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Before looking in more detail at how you can help students to prepare for interviews at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, it is useful to consider the stringent demands of these universities’ application processes and the impact these may have on students who ultimately don’t make it through.

Your guidance and advice will then assist your students in adopting a realistic and grounded approach in terms of the possible outcomes of their application, with their well-being as a priority.

Students who have chosen to apply to either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge are usually top students academically who have rarely faced any real difficulties or challenges in terms of achieving high grades at school. It is therefore important for counsellors to help them understand that the level of competition for these institutions is somewhat different from anything they have faced thus far at school.

It is important to point this out so that if they don’t get an offer, or they are deselected before interview, they realise that there are simply not enough places available – which allows these universities to be ultra-selective.

I feel it is necessary to have this conversation quite early on in the application process, so that students (and parents) know there are other options in terms of high-ranking universities, and they can potentially apply for a master’s degree at Oxford or Cambridge if they don’t get in at undergraduate level. If they have this in mind and trust their counsellor, it may help to relieve some of the pressure they feel.

If students are successful in being chosen for interview, either because they have a very impressive application or because they have done well in the admissions test, there are many ways you can support them in preparing for this.

Oxbridge interviews: essential information

Study the guidance on the university websites regarding the interview format, which differs according to the institution.

The has a dedicated section on its interviews, what to expect and FAQs. Similar information can be found for the .

Students should familiarise themselves thoroughly with the structure of the interview and read the information carefully, so they feel more confident in knowing what to expect.

Top tips for your students

Read widely

Students should read widely around their subject areas, follow research going on at the university and look at the relevant department pages. Both universities have extensive resources for prospective students, such as the University of Oxford’s or . For the University of Cambridge, check out their advice and the website.

A highly recommended website is , which contains a whole range of talks on different subjects.

At one University of Cambridge event I attended, the speaker jokingly noted: “The definition of a Cambridge student is one who enters the library to get a specific book but leaves with that book and several others.” Being exposed to new ideas and viewpoints, and developing their ability to critically analyse what they are reading and offer a personal reflection on a topic is super helpful.

Developing the skill of questioning what is being presented is essential, as is challenging accepted ideas, as this can lead to interesting discussions. Encourage students to consider that a successful interview should be more along the lines of an interesting conversation rather than a rigid question-and-answer format.

Free advice is available

Lots of helpful resources, including subject guides, application guides, interview advice, videos and blogs can be found at , which is dedicated to offering free advice to students applying to Oxbridge. This is a “student-led, non-profit project aiming to make Oxford and Cambridge applications more accessible for everyone”.

Revisit your personal statement

Students should be able to answer any questions and expand on topics, books or articles that they mentioned in their personal statements, or develop any discussions related to the issues they have focused on.

Study the content of the course

Applicants should study the structure and content of the course they have applied for in detail. It is also useful to look into the professors who are interviewing them once they have received their invitation. It is helpful to see if their interviewers specialise in a particular area, in case this is then part of the interview theme or discussion.

Practise thinking out loud

Many interviews involve some kind of assignment prior to the interview, which is then discussed during the interview. Or there may be exercises to be worked through as part of the interview.

Students need to practise working out loud in an interview and sharing their thought processes. As most are not used to doing this, it can take some getting used to. They should also share any questions or possible methods they are thinking of employing to tackle a problem.

Students are not necessarily expected to reach “the right answer”, as they are often being taken into areas that are new to them. What the interviewers are looking for is the way they think. If the students are preparing for a mathematics or science interview, they should make sure that they are quick to perform the more basic formulas they are expected to know before they reach the more challenging topics.

Students should also be reassured that they can pause before answering to gather their thoughts – this is very important, so that they don’t rush their answers and go in the wrong direction.

Mock interviews

Counsellors should arrange a series of mock interviews with different members of staff or alumni who have graduated from Oxford or Cambridge. Speaking to different people whom they don’t know can be very helpful in terms of building students’ confidence.

The aim is to help your students to be as well prepared as they can be so that they feel more confident – and even manage to enjoy the experience if they are invited to attend an interview.