C4.70 Oxford University Undergraduate Interviews¶
Oxford University Undergraduate Interviews
Why does Oxford University conduct undergraduate interviews? Who are the interviewers?
Many of Oxford’s teaching sessions are small-group classes or tutorials, so your interviewers may be your future supervisors. They use interviews to assess your learning, thinking, and academic ability.
Interviewers may be one or more academic tutors, arranged based entirely on the course you applied for.
Shishengmiao’s Reminder: Generally, each candidate has 2-3 interviews, each lasting approximately 20-30 minutes, usually with 2 interviewers. After the interviews, the tutors will hold a meeting, attended by all academic staff from the respective college. They will discuss, debate, and review all evidence to select the most outstanding students.
The purpose of the interview is to evaluate your academic potential. Tutors value your self-motivation and passion for the course. Note that their decision is not based on your demeanor, appearance, or background, but on your ability to think independently and engage with new ideas beyond the scope of your school or college curriculum.
Who will be invited for an interview?
Oxford receives around 21,500 applications each year for approximately 3,300 places, conducting about 10,000 interviews. Due to the high number of applicants, it is impossible to interview everyone. Tutors shortlist candidates they believe have the greatest potential and meet their selection criteria—only those shortlisted will be invited to interview at Oxford.
If you do not receive an email inviting you to an interview, your application has not been successful. If you are shortlisted, being invited to an Oxford interview is an impressive achievement in itself, even if you are not ultimately offered a place.
When will I know if I’m invited for an interview?
Oxford will send you a letter or email informing you whether you are invited to interview between mid-November and early December. Invitation dates vary by course, depending on the interview schedule.
Note: This notification email will only be sent one week before the start of your scheduled interview(s).
After receiving an interview invitation, you will be invited to one of Oxford’s colleges and must stay in Oxford until the latest end date specified in the relevant schedule. You may be required to attend multiple interviews, which may not all be at the college you applied to—you cannot leave Oxford until the interviewers advise you to do so. All interviews must take place between early and mid-December, and missed interviews cannot be rescheduled.
What questions will the interviewers ask?
First, tutors understand you may be nervous and will try to put you at ease. They want you to be yourself and showcase your skills and abilities. They may start with a few simple questions, such as about your personal statement or why you applied for the course.
Next, based on the content of your chosen course, they may provide you with a text, poem, graph, or object, then ask you to answer questions and share your comments. Tutors may also offer you some guidance during this process.
What if I don’t know the answer?
There are often multiple possible answers, and no single "correct" response is required. In such cases, tutors are more interested in exploring your thought process.
Remember, tutors want to understand how you think—anything you say will pique their interest. Many questions are designed to test your ability to apply logic and reasoning to ideas you may never have encountered before.
If you think you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t panic, but try to think it through. You can also explain that you haven’t covered the topic yet, but the key is to show interest. Do not stay silent to "play it cool" due to nerves.
Tutors are passionate about their subjects and want to teach students who share that passion. Sometimes tutors may suggest an alternative way of looking at a problem. They are looking for evidence that you are open to new ideas and can think flexibly.
Often, your answers will spark a discussion, and students sometimes feel they learn a great deal during the interview. Interviewers do not aim to make you feel ignorant or catch you out—they want you to reach your potential. Small reminder: Do not try to guess what tutors are looking for; just be yourself.
To a large extent, the interview is about how well you can think through things, not how much you already know. So if you are unfamiliar with a specific technical term, or if a question seems unclear or ambiguous, do not hesitate to ask for clarification.
It’s okay if you make a mistake—this is a normal part of exploring your thought process. Everyone makes mistakes occasionally, but only the strongest candidates can identify their mistakes and recover from them.
Note: Tutors may ask about extracurricular activities mentioned in your personal statement, primarily to help you settle into the interview. Extracurricular activities will not be assessed unless they help demonstrate how you meet the course’s selection criteria.
After the interview, should I ask the tutors a question?
It’s fine to ask a question if you have one—there’s no obligation to do so if you don’t