Download the Biomedical Sciences interview transcript

Chemistry (tier 3)

Download the Chemistry interview transcript

Computer Science (tier 3)

Download the Computer Science interview transcript

Earth Sciences (tier 3)

Download the Earth-Sciences interview transcript

Engineering (tier 3)

Download the Engineering interview transcript

English (tier 1)

Download the English interview transcript

Geography (tier 1)

Download the Geography interview transcript

History (tier 1)

Download the History interview transcript

History of Art (tier 1)

Download the History of Art interview transcript

Human Sciences (tier 1)

Download the Human Sciences interview transcript

Law (tier 1)

Download the Law interview transcript

Linguistics (tier 1)

Download the Linguistics interview transcript

Materials Science (tier 1)

Download the Materials Science interview transcript

Mathematics (tier 3)

Download the Mathematics interview transcript

Modern Languages (tier 1)

Download Modern Languages interview transcript

Physics (tier 3)

Download the Physics interview transcript

Psychology (tier 1)

Download Psychology interview transcript

Theology and Religion (tier 1)

Download the Theology and Religion interview transcript

Additional video resources

Below are additional subject-specific interview resources, some of which were filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that these are likely to assume that interviews are in-person, rather than online.

Economics (Joint Courses)

Code of conduct

If you are shortlisted, it is important that you recognise that in accepting your invitation to interview, you are agreeing to the following code of conduct:

I agree not to share in any form the content of interviews with others and including but not limited to candidates or teachers at my school/college or at any another school/college. This includes discussing the content of interviews verbally, as well as disseminating any materials shared in advance of or during interviews (e.g. documents, images, etc.)
I agree not to research online any materials shared with me as part of a pre-interview task (unless explicitly permitted to do so by the interviewers)
I agree not to use any assistive technology (including artificial intelligence) beyond that required for my subject during my interviews (unless explicitly permitted to do so, for example as a reasonable adjustment for a disability)
I agree not to record interviews (in either audio or video format), or to permit others (including but not limited to teachers, family members, etc.) to record interviews
I agree to take part in the interview myself and not to ask or allow anyone else to impersonate my identity fraudulently
I agree not to ask or allow anyone else to observe the interview.

Candidates will be at serious risk of having any offer withdrawn if they do not abide by any aspects of this code of conduct.

Frequently asked questions

Please talk to the college inviting you if you think you may have any difficulty accessing the equipment or the technology outlined below for your online interview.

For each interview, you’ll be sent a separate calendar invitation containing a link that will take you to the Microsoft Teams virtual interview lobby. You’ll then be accepted into the call and your interview will begin.

You may have more than one interview, if you do we will aim to give you a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of these additional interviews.

I haven't received my email containing the Teams link. What should I do?

First, check your junk/spam folder. The email may have been flagged as spam. If you still can't find it, contact the admissions office of the college sending you the invitation to let them know you haven't received it and they can send it to you again.

You are quite likely to have more than one interview. You might also be interviewed by more than one college. In some subjects, you will be invited to interviews at more than one college before your interviews start. In other subjects, you might have ‘initial’ interviews at your first college, and then you might be invited to an ‘additional’ interview at another college after these have taken place. We aim to give everyone a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of these additional interviews.

You can find out more by looking at the interview timetable on our website, which has the interview dates for each course.

How many people will I be interviewed by?

Normally you will be interviewed by two tutors, occasionally more. If you are applying for a joint course, with two or more subjects, you should expect to be interviewed by tutors representing each of the subjects.

Where will my interview/s take place?

Online interviews should take place where applicants feel able to perform at their best. This should be somewhere you have reliable access to the required technology and a quiet space, free from distraction. We hope that this will be either in your school or college, or your home or similar environment.

As soon as you receive your invitation to interview/s we suggest that you discuss with your school or college where you would like this/these to take place and to make arrangements accordingly. Some applicants may benefit from enhanced school or college support, including those with special requirements as a result of a disability or those who have difficulty accessing the appropriate technology or a stable internet connection. We would be very grateful if schools and colleges could support applicants in these circumstances.

If there are any adjustments you need because of a disability, make sure whoever has invited you to interview knows about these as soon as possible. Read further guidance .

How can I present myself well?

Have a look at the tips we give on the How can I prepare? tab on this page, but the main thing is to try and be yourself and remember if you have been shortlisted, you are a strong contender for a place.

Can I talk about my interviews afterwards or share their content?

