Interview Questions for SPS

Could any SPS students tell me what questions they were asked in the interviews? I'm not "learning" the answers but just want to understand and a bit more about it. Many Thanks.

Reply 1

proudclod

2

My non-academic interview was filled with the kind of questions I wasn't expecting - "why cambridge?", "why the college?" - which threw me a bit.

My academic interview was predominantly me discussing a single ethical dialemma with the interviewer for about 15-20 minutes (I had a lot to say about it, and changed my mind a number of times) - "you're in charge of health policy, and a virus with a 50% mortality rate has appeared in the country. You have sufficient stocks of an immunisation, but it turns out that this will kill 5% of those it is administered to. What policy (implied choices are voluntary or mandatory) do you take on the vaccination?"

However, he also asked me to explain Quantum Physics (as I'd said it was the part of the A Level course I'd enjoyed the most), and to recall a passage in my English Lit set text that had really touched me, and explain what it meant to me.

So in essence, expect the unexpected.

Reply 2

veronnica

I was interviewed in Hong Kong - by two interviewers who were not from my college and who were....a physician and a mathematician, I believe. I don't know if that makes any difference...

First question was pretty standard - Why SPS? Then they asked questions like, 'What would you say were the three biggest sociological problems in HK and how could you go about solving them?', 'If you were carrying out a sociological study in Inner Mongolia, who would you have as part of your team, what might the results look like if they were graphed, what ethical issues might arise...' and lastly, 'if a martian came to Hong Kong, where would you tell him were the three places that typified HK most?'

Mostly, I think, just make sure you explain your reasoning and try to plump your answers out a bit.

Reply 3

ChrisSPS

OP

veronnica

I was interviewed in Hong Kong - by two interviewers who were not from my college and who were....a physician and a mathematician, I believe. I don't know if that makes any difference...

First question was pretty standard - Why SPS? Then they asked questions like, 'What would you say were the three biggest sociological problems in HK and how could you go about solving them?', 'If you were carrying out a sociological study in Inner Mongolia, who would you have as part of your team, what might the results look like if they were graphed, what ethical issues might arise...' and lastly, 'if a martian came to Hong Kong, where would you tell him were the three places that typified HK most?'

Mostly, I think, just make sure you explain your reasoning and try to plump your answers out a bit.

I am from HK as well, how great!!! Are u now in Cambridge? Which college are u in?

Interview Questions for SPS

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