Interviews The Interviews Shortlisted applicants are normally asked to come to Oxford for interviews, but there are separate arrangements for some overseas candidates, or if we are unable to hold in-person interviews (as happened in 2020-2022). So I might expect students to start by thinking of some stripy animals, then move on to thinking about categories of striped animals forexample those that are dangerous (such as wasps, tigers, and snakes), those that have stripes for camouflage (such as zebras but also tigers), and those whose stripes are harmless mimics of dangerous ones. It's not a question, then, of liking the right stuff but of finding out how curious you are, and how well you can apply what you already know to something new. If your course isn't listed here, please refer to the questions for other courses which are most similar to yours. The other part of the mortality rate calculation is of course the age of the population: we would ideally steer the conversation towards a discussion of why a wealthy but older country like Japan might have a higher mortality rate, while a country like Bangladesh which many people might initially expect to have a high mortality rate due to relative poverty as a country actually has a relatively lower mortality rate because of its young population. First and second college interviews will take place on Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7, Thursday 8 and Friday 9 December. Can't decide between Natural Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or a Maths course. For example, they might give you the unit function, u(n) for positive integers, defined as 1 when n = 0, If you have shown competency in the question, the interviewer could ask you about other multiplicative functions in the realm of number theory, such as Eulers totient function, phi(n). Sometimes you might get invited to interview by a college you did not apply to. In terms of software, you will just need Microsoft Teams. A typical Oxford mathematics interview tends to last approximately 25 minutes. Candidates who have grown up on Harry Potter might have read Rowling's new book and have thought both about Rowling's change of audience and their own change as readers from child to adult. If so, then you should make sure you will have a quiet space to read it on your own before your interview, just like if you were taking an exam. Students have usually have learnt that the kidneys filter blood to remove waste products, such as urea, that must be eliminated from the body but many other useful substances which must not be lost including glucose are also filtered. There might be other questions too: does the biography of the author have any relevance to our interpretation? Interviewer: Can you explain why you think it will always hold in cases like this? What is a hero, and is that category in opposition to folly? Get your own TRM branded merch by clicking the new Shop button on my IG profile #tomrocksmaths #merch #TRM, My punishment for forgetting to carry a minus sign - 3 hours in the pillory at Vianden Castle, Luxembourg. We may ask you to tell us about an area of mathematics you have studied; we may look in detail at a point of technique, or curve sketching; we may ask you puzzle-type questions; we may give you a mathematical definition and ask you to work out some of its consequences. BTEC Business Unit 6 (Principles or Management) May 2nd Resit (2023), need help with Religious Studies revision. Note: In some cases, using Teams while logged into a school account, or whilst on a school network, might mean the use of a webcam or video feed is blocked. So for example, why be fat and bulbous, why have large sharp spines, surrounded by lots of very small hair-like spines? This question is aiming to test your skills in number theory and numerical reasoning. Mainly I always want to know that whatever they are reading, candidates are reading thoughtfully and self-consciously, and are able to think as literary critics about all the books they read. What if we said that all art is, in fact, political? We don't do this with the expectation that they have already read any particular works, however, but in order to get a sense of why they think it is worth studying literatures in foreign languages. If you are applying for a joint course, with two or more subjects, you should expect to be interviewed by tutors representing each of the subjects. All of the interviews will occur over a 4 day period -you won't be called back for interviews at a later date. No. How do we know that information is valid? If I didn't do Physics A level, can I not do Physic related courses at University? Other typical questions might be about why so much of theOdysseyis about Odysseus return to Ithaca, rather than the adventures at sea that everyone remembers, or whether Achilles or Hector is the real hero of theIliad? Each shortlisted candidate will be interviewed by two colleges, with the interviews with the first college on Wednesday 14 and interviews with the second college on Thursday 15 December. The talk persisted in the 1980s, and the 1990s and then there was a pensions crisis, and little had been done politically to prepare us for it. University of Oxford 2021 Applicants Official thread! Go to theDemonstration interview videostab on this page and hear tutors talk about how they interview for their subject, watch them interview a current student and listen to their commentary afterwards. We may not have had the