I’ve been very lucky with the support that I received from the school and elsewhere, as well as getting an interview at Oxford (and getting in!!)  From all my experience, I think I’m in a good place to share some of the typical generic questions Oxbridge interviewers might ask you.

About the Course and University

• Why did you choose this subject?
• What specifically about this course at this university interests you?
• What about this subject makes you want to spend the next several years studying it?
• Why do you want to attend this university? (Seen some questions asking why this college, but not often)

About Your Studies/Achievements/Research

• What have you most enjoyed in your school course so far this year?
• What achievement are you most proud of?
• What recent scientific discovery/news have you found inspiring/interesting?
• What aspect of your A level/IB/Scottish Highers etc. has been the most challenging?

About You

• What are your weaknesses as a person/student?
• What will you contribute/bring to the college/university?

The Reality

Although I was given all of these questions to prepare for, only the ‘Why did you choose materials science‘ question came up. As I mentioned in my Oxford interview experience, the interviewers mostly followed my personal statement so I would recommend reading around your personal statement and thinking about questions they might ask.

They will usually start with a question that is simple to answer, something related to your syllabus, and then push you from there.

It might put your mind at ease to prepare some answers to these questions, but don’t be surprised if they don’t come up!

Hopefully, this post has helped you prepare for your interview.  Good luck, relax and be yourself!

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to let me know! What is your greatest worry? Can you suggest some possible generic interview questions? Leave them in the comments!