No. If you are shortlisted, it is important that you recognise that in accepting your invitation to interview, you are agreeing to the following code of conduct:

I agree not to record interviews (in either audio or video format), or to permit others (including but not limited to teachers, family members, etc.) to record interviews.
I agree to take part in the interview myself and not to ask or allow anyone else to impersonate my identity fraudulently.

How should I prepare for the interview?

All the information on the tabs of this webpage will tell you what you need to know.

Will I need to read anything beforehand (also known as pre-interview reading)?

You might be asked to read a passage or an article before your interview, which will be sent to you by email. If so, then you should make sure you will have a quiet space to read it on your own before your interview, just like if you were taking an exam. You must not research online any materials shared with you as part of a pre-interview task unless explicitly permitted to do so by the interviewers. Your college will explain this to you beforehand.

What software do I need? Do I need additional devices?

Everyone will need a computer with a microphone, speakers, and webcam. All interviews will be using Microsoft Teams for video conferencing. You don’t need to have a Microsoft account for this, but you will need to use a computer that either has Teams installed or can access Teams on the internet.

If you have any problems getting hold of technology, talk to your school and if you still aren’t able to access it, then contact the college you are being interviews by.

Whether you need additional software or devices will depend on the course you are applying for. Each subject has been placed into a tier, from 1 to 3. Each tier will use technology differently. Please refer to the Technology page to see which tier your subject is in.

I have applied for a tier 1 subject, what can I expect?

You will need a computer with a microphone, speakers, and webcam. In terms of software, you will just need Microsoft Teams. During the interview, your interviewers might share their screens to show you a document, or hold something up to the camera, but otherwise it is just a conversation.

I have applied for a tier 2 subject, what can I expect?

In addition to running Microsoft Teams on a computer or similar, you will need a Miro virtual whiteboard. For tier 2 subjects you should access Miro on the same device you’re accessing Microsoft Teams. The virtual whiteboard is accessible via the Miro website or app at www.miro.com . We recommend that you create a Miro account prior to your interview to practise using a virtual white board – this is free to do.

You’ll be sent a link to a specific Miro whiteboard for your interview, and during the interview, your interviewers might show you a document by sharing their screen or pasting it into the Miro whiteboard, or by holding something up to the camera.

Your interviewers might also use the Miro whiteboard themselves to write out mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or to add text. You may be asked to add basic markings using the ‘draw’ tool to highlight, point to, or annotate an existing image or text, or to add text using the ‘text’ tool. You won’t be asked to write out complex mathematical notation. However, you might also be asked to show any rough working of your own using your own webcam.

You will need to switch between your interview Teams call and the Miro whiteboard, meaning that you might not be able to see the interviewers whilst using the whiteboard. If you are joining the call in browser you can just switch between the two tabs. If you are joining the call in the Microsoft Teams client and aren’t able to see both windows at once then you will need to minimise the Teams app to use the whiteboard.

We have created further guidance for tier 2 subjects on our webpage.

I have applied for a tier 3 subject, what can I expect?

For tier 3 subjects you will need to run Microsoft Teams on a computer or similar but in addition you will need a touchscreen device on which to use a virtual Miro whiteboard and a stylus you can write with on this. The whiteboard is accessible via the Miro website or app at www.miro.com . We recommend that you create a Miro account prior to your interview to practise using a white board – this is free to do. Your touchscreen device should have a screen that’s at least 8 inches, so a mobile phone won’t be big enough.

During the interview, your interviewers might show you a document by sharing their screen or pasting it into the Miro whiteboard, or by holding something up to the camera. You might be asked to show any rough working on your own camera. Interviewers might also use the Miro whiteboard to write out mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or to add text.

You might also be asked to use Miro and your touchscreen device and stylus to:

We have created further guidance for tier 3 subjects on our webpage.

How do I register with Miro?

To create an account and practise using a virtual whiteboard, go to www.miro.com . When you create an account, you will need to give your email address and create a password. This triggers a 6-digit access code which is sent to your email address.

You will be asked during registration to give your company name and role but here you can instead just enter your full name and when asked for your role, click on the option "Not company-related". You can find further guidance on creating a Miro account on our webpage.

SEE OUR STEP BY STEP

Guide for all applicants.

UCAS application
Admissions tests
Written work

InsideUni - If you would like to read more about students' experiences of interviews, you might like to visit this student-run website. Please note that InsideUni is not verified by or affiliated to Oxford University and we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of its information.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Try our extensive database of FAQs or submit your own question...