budget for the real thing, but a 3D-printed model and a fish tank in the @stedmundhall library is a pretty good substitute. The interviewer may prompt you in this way by asking something like, What are some easy functions you know are they multiplicative?, in response to which you might name some simple polynomial, constant, or exponential functions. It is possible that if the computer used to access Teams is touchscreen, no separate touchscreen device will be needed and the Miro whiteboard can be run on this at the same time. The tutors not only want to test your technical knowledge and skills in more algebraic problems but also the spatial reasoning used in questions relating to geometry. No candidate or their school will be expected to purchase a touchscreen device in order to participate in their Oxford interviews. Can I get into oxford with these results? We are particularly interested in their capacity to justify their views and interpretations. Second college interviews will take place on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December. Interviews are similar to Oxford's teaching tutorials and you may well find you actually learn a lot. Wednesday 7 December to Friday 9 December. If you submitted an open application, it will come from the college you have been allocated to. We might spend 10-15 minutes going through the implications of the puzzle during the interview, though this depends on how far candidates get, and how quickly they get there! Once candidates show a defensible position regarding what might serve as the basis of normality, we extend the discussion to (for example) the relation between abnormality and eccentricity. Tutors will, in addition to assessing aptitude and technical skills, seek in successful candidates. Sample interview timetable | University of Oxford Candidates will also have the opportunity to present any special factors that they would wish to be considered. We might start off by discussing the specific work that they cite (something that isnt included in their A-level syllabus), so they have chance to start off on something concrete and familiar, asking, for instance, in what ways?, why?, why might someone not enjoy it for the same reason?. If there are any adjustments you need because of a disability, make sure whoever has invited you to interview knows about these as soon as possible. Our sampleinterview timetableshows how interviews were scheduled in December 2022 for those shortlisted for 2023-entry. This would never be the opening question in an interview - we usually start with a first question that gives the candidate an opportunity to get comfortable by discussing something familiar. By clicking on the link contained within the invitation you will enter a virtual interview lobby and interviewers will then admit you to your interview. This would then allow workers in that industry to share some of those profits and so earn much more. This question delves into the role of the law in society and what is meant by justice. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. Why do some habitats support higher biodiversity than others? They want to see your best, and they want to understand the way you think. Is there a better way for Brian to allocate his spending and, if so, how might he achieve this better outcome? Candidates are not meant to give a right or wrong answer to this question. This will be explained to you in your invitation to interview. The key point about this question is trying to get candidates to think about the economics of pay rather than just whether they think it is fair or not. On the flight to Venice Alex and Brian discuss how they should each allocate their spending over the four days. Is there a fault with the British political system that means we can't sensibly address serious medium and long-term problems when they are identified? They will probably ask you a few simple questions to begin with: perhaps about something in your personal statement or why you have applied for a particular course. (submitted by Oxford university applicant), Integrate 1/(x^2) between -1 and 1. Historians are always interested in explaining continuity and change over time, so I might then ask the candidate to compare what historians can know about Tudor England to another time period or place that interests them. Interviews for some subjects are likely to require the use of a shared virtual whiteboard and in other, more mathematical subjects, a separate touchscreen device will be needed for the whiteboard along with a basic universal stylus so you can share mathematical notation, draw sketches, annotate diagrams or text, or add text. Below are additional subject-specific interview resources, some of which were filmed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Answers could relate to the racial/class/gender relations in society (who played the sports, and which sports, at any given time); international politics/empire (which countries were involved, did groups of countries play the same sport); economic development (the technological development of sports, how sport was watched); the values within a society (bloodthirsty sports to more genteel sports); health (participation rates); or many other issues the list is long. In order to get a student thinking critically and analytically, the question would get them to consider what constitutes the language they enjoy is it defined by particular features or by function (what it does)? Your invitation will also include all other information you need to be aware of in advance of your interview. What would you need to control for? I might use this question early in an interview in order to set the candidate thinking, and to elicit some idea of their motivation before moving on to more specific questions. When this is put to candidates, most recognize that blame seems to involve more than this. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. (Cambridge applicant, The Student Room), Do you know where the multiplication sign came from (Oxford university applicant, mathematics and statistics, The Student Room), If we have 25 people, what is the likelihood that at least one of them is born each month of the year? We use this question to open a discussion that could go in a number of different directions. Do you concoct the evidence to save the town from violence and potentially prevent the deaths of numerous people? For example, the rock is made of crystals, some of which have well-defined shapes. Additional interviews will take place between Thursday 8 and Wednesday 14 December. A good answer could engage with one or more of these problems, and we would hope in conversation develop further questions. Only those shortlisted are invited to interview. The main aim would not be to solve these problems, but to use them to find some new interest in a subject that the candidate already knows something about. If you aren't able to speak to other people, why not record a vlog to practise speaking, or hold an imaginary interview in your head, or even talk to the cat! In this case, there is a role for government intervention - making the market more competitive. How many ways are there to cover a 2 x n rectangular grid with 2 x 1 tiles? A hoop of diameter d i thrown onto the tiles. If so, what kind of control group? Student: I guess that I should use Pythagoras equation to calculate the distance between two points across a face but Im not sure which face it should go across. Or is it something else again? What most interests us is that candidates are willing to venture down a new path, however uncertain this may feel: to have a go and show that they have the potential to develop their thinking further and thus thrive on the sort of course we offer. Rather, the interview is about candidates' ability to think critically, to deal with counter-examples to the views they put forward, and to draw distinctions between important concepts. First college interviews will take place on Monday 5, Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 December. If we can estimate the total surface area of the Earth (approximated by the surface area of a sphere) we can therefore calculate the total mass of the atmosphere. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB Imagine a ladder leaning against a vertical wall with its feet on the ground. He has no friends or family in the town; no-one has seen him before as far as you know. This question is testing how well you can formalise your own intuitive ideas of maximum and minimum, and using what you already know about modulus. Is the heroism of those who respond to the needs of the sportsperson more heroic still? Alternatively, try explaining concepts from your Maths A-level to your less mathematically-minded friends and family. If you have any concerns about accessing technology, get in touch with the college inviting you for interview. The interview is designed to assess your academic potential. Interviewer: David Popplewell, Brasenose College. Whilst watching our demonstration interview videos (view tab), stop and start as many times as you like, so you can think about what your own answers might have been. Some may also discuss failure by sliding, issues of structural design, the effects of water seeping under the dam, and so on. For this particular question I would be looking for an answer that showed the candidate could appreciate that the Bible was a collection of documents written and transmitted over several centuries, and containing important traditions that have a bearing on history, but that academic study of the Bible means that it has to be examined carefully to see when and where these traditions had come from and for what purpose they had been written. Have I taken' the car?' The study of music is about more than just examining composed works, and a question like this gets at that aspect of the course. The student can use the equation to work out that this corresponds to much more of the compound dissolving in octanol than in water. You might also be interviewed by more than one college. In fact, what we are interested in is whether the candidates can make accurate and critical observations (what does the rock look like?) ); how they respond to hints and suggestions from us (can they take a hint or two and run with it, or do they have to be dragged through every step? A good approach to answering the question would be to first consider the individual functional groups separately and then to discuss the compound as a whole. I would never ask a question like this without the student mentioning the text first, as we dont assume that all applicants will have read the same things. If you are shortlisted, it is important that you recognise that in accepting your invitation to interview, you are agreeing to the following code of conduct: Candidates will be at serious risk of having any offer withdrawn if they do not abide by any aspects of this code of conduct. Whichever