For many, the prospect of an Oxbridge undergraduate admissions interview strikes terror into their very being.

Stories about people being asked obscure and off-the-wall questions, seemingly unrelated to their subject, abound; most infamously, “Tell me about a banana…”.

But in recent years, Oxford and Cambridge universities have been desperate to shake off this image and make the whole process seem as accessible as possible.

Today, just days in advance of the October 15 deadline for applications to Oxford, the university has released a list of sample questions, accompanied by some notes from interviewers on how they would expect successful candidates to go about answering them.

Samina Khan, director of admissions and outreach at the university, said: “No matter what kind of educational background or opportunities you have had, the interview should be an opportunity to show off your interest and ability in your chosen subject, since they are not about reciting what you already know.

“Tutors want to give candidates a chance to show their real ability and potential, which means candidates will be encouraged to use their knowledge and apply their thinking to new problems - with tutors guiding the discussion to ensure students feel comfortable and confident.”

She said it was often best to start responding by making “very obvious observations” and then building up discussions from there. Solving the problem quickly was less important than showing how you use information and analysis to get there, Ms Khan added. 

So could you answer an Oxford interview question? Here are some starters for 10...

Subject: Modern languages (French)

Q: What makes a novel or play “political”?

Subject: Medicine

Q: About one in four deaths in the UK is due to some form of cancer, yet in the Philippines the figure is only around one in 10. What factors might underlie this difference?

Subject: Philosophy, politics and economics (and other philosophy courses)

Q: What exactly do you think is involved in blaming someone?

Subject: Maths

Q: Imagine a ladder leaning against a vertical wall with its feet on the ground. The middle rung of the ladder has been painted a different colour on the side, so that we can see it when we look at the ladder from the side on. What shape does that middle rung trace out as the ladder falls to the floor?

Subject: Experimental psychology

Q: A large study appears to show that older siblings consistently score higher than younger siblings on IQ tests. Why would this be?

For the expected answers, click here. For further examples, go to the University of Oxford undergraduate admissions website.

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