FAQs- Application process

Follow us on social media

Follow us on social media to get the most up-to-date application information throughout the year, and to hear from our students.

Telephone Tel: +44 (0) 20 7499 2394
Email Email: [email protected]

Strategic Guidance

Private Oxbridge Consultation
International Oxbridge Consultation
Postgraduate Applications Guidance
Book a Complimentary Call

Comprehensive Support

The Premier Service
Oxford and Cambridge Interview Preparation Weekend

Targeted Support

Oxbridge Personal Statement Support
Oxbridge Admissions Test Support
Oxbridge Interview Preparation Support

Application Guidance

‘Aspiring to Oxbridge’ School Talk
Teacher Training Workshop
Individual Guidance Consultations

Personal Statement Support

Personal Statement Group Workshop
Personal Statement Consultations

Admissions Test Preparation

Admissions Test Day
Admissions Test Course

Interview Preparation

Interview Preparation Day
Interview Preparation Course

Free Library

Oxbridge Interview Resources
Admissions Tests Resources
Student Library
Teacher Library
Keeping You Current
Webinar Library

Our Publications

Course reports, oxbridge applications.

Become A Tutor
Our Offices
Dukes Education

News & Press

Widening Access
Publications
Sign In Register
Sign In Register

Personal Statement Guidebook: Examples and Advice for Top University Entry

Unlock your path to university success with our “Personal Statement Guidebook: Examples and Advice for Top University Entry.” This comprehensive guide offers expert advice, detailed sections, and real examples to help you craft a compelling personal statement that stands out to top universities.

Learn the dos and don’ts of personal statement writing, explore step-by-step guidance, and gain insights from admissions professionals. Whether you’re aiming for medical and life sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, social sciences, languages and literature, humanities, or the arts, our guidebook has you covered. Download your free copy now and start your journey to academic excellence.

Download your copy here.

Example Medicine Personal Statements

In this resource you will find Medicine personal statement examples, annotated to guide you on good and bad practice. Alongside our Medicine personal statement examples, we have put together a guide on how to write a personal statement for medical school. A Medicine personal statement should reflect your intellectual curiosity about the field. In writing a personal statement for medical school, you should try to present yourself as individual and not a series of achievements and grades.

The handy guide below accompanies our Medicine personal statement examples to help you with all the key areas you should cover to make a strong application to study Medicine. For any university course you apply to, the Personal Statement allows you to demonstrate your academic capabilities and convey your interest in the subject, as well as showing why you are a suitable applicant. For Medicine, however, a fantastic Personal Statement is essential due to the extremely high competition for places.

In this chapter, we explain the purpose of the Personal Statement and how it can influence your application. We also provide a guide to planning, writing and proofing which will help you to begin the process of putting together an excellent statement.

When you begin writing your Medicine personal statement, you should consider the following questions…

How important is the personal statement?

A strong application for Medicine to any UK university requires you to excel at every stage of the process – including your personal statement. Although a strong personal statement is not enough to secure a place on its own, it can go a long way towards a successful application, and is definitely necessary for success. The statement can help you at interview, as it discloses your intellectual and medical interests to Admissions Tutors, which in some cases will form part of the interview discussion in both traditional and MMI interviews.

How is the statement used at interview?

You should view everything you say in your personal statement as a potential springboard for discussion at interview.

You may be asked to elaborate on something you have written about, be it a book, work experience, particular areas of academic interest, or an extended project. With many universities using the MMI format, it is not uncommon for a whole station (i.e. a section of the assessment) to be based on your personal statement.

A previous candidate for Medicine at Oxbridge stated:

“We discussed action potentials, haemoglobin, cardiac output, respiratory systems, hormones, the liver, mental health… nothing was asked out of the blue – it all led from what I had said in my personal statement, or stemmed from a graph.”

Even if you are not overtly asked about your personal statement at interview, the preparation that goes into researching and writing it will give you the knowledge and confidence to talk about and explore new ideas within your subject, which will only help to make your application stronger.

How can I write a statement when applying for different subjects?

You can only submit one personal statement through UCAS, so it will be read by Admissions Tutors at all the universities you apply to. Applicants for Medicine can apply for a maximum of four Medicine courses, but also have the option of applying for a fifth non-Medicine course.

The personal statement needs to show your dedication and commitment to Medicine, but at the same time you can also ensure it has some relevance to your fifth-choice course. For example, if you choose to apply for Pharmacy as your fifth choice, you can include a sentence on drugs and medicine.

Should I include extra-curricular activities in my personal statement?

