What’s an Oxbridge English Interview Actually Like?
Oxbridge interviews were once shrouded in mystery. Mythical tales of the intellectual torture of candidates in the squashy sofas of dons’ book-lined offices used to abound. These days, the process is a lot more transparent. Both Oxford and Cambridge have had to modernise and adjust as application has become far more competitive and highly scrutinised.
Interviews are generally an opportunity for academics to gauge how you might fare in the tutorial system. Teaching at Oxbridge is usually conducted in very small groups within colleges, and the workload can be quite high-pressure. Interviews are also an important chance for candidates to think carefully about whether the Oxbridge environment is right for them. Oxbridge is quite particular; you might find you are more likely to thrive in an alternative setting.
The interview is also potentially very exciting. If you are very passionate about your subject, here is an opportunity to speak to a world expert in that field. In the case of English, you will be solving a literary ‘problem’ with your interviewer(s), i.e. trying to work out a poem or some other literary text.
The following text is a compressed script for an Oxbridge mock interview in English with guiding comment in bold for the reader:
Typically, interviews start with a greeting and some general questions:
Tutor: Good morning and welcome. I hope you’re sitting comfortably? We’re going to begin with the text you were just set to read and annotate before coming in, ‘The Red Poppy’. Do you have any initial thoughts about the text?
Student: Yes, I thought it was about war and the suffering people experience.
The tutor will most likely move on quickly to engage you with the ideas and detail of the text:
Tutor: Can you expand on that idea?
Student: Well, the poem is called ‘The Red Poppy’ and poppies symbolise war traditionally. There is a lot of stress in the poem and the last line says, ‘I am shattered’.
Tutor: You mention that striking last line… ‘shattered’, yes. Can you point me to other parts of the poem where stress is expressed?
Student: Erm, yes […] well… the poem says it’s great to not have a mind—perhaps having a mind is too stressful?
Tutors will want you to consider form, structure and language:
Tutor: Perhaps you’re onto something there. Let’s keep thinking about stress and distress. You have linked the beginning and end of the poem with this theme. Can you point out further formal aspects of the poem that contribute to our understanding of this?
Student: All the lines are quite irregular and there are lots of questions.
Tutor: Tell me about a couple of lines in particular.
Student: ‘What could such glory be / if not a heart?’ The question is over two lines, with enjambement. It’s like the question can’t be answered—'what could such glory be’ is left at the end of the line before the rest of the question carries on. Or there is something terrible, maybe, that we don’t know? Or maybe something wonderful, or sort of impressive…?
Tutor: So what is the word ‘glory’ referring to here, on line 11?
Student: It’s talking about the ‘fire’ of the ‘heart’, line 9.
Tutors may push you to demonstrate your understanding as well as your formal appreciation of the text. Don’t be afraid to state the obvious as a starting point:
Tutor: So what is this poem all about?
Student: I’m not sure. Um… I think it’s about how hard it is to be a human.
Tutor: Who is speaking to us in the poem? Tell me about the voice.
Student: I think it’s a human. But, maybe… actually….is it the poppy?
Tutor: Yes, I think so. Why do you think the poppy is speaking to us?
Student: It wants to tell us what it’s like being a poppy?
Tutor: What is it like, being a poppy?
Student: It has terrible feelings? I think it’s about god and how things get out of control when there is war or fighting. I linked it in my mind to pictures of the battlefields of the Second World War and to soliders’ dedication to the fight, because they trusted god and their government. The poppy is now shattered, because it tried to do its best but it was too hard.
Tutor: I think you’re right that the red poppy traditionally has strong associations with war, at least in Europe, but let’s move away from that idea for now. Let’s look at the questions you mentioned earlier, as there are a few. Can you read them out to me?
Student: All of them?
Tutor: Yes please, in sequence.
If the tutor suggests switching topic or train of thought, it’s generally a good idea to follow their lead:
Student: ‘What could such glory be / if not a heart? Oh my brothers and sisters, /were you like me once, long ago, / before you were human? Did you / permit yourselves / to open once, who would never / open again?’
Tutor: Thank you. Do you notice anything of particular interest about the questions?
Student: They are rhetorical questions.
Tutor: All of them?
The student does well here, listening carefully to the interviewer and broadening their thinking on the poem:
Student: I think so. Maybe not all of them? They are questions to humans, as if they could be poppies too. It’s like the poppy is trying to work out the differences between them, the humans and the flowers.
Tutor: Is there any structural interest to the questions?
Student: Um…I don’t understand.
