Examinations at or before interview
Directors of Studies in some subjects may ask you to sit a College written test on the day of interview, or to send in a marked essay before interview. There may also be a requirement for common University-wide examinations to be sat, e.g. the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT), Thinking Skills Assessment Test (TSA) or Cambridge Law Test. Please see the relevant subject page for further information.
Written tests are between 30 minutes and one hour in length. In most cases you will be asked to compose an essay in response to a set question pertaining to your chosen subject. Please note that we do not keep any of our past test papers and therefore cannot furnish interviewees with copies in advance for practice purposes.
If you are requested to submit two pieces of written work, please ensure that you submit the most representative examples completed during the ordinary course of your studies in your subject. When selecting work to submit, it is best to seek the advice of your teachers or lecturers; but remember that your best work is likely to be your most recent. If required, copies of marked essays should be posted to the Undergraduate Administrator, Wolfson College, Barton Road, Cambridge CB3 9BB by 28 November. Please note that copies should be sent, as the originals will not be returned to you.
Preparing for interview
- Inform yourself widely about your chosen subject. You should do this by reading beyond the immediate remit of your curriculum i.e. journal articles and engaging in extracurricular activities where appropriate.
- Have a practice interview with someone you do not know well. This could be a senior teacher or lecturer in your current school, college or workplace.
- Practice discussion and analysis – talk informally to your teachers/ lecturers, your family or your friends about questions that interest you. Try to explain to them clearly what you think about particular issues, and why. This can be useful because most questions in Cambridge interviews are what one might term ‘what/why’ questions. In other words we might ask you what you make of a problem and then ask you to explain or justify your position.
- Keep a copy of your application and any other material you have submitted, and read it in advance. Keep in mind that we will be discussing your application material with you during interview.
The Panel
You will be interviewed by two small panels for a subject interview and a college interview.
In the subject interview you will be interviewed by an Admissions Tutor and the Director of Studies in your chosen subject. These officers are listed on the relevant subjects page. They are responsible for organizing your study programme and monitoring your progress should you be offered a place. Sometimes there will be more than one Director of Studies present (e.g. for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, where there are both pre-clinical and clinical components to the course). There may sometimes also be an additional member of the relevant Faculty present.
In the college interview you will be interviewed by the Senior Tutor Dr Jane McLarty and a second College Tutor.
For some subjects, you will be interviewed by more than one College or in the Faculty. You will be notified of this in your interview letter.
Conduct of your interview
Each interview will last no longer than 30 minutes. In the subject interview the Director of Studies will ask you about the subject area you wish to study and your academic interests. In the college interview there will be a general discussion of your academic background and academic history, accommodation requirements and ability to finance your studies. You will also be given the opportunity to ask us anything you wish us to know and to discuss the course, College or Cambridge University. Please see the University of Cambridge website for further information on interviews and preparation.