It is important to consider how much content you include not relating directly to the medical course you are applying for. Oxford and Cambridge, for instance, are not particularly interested in whether you are a gifted athlete or play instruments to Grade 8 standard. They do, of course, recognise the scale of such accomplishments, and they can indicate characteristics that will boost academic success. Ultimately, however, the Admissions Tutors reading your statement care about one thing: how much potential do you have as a medical student? Other universities are often more interested in students as ‘well-rounded’ people, where your extracurricular activities are of value. As such, it is a good idea to include these, but make sure to state how these extracurricular activities will help you to become an excellent medical student and doctor.

If you are applying to Oxbridge, you must strongly weight your statement towards subject-specific content.

Can I submit more than one personal statement?

While you can only submit one personal statement through UCAS and the universities you apply to, there is one exception. Applicants to Durham have the option of submitting a ‘substitute personal statement’, which allows you to submit a separate personal statement to Durham directly following your UCAS application.

If you choose to do so, the Admissions Tutors at Durham will then disregard your UCAS personal statement and only read the submitted substitute statement. This substitute has exactly the same requirements as the normal statement (i.e. 4000 characters) and must be submitted within three days of receiving Durham’s email acknowledging their receipt of your application.

What is the SAQ?

For Cambridge applicants, the Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) provides you with the opportunity to elaborate on your motivation for applying to your chosen course, as well as further information about your grades. One part of the SAQ, for example, requires you to submit your individual module marks in AS and/or A-levels.

As part of the SAQ, you have the opportunity to write an additional statement, which Admissions Tutors consider in addition to your UCAS personal statement. This is your chance to mention anything you have not been able to include in your UCAS personal statement, including further reading or more detail on your extended essay or EPQ. The SAQ must be completed by all UK and EU applicants by the deadline of 22nd October (one week after the 15th October UCAS deadline). You will receive an email with the details you need to complete the SAQ form once you have submitted your UCAS form. If you are submitting a COPA you will not need to fill in the entirety of the SAQ, but will need to complete your UCAS ID number and COPA Reference Number to submit.

Making an application to Oxford or Cambridge can seem like a complex process. Unlike most other UK universities, applying to Oxbridge requires your knowledge of different deadlines and requirements: college choice decisions, factoring in admissions test deadlines, even applying to UCAS by a different date than everyone else.

In addition to these significant differences, applicants to Oxford or Cambridge also have to consider Oxbridge bursary deadlines and choral and organ scholarship deadlines if relevant.

To simplify this process, we have put together all the key Oxbridge application dates and deadlines for 2022-2023 applicants in this calendar. Use it to see when significant deadlines for the application process occur and help you to plan your Oxbridge preparation.

Once students have understood the important dates, they will need to plan out their preparation across the application cycle. For a full, tailored plan of action for preparation, as well as all of the research and information students need to make sure they are putting forward an application that represents their full potential, students can book an appointment with one of our Senior Consultants for a Private Consultation.

The summer between Year 12 and 13 is key for preparing for all areas of the Oxbridge application – but it can be difficult to know where to begin! To help, we have broken the summer up into three sections – Early, Mid and Late - to help you structure your preparation and ensure that make real progress between June and August.

Early Summer: End of June – mid July

Reading: There are plenty of reading lists online – both on our website, and on college or department websites, for example. For those applying to subjects where reading is key, pick one or two key, canonical books you will read early in summer to give you a grounding in the subject.

Admissions Tests: Early Summer is the time to research the admissions test you will be sitting and make sure that you are aware of its requirements. You can therefore come up with a list of topics and/or skills that you need to work on throughout the rest of the break.

Personal Statement: Now is the time to make a list of everything you have read and participated in outside of class that is relevant to your subject. This will be a great starting point for your personal statement, but also highlight what further actions you need to take.

Mid-Summer: Mid-July – Mid-August

Reading: The books you read in early summer should be the building blocks for your reading, inspiring an interest in one or two areas that you continue exploring. Feel free to choose more niche and specialised books at this point.

Admissions Tests: At the beginning of this time-period, sit one mock admissions test under timed conditions, and then reflect. Where are your strengths? What do you need to work on? Make a list of areas you need to improve, then start working on them.

Personal Statement: Start working on the points you identified as lacking in early summer. This might involve work experience, visiting exhibitions, signing up to a Maths challenge, or watching TED talks.

End of Summer: Mid-August – early September

Reading: You should now be reading something beyond that which you will include in your personal statement, so that you have more content to discuss at interview. You should become comfortable talking about your reading with others – find a friend and chat about what you’ve been interested in!

