Guide to Natural Sciences Interviews (Expert Cambridge Application Advice)
The Oxbridge Interview process is extremely nerve-wracking and demanding for all subjects, and Physical Natural Sciences (Or Phys Nat Sci for short) poses no exception. That being said, the interview process for Phys Nat Sci is far more predictable in form than for many other subjects, and if you want to make life any easier for yourself then you should leverage this in any way you can. There are of course discrepancies in certain factors, like the number of interviews you will sit and how many interviewers are sitting in on each one, which vary from College to College. Fortunately, these sorts of things are not particularly important in your actual interview, which makes sense as regardless of College choice you are being assessed for suitability for the exact same course. The advice that follows is split up into sections based on how a typical interview might progress:
Introduction
At the opening of the interview, you can expect one or both of the following types of questions, though rarely more than one of each. The first is a general question about your selection of College or Course, for example: “Why did you choose Natural Sciences here as opposed to a single science at Oxford?”. These are not, despite how open they may sound to you, an invitation to divulge into minute details about why you adore the architecture of your college or the breadth of the Nat Sci course. As long as you are capable of producing a cohesive reply which indicates interest in the course or that you’ve actually walked around the college grounds, that is sufficient. This sort of question is in reality only asked in order to allow the candidate the chance to calm down a little with something un-demanding, as it has nothing to do with your teachability or problem-solving. As a result, do not fret over your answer.
The other kind of question you may be asked is one about your personal statement. This is the one-time preliminary reading is required for a Phys Nat Sci interview, because anything you claim to have read in your personal statement, you must have actually read. More often than not the people across the table from you know the author and will have read the book themselves, so do not try and wing it! Showing passion for the subject is a big plus in the interview, and your response here serves as the perfect vehicle for it. Do not stress if your answer is not exemplary, however, as this is not the true assessment of your suitability.
Interview Problems
Following these icebreakers comes the main bulk of the interview, the problems which your interviewer(s) will present for you to solve (or at least attempt to).
These will typically begin as A-Level standard questions, and as you solve each stage will then ramp up in difficulty as more layers of complexity are added to them. The interviewer(s) are looking to see how you react to something previously unheard of, in order to truly gauge your problem-solving ability, and furthermore ascertain whether you are ‘teachable’ or not.
As a result, the most important time isn’t your performance while the questions are doable, it is in fact when you can no longer move further. The interviewer(s) will then offer a hint or tell you to consider the problem in another way and will expect you to utilise this new information to move towards finding a solution.
Now that the process has been outlined, here are some general guidelines and points on how to approach the problem-solving in a way that makes your own life a little less stressful. Firstly, pause. Taking something like 15 seconds to clear your head and think about the question always helps you properly understand what is being asked of you, and stops you looking thoughtless by blurting things out in an unordered mess. Secondly, start talking. Saying out loud what you are thinking as you work through the motions of the problem will help you to realise if you are missing something, as well as indicating to the interviewer(s) that you are capable of logical reasoning. In addition, they might pick up on something if you make a wrong turn in your reasoning. Thirdly, always draw or write out clearly what you are thinking. If this is a Physics or Chemistry problem, a diagram is always the best way to go in order to do this, as it communicates concisely what you do and don’t understand to the interviewer(s). In maths problems, just make sure that you are showing your full working. Finally, don’t be scared to ask for help. It may be daunting to claim that you can’t solve a problem in such a pressured scenario, but this is to be expected at points and it signals to the interviewer to prompt you if you are simply staring blankly at the page while time passes.
One type of question which comes up alarmingly regularly is the curve sketch, which involves the interviewer(s) giving you a mathematical function and asking you to draw it. These sketch questions can all be solved with the same step-by-step process, so once you have learned and practised it you will be guaranteeing a strong response and giving yourself more leeway in the rest of the interview.
Example Problems
Sketch y=xe-x2
Describe the velocity of a bungee jumper with respect to their displacement from their starting position.
Can a negative pH value exist?
Why is benzene unreactive compared to cyclohexene?
Final Tips and Tricks for the Problems
Brush up on your mental maths and estimation skills. Calculators are rarely permitted (usually just when the final stage of a problem involves substituting in many values to yield a final answer) so being able to quickly work through simple maths makes you look far more adept in handling mathematical problems. In addition, some interview problems can be estimation related, e.g. “How much energy does it take to heat a swimming pool for a year?” and if you have not practised estimating these can completely throw you off guard.
Do not be alarmed if the interviewer(s) stop a problem without it being resolved, as this is not a sign you have somehow failed, it is simply because they would like to fit a certain number of different problems into the interview period.
Going through practice problems as if you were in an interview while talking through it and writing out your working, can help you refine how you present your answers and help get you in the right problem-solving frame of mind. Try looking online for more example problems, or for books of problems with solutions that will allow you to do many of these without pestering teachers about marking your attempts/explaining how they would do it. “Brainteaser Physics” is a book I would recommend for Physics problems.
If you are able to arrange a practice interview with a teacher or family friend with sufficient experience/scientific knowledge, this can be extremely helpful in practising your technique especially under a more pressured atmosphere (unlike doing problems alone). In addition, tailored 1-1 feedback will help you quickly pick up on areas of weakness.
The key thing to remember is that no matter how nervous you feel, everyone else interviewing is just as anxious, and the interviewer(s) know this. They aren’t looking to scare candidates for the sake of it, they really want to see what you are capable of doing and allow you to fully demonstrate your ability. If you have any more detailed questions, want some bespoke advice or a practice interview, feel free to book a session with me!
Good Luck!
This article was written by Pierce (Cambridge - Natural Sciences).
If you find this content useful, please visit Pierce's profile for further information on applying to Oxbridge. Alternatively, book support now with Pierce, using the form below.
Author: Pierce - Cambridge
BA Natural Sciences
With over three years of academic teaching and tutoring experience in both professional and informal settings, I can provide you with precise guidance, feedback and support for every step of your application, tailored to your academic profile.
