[AnonymousPenguin]

I was told they change them every year and they're also different between colleges. They do tell you that you shouldn't discuss them with other applicants. I also overheard two tutors saying that they should try and make interviews broadly the same for all the applicants as that is fairer.

[Mann18]

How is it at all unfair?
The only way it would be unfair is if you're stupid enough to share questions.

[Eric Arthur]

What?

My interviews were pretty specific to my submitted written work and my personal statement.

[doivid]

There was a law applicant at my college who kept asking everyone what the interview content was. We tried to avoid him.

[Mann18]

(Original post by doivid)
There was a law applicant at my college who kept asking everyone what the interview content was. We tried to avoid him.

You're a better man than I, I would have fed him false information.

[Paulinozaur]

Imo, knowing the questions before your interview wouldn't give you any advantage. Believe me, tutors are incredibly smart people and they'd realise that sth is wrong here and you answer those tricky question too easily... :P

[doivid]

(Original post by Mann18)
You're a better man than I, I would have fed him false information.

lol. I think he deserved it.

[Papa Caesar]

In my second interview I was handed the same source I had already been questioned on in the first interview. I did point this out though, since it would have been noticed at some point, and I would have felt bad at not doing so anyway.

[Cirsium]

For sciences, of course they are. You can't just have multiple sets of data to use for every single applicant. As others have said a) if you're stupid enough to tell someone else what it's on then that's your own silly fault b) unless you told them your answers too it probably wouldn't be much help. I mean I could happily talk about being given a bunch of data on mice birth rates over time, but unless I told you the pattern of the data you'd still have to figure it out for yourself.

[chebanana]

That's not really surprising considering how many people they have to see. I see it more as a a framework that they'll alter to you specifically (at least; for the humanities, maths/sciences are always going to be less flexible). To be honest, I'm more scared of the really general questions like; "Why do you want to study x?" and "Have you got any questions?" I mean, seriously; what are they expecting you to ask?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by chebanana)
I'm more scared of the really general questions like; "Why do you want to study x?" and "Have you got any questions?" I mean, seriously; what are they expecting you to ask?

If you worry about ice-breakers and an opportunity to clear up any queries you might have then you really do have problems. These are not part of the decision-making process.

[SPSMain]

(Original post by Good bloke)
These are not part of the decision-making process.

Unless they ask "Why do you want to study x" and you reply "umm...well...umm"?

[Good bloke]

(Original post by SPSMain)
Unless they ask "Why do you want to study x" and you reply "umm...well...umm"?

Of course! But surely even the most shy can be expected to cope with what are essentially pleasantries.

[Pedus]

(Original post by Mann18)
How is it at all unfair?
The only way it would be unfair is if you're stupid enough to share questions.

This. you'll always find a bunch of those on tsr

[JohnnytheFox]

I would imagine Oxford professors have better things to do with their time than make up hundreds of questions every year to ask all interviewees, most of which won't be getting a place anyway.

[chebanana]

(Original post by Good bloke)
If you worry about ice-breakers and an opportunity to clear up any queries you might have then you really do have problems. These are not part of the decision-making process.

Yes, alright, the first one I could deal with, it's just that everything you say begins to sounds horribly cliched; "I love it, it's my passion, I've always wanted to study it.." Bla bla and bla. But the latter freaks me out; I'm terrified that I'll be sitting there whilst they all stare at me expectantly and I'll panic and say "Why did the chicken cross the road?" or something like that. I know it won't be a deal-breaker, but for confidence's sake, I'd rather not make an arse out of myself.

[Good bloke]

(Original post by chebanana)
I'd rather not make an arse out of myself.

Then stop trying to second-guess mere pleasantries and learn how to have a normal conversation.

[henryt]

I remember that in one of my interviews, the tutors literally had a list of questions, and we went through them, one by one. Funnily enough, we ran out of questions before the time ended, at which point the tutor said 'Well, that was fast work!' and asked me about some reading I'd mentioned on my personal statement.

[Meliae]

(Original post by xx_rachel_xx)
Judging by what you've said I've been thinking about the interview in a one-sided way - as J_w and others pointed out, an opportunity to discuss a subject I love with a leading scholar could be very positive!

Thanks for all your replys...lots of helpful advice in there.

Yea that's the way I thought of them. I actually really looked forward to them. Don't worry too much about them. Some of my friends were totally convinced they'd screwed up the interview and had no chance and they still got in. Remember they're not expecting you to know everything or get all the answers straight away. They're looking at your thought processes and how well you'll cope with tutorials. If you look on the website (for Oxford anyway, don't know about Cambridge), you should find selection criteria for your subject telling you exactly what they're looking for (in general and in interviews). Here's what it says about interviews for my subject (EP):

Tutors will be looking for the following qualities at interview: Clarity of analysis and presentation of ideas; ability to generate own ideas and proposals; ability to listen and respond to ideas put forward during discussion, and to draw inferences from them; ability to put forward coherent and well thought out proposals and responses.

http://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/undergrad/selection_criteria

[RLM]

Hi, i'm looking at applying for Cambridge this year but i'm torn between which college to choose basically because different colleges require different admissions requirements (i.e submitting an essay, preparatory study or just a straight interview).

I'm not the most confident of speakers so was wondering if having a preparatory study to look at before the interview was better (gives you more time to think) than just having a straight interview (which would put you more 'on the spot' - a position im really uncomfortable in).

Also I'm looking to study Geography at Cambridge but we haven't done any pieces of coursework for the course, just practice exam questions which are only around 1 1/2 pages long each answer. Would this be long enough or even what theyre looking for?

Just wanted people's advice on both questions who've applied there and gone through the application process. thanks