Admissions Tests: Finish off polishing any areas of improvement you identified in your first mock test, and then sit another. Again, make sure you stick to the conditions you will have in the actual test! Reflect on this test: have you improved and are there further areas to work on when you return to school or college?

Personal Statement: Having spent apt time preparing, now is the time to write your first draft. Having a solid draft now will give you some time in September for re-writes.

The Oxbridge selection process can seem mysterious and confusing to many students. What are Admissions Tutors actually looking for? How will they assess me and which elements of my application will they pay the most attention to? These are some of the questions you may have as an applicant. The answers can vary greatly depending on which subject you are applying for as well as the university, since different faculties are largely free to make their own rules. So, for example, the History faculty may have very different criteria for which applicants should be invited to interview than the Law faculty. In this resource, we’ll demystify the application and give you a clear guide to what you should be focusing on.

Admissions tests .

For many (though not all) subjects at both Oxford and Cambridge, you will have to take an admissions test as part of your application, and your score will contribute to your chances of success.

In general, Oxford interviews fewer people than Cambridge , so the admissions tests are more important in shortlisting candidates to invite to interview. On the other hand, Cambridge, maintaining its high interview rate, seems to put less emphasis on the admissions test scores prior to interview (however, the ENGAA (Engineering Admissions Assessment) and the TSAC (Thinking Skills Assessment Chemistry) seem to be exceptions to this ). This means that by and large, if you are applying to Oxford, it’s especially important that you aim for top marks in your admissions test.

Below, we’ve illustrated how two different faculties use their admissions test to shortlist candidates:

History (Oxford)

The pre-interview shortlist score is a combination of the HAT (History Aptitude Test) score and your contextualised GCSE score, with the HAT weighted at 70%. The aim is that each college should interview three candidates for every place, so the pre-interview shortlisting process is intended to achieve this number. The History faculty advises colleges not to invite for interview candidates scoring below a designated cutoff score , which varies from year to year. However, colleges may “rescue” candidates from below the cutoff score if they have Access or Widening Participation flags, or for extenuating circumstances stated on their UCAS application.

English (Oxford)

Applicants for English will take the ELAT (English Literature Aptitude Test), with each candidate receiving a score out of 60 and being sorted into four bands on the basis of this score. The score is used in pre-interview ranking and can also be used for deciding between candidates.

Band one identifies those candidates who should definitely be called for interview unless other indicators strongly suggest otherwise, whereas band four identifies candidates who are unlikely to be invited, unless other factors outweigh the test result. In pre-interview ranking, the ELAT score is weighted at 40% of the overall deciding factors.

Academic Grades

Along with admissions test scores, GCSE grades are a major element of the pre-interview selection process, and the importance of GCSEs should not be underestimated. This is especially the case under the new A-level system whereby most applicants will not have taken AS exams, meaning that GCSEs are the only concrete qualifications that the average applicant will have when they apply. This also means that if you have slightly weaker GCSE grades but you already have achieved strong A-level results – for example if you are applying after a gap year – these may help compensate.

Some faculties, such as the Oxford History faculty, choose not to consider A-levels or predictions in their official pre-interview shortlist score, because they only use criteria that apply to all applicants. However, the faculty-wide shortlist score does not determine whether you are offered a place as the decision is made by the individual colleges which will take into account many aspects of your application, including A-levels. The purpose of the ranking is rather to give Admissions Tutors an idea of where the applicants to their college fall within the context of all the History applicants that year.

An example of a faculty that does take predicted and achieved A-levels into account for pre-interview assessment is Chemistry at Oxford, which gives each candidate a mark from one to five based on A-levels or equivalent (achieved/predicted), AS (if applicable), GCSEs or equivalent, and the teacher reference.

On average Cambridge makes higher offers than Oxford, requiring more A*s at A-level. As they are less selective than Oxford pre-interview, the high offers allow them to whittle down their numerous candidates post-interview. They also tend to make more personalised offers than Oxford, meaning that for some subjects you cannot be entirely sure until you receive your offer what grades will be required at A-level. This is something to bear in mind if your A-level grades or predicted grades are strong but not outstanding.

Note: some schools do not predict A*s as a matter of policy. If this is the case with your school, make sure that it is mentioned in the teacher reference.

Written Work

For some subjects, especially if there is no admissions test, you will be required to submit written work as part of your application. Although written work is often overlooked by candidates, it is a vital piece of the application for many subjects. In the Oxford English faculty for example, the written work score makes up 40% of the pre-interview assessment, whilst GCSEs make up only 17.5%.