Tutor: Do you think the questions are important for the structure of the poem?
Student: Well, they all come in the middle, more towards the end, actually, and then the poppy finishes what it is trying to say, maybe?
If the tutor is pushing you and the questions seem to get harder, this is usually a good sign:
Tutor: Yes. Which of the three questions is the most significant for the poem, would you say?
Student: Um… I’m not sure. I think the last one.
Tutor: Why?
Student: It’s about opening and then never doing it again, as if the poppy and the humans had one chance to live… and then they are shattered.
Tutor: Yes... Let’s think about poppies. You know what one looks like, I think. Can you describe a poppy to me?
Student: Well, it’s a flower with red petals that are quite thin; they are very red. Their stems are long and bright green…You see them a lot in fields and just dotted around. Ummm…
Tutor: Have you seen a poppy when it is growing before it blooms, or after it has bloomed?
Student: I don’t think so. I don’t remember.
Tutor: You mentioned war before. Death seems to be important for this poem. The life cycle.
Student: Yes, I definitely think that.
Tutor: Can you tell me about how death or the life cycle might be reflected in the structure of the poem?
Student: Well, um, the poppy doesn’t have a mind at the start and…then talks about all the things it does, like worship god, talk to its brothers and sisters, it opened, and then it is shattered?
Tutor: Good, so that’s the content of the poem. Can you describe the formal structure of the poem? How is it shaped on the page? Does it have any features which strike you?
Student: It’s quite irregular and then the lines get longer when the questions start, and then they shorten again. The sentences are all over different lines. The poem has a fast pace, I think. The poppy grew quickly. It has a lot to say?
Tutor: Hmmm, interesting point. The poppy is growing quickly. Do you think there is meaning to the lines being longer when the questions start?
Student: Maybe. Yes, um… it might be to emphasise the questions as important; it’s what the poppy really wants to know… before it is shattered.
You may be asked about style, as well as form, structure, and language:
Tutor: Yes, that’s an interesting thought. I wonder, can you describe the style of the poem?
Student: It’s conversational, a monologue.
Tutor: Can you give me some evidence that it’s conversational?
Student: It’s like a chat: line 4, ‘oh, I have those…’ and the questions too, line 12, ‘Oh my brothers and sisters…’. And then the poppy says ‘I’ a lot, as if they are talking about themselves to someone.
It’s a good idea to have a view on the overall meaning of the text before you go into the interview. You can modify this view as the discussion develops. What have you learned by the end of the conversation?
Tutor: Yes. Good. Let’s go all the way back to where we started, with the beginning and ending of the poem. The poppy states that it’s great to not have a mind and then that its feelings govern it. Finally, it is shattered. How far do you think ‘The Red Poppy’ describes the human condition?
Student: Well, we do have minds, but we also have feelings, like the poppy, and we want to speak, lots of people worship god and want to know why we are here.
Tutor: Thank you. To finish off, could you tell me if any particular word or phrase stands out to you as interesting and why?
Student: Um… yes… I like ‘showing him / the fire of my own heart’. The poppy is red, like fire, but the fire is also metaphorical, it is about passion.
Tutor: Thank you. That concludes the interview for today.
Oxbridge English interviews tend to be about twice the length or longer of the scripted version above. Their main purpose is an extended dialogue during which, ideally, both parties increase their understanding of the text or matters in question. Interviews give you an insight into what studying at Oxbridge might be like: Oxbridge tutorials are all about working through the unknown and problem-solving.
The student represented above follows the interviewer closely. Their answers are generally articulate and they answer all the questions posed to them, including the all-important ones on form, style, structure and language. They do not go off on tangents or try to say what they think the interviewer wants to hear. They do not offer prepared material that is irrelevant to the tutor’s questions.
This student may benefit from thinking more carefully before responding rather than answering immediately. It’s perfectly fine to take some time to think about a difficult question and they could ask to do this. Crucially, they may want to bring more awareness of literature as a craft into their answers, as this brings three key dividends: it will help them understand the poem better; it will help them answer the tutor’s questions with greater precision; it showcases knowledge and understanding in this area.
Further Reading
- Applying to Study English at Oxford University
- Applying to Study English at Cambridge University
- How to Write an English Personal Statement for Oxbridge
Oxbridge English Tuition
Keystone Tutors are able to provide subject specific support for those preparing for university applications including English at Oxbridge. Do get in touch if you would like further assistance with your personal statement or any other aspects of your university application including admissions tests and interview preparation.