way the discussion goes, interesting topics branch off. A very good candidate would, with assistance, begin to construct a useful definition of 'political', but this is challenging. A candidate might also want to ask what we mean when we say there is a God? Is affirming this statement enough, or should religious or theological enquiry be more specific is talk of God in the abstract as helpful as discussion of particular religious ideas or texts? (submitted by Oxford applicant), Prove by contradiction that 2(a)^2 - b^2 is true only if a and b are both odd? Interviewer: Roger Benson, St Edmund Hall. When I was at school in the 1970s, there was talk of a pensions crisis that would one day hit. Feel good! (The Student Room), Compare the integrals between the values e and 1: a) int[ln(x^2)]dx; b) int[(lnx)^2]dx and c) int[lnx]dx. Tuesday 6 December to Wednesday 7 December, Thursday 8 December and Tuesday 14 December. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. It really depends on what the applicant says they have read. Either before your interview or at the start of your interview, you will receive a link by email to a Miro whiteboard from the Oxford college running your interview. Interviewer: Dave Leal, Brasenose College. A good candidate would wonder why it is that seemingly equivalently talented people can get paid so much more in banking than in other occupations. In some subjects, you will be invited to interviews at more than one college before your interviews start. Student: Clearly the point (0.2, 0.3) is in the bottom left hand corner of the square, so for the shortest distance we should be travelling along the bottom or left faces. and the criteria will be measured with full regard to their differing requirements. I want to see how students respond to guidance and how they correct themselves, hopefully less by guessing than by thinking through what they know and what I've told them. When I used this question, candidates adopted a number of strategies. The question is not so much about which person the candidate wants to meet, but what sort of issues the candidate wants to find out about (which can be quite revealing) and then working out the best way to do so. The candidate should then be able to explain why both fingers reach the centre of the rule at the same time as observed. Interviewer: Steve Collins, University College. There is increasing disquiet in the community. Id initially ask the candidate what shape they think will be formed, and then ask them how they can test this hypothesis. Questions like this help draw out a candidates ability to think carefully and precisely about a familiar concept,evaluating proposals, coming up with counter-examples, disentangling considerations, and being creative in proposing alternative approaches. This means that there is more friction between the ruler and this finger and therefore the rule slides over the finger furthest from the centre first. Theology and Religion doesn't require A-level Religious Studies, so we always want to find issues that enable us to see how a student is able to handle and unpick a question, relating the particular to more general concepts. If the punishment for parking on double yellow lines were death, and therefore nobody did it, would that be a just and effective law? The questions allow us to see whether candidates are open-minded and able to see how others, both today and, crucially, in the ancient world, might put the evidence from the texts together to draw different conclusions. It's usually a guided discussion rather than a matter of getting answers right or wrong straight away. Decisions regarding additional interviews will be communicated to applicants by 5pm on Friday 9 December. Remember your interviewers will want you to do well, and be able to see your potential. It would be perfectly fine for someone to change their mind in the course of the discussion or come up with a thought that contradicted something theyd said beforewe want people to think flexibly and be willing to consider different perspectives; ideally, they would recognise themselves that they were changing their viewpoint, and such awareness could indicate aptitude for sustained, careful reflection rather than a scattergun effect of lots of different points that arent developed or considered in a probing way. Would you expect this compound to be more soluble in octanol or water? Question: How would you define the maximum of two real numbers, x and y? This question would come later in the interview, when we present candidates with an unfamiliar scenario and ask them to use what they know about familiar concepts (such as friction) to explain something. If you are given the chance to ask your own questions at the end of the interview, this does not form any part of your assessment. Mathematics Oxford & Cambridge University Interview Questions Past admissions interview questions for Mathematics There's a torus/ring doughnut shaped space station with 2 spacemen on a spacewalk standing diametrically oppositie each other. Have a look at the tips we give on theHow can I prepare? Candidates will have interviews at their first college on Monday 12 and second college on Monday 12 or Tuesday 13. The question probes whether they are able to apply geographical thinking' to the everyday landscapes around them. If you can't find a video for your subject below, then we recommend that if possible, you watch one in the same tier (visit theTechnology requiredtab) as your own and for a similar subject. The trick is to think widely and not try and fit the answer to some lesson that has been learnt in school. One example might be: 'I am walking along the street when it starts to rain. What do we mean by value, and how might it be measured? How would we construct a case for the value of religion in the absence of belief in God? Would you concoct new evidence?'. Most first college interviews will take place on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December. We hope that this will be either in your school or college, or your home or similar environment. The question allows students to use their own musical experiences as a starting point for a broader and more abstract discussion about the different ways people consume music, the relationship between music and technology, and how music can define us socially. First and second college interviews will take place between Monday 5 and Friday 9 December. These can often be dated by scientific means (and so appear more objective than literature), but we still frequently need additional information such as inscriptions or evidence from other similar sites in order to make sense of the ancient remains. Monday 5 December to Wednesday 7 December. Sketch a diagram using the draw tool with your stylus, as though you were drawing on a piece of paper. I would usually ask supplementary questions, to push the students further and often, I would have no answer in my mind, but would simply be interested in seeing how far the student could push their analysis. Applicants might have picked up ideas about the function of a lion's mane from independent reading or from watching natural history documentaries. Interviewer: Gail Trimble, Trinity College. One candidate suggested that no one should be allowed to stand for parliament unless they have dependent children, with the thought that this would ensure a personal motivation towards longer term thinking on a variety of matters. Good interviews will often generate all kinds of interesting and revealing discussions that show a candidates ability for analytical thought: for exampleabout self-blame, cases of blame where theblamerknew the blamed haddone nothing wrong, and indeed cases of blaming something inanimate (such as a faulty printer or phone). Interviewer: Jan Schnupp, St Peter's College. This question is meant to be deliberately provocative, in that I hope that it engages candidates' intuitions that Welsh people aren't simply less clever than English people! For each interview, youll be sent a separate calendar invitation containing a link that will take you to the Microsoft Teams virtual interview lobby. You will be asked during registration to give your company name and role but here you can instead just enter your full name and when asked for your role, click on the option "Not company-related". Its commonly known that diabetes is associated with sugar (glucose) in the urine; this question asks students to think about why this occurs. In that respect, short stories, such as those by Guy de Maupassant, are a good and a popular place to start: they're engaging, memorable and can feel quite approachable. Please view the sampleinterview timetable for interviews in December 2022 (for 2023-entry), which were held online. They might be able to tell us about the challenges of translation, about what sorts of things resist literal or straightforward translation from one language to another, and this would give us an indication of how aware they are of how languages work. Tutors are looking for your self-motivation and enthusiasm for your subject. It's not assumed that a less-talented student will need more help on any given problem, and for this reason it can be difficult for students to judge how well they're doing during the interview.If a student gets things correct straight away, I just move on, either to further aspects of the original question, or to others. (submitted by oxf, What should I wear for a University Interview. In some subjects, you will be invited to interviews at more than one college before your interviews start. Some crystals might be larger because they took longer to form. JK Rowling has just published a book for adults after the hugely successful Harry Potter series. A homeless man comes to town. Mathematical Institute Student: Oh yes, I can take the modulus, so I think the formula is. how would we evaluate whether it is 'good' or not, and does that matter? (Oxford applicant, The Student Room), If (cos(x))^2 = 2sin(a), what are the intervals of values of a in the interval 0 a pi so that this equation has a solution? A successful applicant will make the connection that an elevated level of glucose in the blood in diabetes leads to increased filtration of glucose by the kidneys and saturation of the carriers that perform the reabsorption, resulting in overspill of glucose in the urine. This answer raises the difficult question of individuals' responsibility, as individuals, for harmful collective actions. The plateau region above pH 9 occurs because almost all of molecules have lost the hydrogen ion by this point. If you can't find a video in your subject then watch one in the same tier as your own and for a similar subject. Candidates might then think about how law makes other peoples behaviour more predictable so that we can plan our own actions, or how the law might serve functions like punishing wrongdoing.
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