Written work should take the form of school or college work written as part of your course, and should be marked by a teacher . Rules may vary between faculties but the Oxford university guidelines state that each piece should be around 2,000 words long, and should not be re-written or corrected after it has been marked. In Cambridge not all colleges require written work for a particular subject, so check the requirements for your first choice college.

Written work may be officially assessed according to a number of criteria if it is used in pre-interview shortlisting. The assessment criteria for written work in the Oxford English faculty include:

literary sensibility

sensitivity to creative use of language

evidence of careful and critical reading

coherence of argument

originality

Since written work is a tutor’s opportunity to see how you structure arguments and what kind of work you might be submitting at university, it is important to submit pieces that show you at your best. As the submitted pieces must be taken from your school work, make sure you work hard on your A-level essays and aim to get high marks so you have a strong selection to choose from.

Personal Statement

As you put together your university application, the UCAS personal statement is one of the main things you will be focusing on. In terms of pre-interview selection, faculties which operate a pre-interview score and ranking system tend not to include the personal statement in this ranking. However, as we have already seen, such rankings do not make or break an application, and college Admissions Tutors are free to take all factors into account.

The personal statement, as the name suggests, is the only truly personal element of your application; it is your opportunity to make an impression on Admissions Tutors as an individual and to convey your passion for the subject . Remember that tutors aren’t just looking for applicants with good grades, but applicants with a demonstrable interest in and aptitude for the subject who will make engaging students – the UCAS statement is your chance pre-interview to show that you are such an applicant.

The good news is that whilst GCSE grades cannot be changed and admissions test scores depend on your performance in one exam, the personal statement can be tweaked and worked on as often as you like before you submit it, and you can ask for feedback from others. If your grades aren’t as high as they could be, make sure you put extra effort into your personal statement so you stand out and make admissions tutors want to interview you.

For specialist advice on personal statements or any aspect of your application, get in touch with our expert consultants on + 44 (0) 20 7499 2394 or send us your query at [email protected]

Download the example personal statement on the right.

Written by a successful applicant who has now graduated from Oxbridge, this personal statement is annotated by its author, with all the insights hindsight can bring.

For further information on writing your personal statement, see our personal statement ‘first steps’ guide .

The Cambridge Supplementary Application Questionnaire is an additional piece of your application to Cambridge. It is designed so that Cambridge has consistent information from every applicant, beyond the details provided in the UCAS form. It also allows Cambridge to ask questions not required by UCAS, such as details of module marks in AS examinations.

Format of the SAQ

There are eight sections of the SAQ, divided into Application Type, Photograph, Personal Details, BMAT Number, Education, Qualifications, Additional Information and Submit. All of these sections will be fully explained in the form and should not cause any difficulty or worry.

Additional personal statement

Section seven, Additional Information, includes an additional personal statement. Whether you fill this in or not is optional, but it can be a great opportunity to talk specifically about why you want to study the course you have applied for at Cambridge. This section must be a maximum of 1200 characters including spaces.

A frequent worry when submitting a personal statement for UCAS is the inability to tailor it to Cambridge specifically, as it will be used across your applications to all universities. The brilliant thing about the SAQ is that only Cambridge will see it, and so it can be completely tailored to the specific course for which you are applying.

When do I have to complete the SAQ?

For the past three academic years, the deadline for applicants to submit their SAQ has been October 22nd. The deadline is shared by international students who have already completed the COPA.

You will know when to fill out the form as Cambridge will send an email within 48 hours of submitting your UCAS form, asking you to fill out the SAQ online by the deadline.

It is usually filled out online, although you can contact Cambridge’s Admissions Office directly for a solution if this is a problem for you, either via telephone + 44 (0) 1223 333308 or email [email protected] . The Admissions Office will also answer any queries regarding logging in to the SAQ site.

Completing the SAQ is a very straightforward process with the right understanding of what is required of you. Ensure you read through the instructions carefully, fill out the SAQ by the deadline, and ask Cambridge if you find anything difficult or are unsure of any aspect of the form at any stage. Cambridge University have a comprehensive guide for filling in the SAQ here .

Get top tips from our Oxbridge-graduates and fill in our workbook to narrow down the areas of strength you should focus on in your personal statement. Use the structure provided in the workbook to help guide the structure of your writing.

Download our comprehensive personal statement workbook and get extra support while you write.