Some selective UK programs require interviews, such as any program at Cambridge or Oxford, Medicine courses (see UK Medical School section) and several courses at Imperial and UCL.
Interviews assess:
Subject knowledge and enthusiasm
Ability to absorb and apply new information
Flexibility of thought and clarity of reasoning
Preparation Tips:
Watch mock interview videos to understand the format and questioning style.
Practice thinking aloud and articulating ideas clearly.
Engage with your subject in a deep, meaningful way, beyond just reading.
Interviews can include unfamiliar topics—tutors are testing your intellectual curiosity and problem-solving skills, not just knowledge.
TASIS provides an annual UK Competitive Interview Workshop each fall. The presentations are always posted in the University Presentations at TASIS section within Google Classroom.
Learning takes place in small classes or tutorials, and your interviewers – who may be your future tutors – are assessing your ability to study, think and learn in the way the interview takes place. There is a lot of independent study at Oxford and Cambridge.
Tutors are looking for your self-motivation and enthusiasm for your subject.
They want to see your ability to think independently and engage with new ideas beyond the scope of your current knowledge
Your interviewers do not care to hear about your extra-curricular activities as the interview is purely subject-based.
There is no secret to the interview process, no information you can buy from private tutors promising entry, the only thing that gets you into that interview and potentially into the college is your overall academic knowledge over the course of your high school career, being well informed on the subject area outside of the classroom, curious, and an ability to convey complex ideas in an articulate way. It’s impossible to cram, but not impossible to prepare for.
Each university has excellent resources within their websites: Cambridge's Interview Page and Oxford's Interview Page
Please see further resources for in the Applying to Oxford or Cambridge area of the UK section of the TASIS Post-Secondary Handbook.