5 ways to nail your Oxbridge interview

An Oxbridge interview can be really tricky, but here are 5 last-minute tips for success.

You never know how it’s going to go on the day, but you can be sure that some people will have an easier time than others. And it doesn’t all have to be about who has the biggest brain. If you have the right technique and a few tricks to make it easy you can taste success… here’s how.

1.     Do some warmup exercises in the morning.

This might sound crazy, but you wouldn’t go and do a running race without doing a little jogging and stretching first. Well, guess what? Your mind needs the same thing. If you’ve ever tried to answer a tough question when you’ve just woken up or before you’ve had your morning coffee you’ll know that sometimes you’ll be feeling sharper than at others. Do a few practice questions or problems in an hour or two before your interview.

2.     Make your travel easy.

The last thing you want is to find yourself in a rush the day before your interview. Travel early or, better yet, try going up the day before your interview. You’ll have time to find the right place to go and plenty of time to soak in the atmosphere. You won’t want too much time, but the last thing you want is to be rushing. Travel early.

3.     Have some good examples.

Whatever point you're trying to make, it will land better with an example. This is particularly relevant for the arts or humanities students out there. Have plenty of examples to hand and use different examples each time. It’s better than just having one really good example that you can keep milking.

4.     Record yourself and listen back.

In the days leading up to your interview, one of the best advice I can give you is to record yourself and listen to it back. Think about how fast you speak, how you structure your ideas, and whether you are doing anything funny with your hands or body. Listening and watching yourself respond will give you direct feedback.

5.     Remember to enjoy it.

The interview is a pretty close match to the sort of questions and learning style that you’ll have for the full three or four years of university study if you get a place… so try and enjoy it now. If you hate it, the chances are you’ll hate Oxbridge. If you love it, the chances are you’ll get a place!

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