Oxford University releases interview questions
Sample interview questions for Oxford University have been released. Can you answer them?
Oxford University has released a list of sample questions for this year’s anxious applicants.
Questions concern areas like philosophy, engineering, oriental studies and economics.
An economics applicant might be asked why there is financial disparity between different countries, while someone applying for the Biological Sciences might be asked if we should keep rainforests or coral reefs (if we had to choose).
“The interview is primarily an academic conversation based on a passage of text, an object, a problem or a series of questions relating to the course the applicant has applied for”, said Dr Samina Khan, Director of Admission and Outreach at the university.
It’s not just about regurgitating facts that they’ve already been taught. The questions test their communication skills, logic and broader understanding of global issues.
To help potential students with their preparation, there are mock interviews, example questions and video diaries made by admissions tutors during the interviewing process.
We’ve put some of the more objective interview questions into a fun quiz: if the answer bar you've clicked on turns green, you've got it right. See if you’re clever enough to go to Oxford!
Head over to the Oxford University website to see more examples of the sorts of questions prospective students are asked
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Nah, the problem with the UK is that there are too many nutters around like oldhenry with nothing better to do with their time than talk absolute tosh online. If you don't have confidence in one of our finest most successful (and most meritocratic) institutions, why bleat about the UK - you'd clearly be happier in some foreign country. Cuba perhaps.
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What about the question"Are you willing to betray your country to a foreign power?" If yes then you are in. The problem with the UK is that too many of those ruling us are from this tight-knit community of self-righteous individuals. I would pass an Act disallowing anyone for Oxford into the House f Commons or Lords.
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Anyone seriously interested in applying to Oxford should understand that these questions DO NOT gauge whether you are clever enough to get into Oxford. Oxford's interviews are designed to tell them whether you will repond well to the tutorial (ie very small group interactive) method of teaching. In order to gauge how "clever" you are, they look at your exam results and school report and set you their own exam in critical thinking. If you want to find out whether you're clever enough to get into Oxford, you would be better to look up the TSA (the above thinking exam) and do the specimen test.
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24 October 2015