Physics & Philosophy, Oxford Interviews

By Elizabeth Reid

Well done! You have been invited to interview at Oxford! This can be an exciting – and stressful – time, so I’ve prepared a few pieces of advice, based upon my own interview experience when applying for Physics and Philosophy.

Understand the format

Although every interview is a little different, most will include two tutors from the college you applied – or have been allocated – to. I had two types of interviews: maths and philosophy, and maths and physics. In both types, I was asked one or two questions per subject, which were further broken down into smaller sections following prompts from the tutors.

The structure of an Oxford interview is designed to simulate Oxford’s tutorial style of teaching. The tutors will want to hear your reasoning, so it’s best to talk through your work. Try to practice this before the interview with questions you find challenging.

Be ready for anything

It is impossible to predict what the tutors will ask you. The best way to prepare is to practice explaining your thoughts and structuring good arguments. Tutors will often introduce unexpected content during the interview to see how you think rather than how much you have memorised. In one interview, I was asked about the morals of vegetarianism. I hadn’t expected an ethics question, so rather than referring to any reading, I considered my personal experiences of growing up in a farming community. They will not expect you to know everything, so work with what you do know to make well-reasoned arguments.

Be open to prompting

The tutors will likely offer you hints. If they suggest something, listen and don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. If you realise you’ve made a mistake, admit it. They don’t expect you to come to Oxford knowing everything, they expect you to come to Oxford to learn.

Be prepared for more than one interview

I had four interviews between two colleges. This is part of the moderation process. In my case, I was really grateful for second pair of interviews as I’d felt the first two went badly. Consider each new interview as an opportunity to improve your chances – don’t believe that just because you feel you didn’t do well in one interview means you won’t do well in another.

Be judgmental – but flexible

Don’t be afraid to take a stance on something you haven’t thought about before. Often, you will only have around ten minutes per question, so decide which position you would like to take early on. You can always change your answer throughout the question, as long as you reason well. For this reason, you may wish to write down some ideas on a blank piece of paper – it can be easy to forget things during a stressful interview.

It is also important to remember that the interview is your opportunity to see if you enjoy the tutorial process. As with any interview, the assessment goes both ways! Did you enjoy the tutorial structure? Do you think you would enjoy the teaching style at Oxford?

Good Luck!