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Reply 1
My questions could mostly be answered with GCSE knowledge but obviously they required considerably more thinking. I also had one interview which I got sent a chapter of a book (on partial differentiation if I remember correctly) to prepare from. They almost certainly wouldn't expect you to know anything beyond what you've already covered in A-Level without telling you.
Reply 2
Widowmaker
In the interviews, what are the questions based on, the a-level syllabus or stuff that is slightly related to it?


i had a physics and a maths interview at oxford,
the maths interview was all a level stuff i think (but not further maths stuff, it was vectors, differential equations and stuff like that)
the physics was mostly a level, bit gcse (i had circular motion, air pressure/temp/volume stuff, lenses and mirrors)
But some of it was just common sense, nothing was too far beyond what you've done (was still really hard tho :frown: ).
Reply 3
Widowmaker
In the interviews, what are the questions based on, the a-level syllabus or stuff that is slightly related to it?


The questions for me started on things in the A-level syllabus and then went far beyond it. However, they seemed to like it when I applied the concepts from A-level to different situations. I get the feeling they like to see how good you are at tackling new problems with what you already know..

Though there's definitely enough based on what you should already know to make it worth revising for! :wink:
Reply 4
Yeah, and before jumping in with the real questions they normally asked 'have you covered such and such yet?" Most of the questions weren't wildly exotic but they were challenging.
Widowmaker
In the interviews, what are the questions based on, the a-level syllabus or stuff that is slightly related to it?

My maths interviews (Oxford) were based mostly around applying techniques covered in P1-3 (C1-4 now i think), but set out in a way that was not necessarily difficult in content, but challenging. They seem to be keen on curve sketching and calculus inparticular, though in one of my intrerviews they asked me what topics I enjoyed and questioned me on them (well at first anyway :rolleyes: :smile: ).
Reply 6
My compsci interviews were almost completely maths based. Questions asked weren't something you could revise for- they were more logical thinking than anything else.

However in one interview, the interviewer kept asking me to prove stuff using proof by induction and proof by contradiction. This was despite me telling him that I hadn't covered it, and thus having no knowledge of it whatsoever.
Reply 7
I was interviewed for maths at Lady margaret hall, Oxford for maths; I loved my interview experience - i found the questions i was asked very easy, and thought it was too good to be true - then again when i asked around, i suppose i was "lucky" to get the questions i did.

The interviews, Dr Stoy and Mr Grittiths were very nice, and very like minded, so we interacted quite well, and we built a 'rapport', as they call it:smile:

The oxford interviews didn't really seem bad at all - don't know what all the fuss is about yearly - its just a time where you are asked a few questions about your viewpoints and stuff :rolleyes: , which i suppose you already to by syourselves, to some extent:biggrin:

The interviews are very unstressful; this is more so the fact in oxford, because you stay over at the college, so sort of become adapted to the environment, which helped a lot to relax too,

Phil
Phil23
The oxford interviews didn't really seem bad at all - don't know what all the fuss is about yearly - its just a time where you are asked a few questions about your viewpoints and stuff :rolleyes: , which i suppose you already to by syourselves, to some extent:biggrin:

I think that varies alot though. I'd say the same about my personal experiences, however from what i've heard from others, this is definately not always the case.
Reply 9
Hash

However in one interview, the interviewer kept asking me to prove stuff using proof by induction and proof by contradiction. This was despite me telling him that I hadn't covered it, and thus having no knowledge of it whatsoever.


That's crap :mad: - what college was that at?
Reply 10
RichE
That's crap :mad: - what college was that at?


RE: prrof question. one of my interviewer, at LMH asked me whether i knew how to proove something by induction, but although i did, i said i hadn't done it in school, because i hadn't the foggiest idea of what to do, because i did it back in june, and didn't revise it. Thankfully, she never asked it :biggrin: so i got away easy with it - i ended up getting some simple partial fraction question, and a graphing of max (1 , x) graph between 0 and 3:biggrin:

easy or what - those are the only mathematical qusetions i was asked in that interview :eek:

phil
Reply 11
Hash
My compsci interviews were almost completely maths based. Questions asked weren't something you could revise for- they were more logical thinking than anything else.

However in one interview, the interviewer kept asking me to prove stuff using proof by induction and proof by contradiction. This was despite me telling him that I hadn't covered it, and thus having no knowledge of it whatsoever.


Aww, I know what you mean, I was asked a proof by induction as well, and told them that I'd only had one lesson on it, the previous friday. So they told me, great, that means its fresh in your memory...

so I had to struggle my way through it...got there eventually at least.
Reply 12
My little rule of thumb - if you understand the A-level syllabus that your teachers teach ON THE FIRST GO you will do well at interview. Depends on how well they teach it though.
Reply 13
weird rule of thunmb:biggrin: - got any justification why it is your rule of thumb? Don't see logic in your rule :rolleyes:
well, it's not so much about memorisation, but about the understanding. At my interview, they drew me a diagram of eyes, optic nerves etc and told me LOADS of stuff about it. They then asked me questions and I started off one reply "Well, if I remember correctly...."

"No!" exclaimed the interviewer. "Stop remembering, look at my diagram!"
Reply 15
There is a link somewhere for a mock Natural Sciences interview at Clare which was filmed...i'll try and find the link
Reply 17

wow. i just watched the NatSci video, expecting to be impressed by the applicant, who was apparantly 'the best biologist from her school in three years'. Instead, i was quite the opposite. The answers to her questions sucked, there were awkward pauses, and she kept messing with her phone. however, the interviewers seemed to be impressed with her?

now, i'm only a little year 11 who knows nothing, so pardon me if i'm appearing ignorant, but is that really all you need to do to get into cambridge? did your interview go something like that? could the interviewers possibly be favouring people like this over those who are more confident and forward, which they may consider negative attributes?
mine (chem. '03 entry) were all based on the as-level syllabus with a bit of synoptic/common sense thrown in for good measure.
Reply 19
platinumki
well, it's not so much about memorisation, but about the understanding. At my interview, they drew me a diagram of eyes, optic nerves etc and told me LOADS of stuff about it. They then asked me questions and I started off one reply "Well, if I remember correctly...."

"No!" exclaimed the interviewer. "Stop remembering, look at my diagram!"



i know what you mean, at my interview i got a question about vectors and i said something like ' well, we used this when we did it at school....' and he stopped me and said 'no, don't do it the way you've been taught, do it another way' :eek: !!!!!

How am i supposed to do if not the way i've been taught lol!!!! thankfully i did get it eventually tho, :smile: