At Caius we interview the vast majority of applicants for undergraduate study - usually more than 85%. Interviews provide additional information on your understanding of, commitment to, and potential in, your chosen subject. The interview also provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate the skills needed to be an undergraduate.

Interviews at Caius

If you apply to Caius we'll treat you as an individual. In most subjects, candidates invited to interview at Caius will have two interviews. In some subjects it is normal for candidates to have three interviews. Details are available on our course pages. One interview will be with the Director of Studies in your chosen subject, and the second (and where appropriate third) interview will be with another Fellow of the College in the same subject, or one of the College Tutors. Interviews tend to last 20 - 30 minutes. All interviews will focus on academic matters related to your chosen subject.

There is no such thing as a typical interview, but more often than not you will be asked to engage with problems related to your chosen subject (e.g. verbal, written, graphical or mathematical, as appropriate), which may involve you applying your existing knowledge to novel situations and/or developing arguments to support or defend a particular viewpoint. You will be expected to take on new ideas and/or explore new angles on a problem or issue. Some interviews may involve discussing any written work you have submitted or admission tests you have taken. The interviewer may also introduce a general line of questioning, perhaps in an area related to your academic interests. It is important to note that the thought process is more important than knowing the answer immediately. Interviews involve a focused, two–way discussion, which is typical of the teaching style at Cambridge. During the interview you may ask for clarification at any stage and, in most interviews, you will be given an opportunity to ask your own questions at the end of the interview. Whilst interviews are designed to be challenging, they are conducted in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere and we aim to get the best from each candidate. As such, interviews should be looked on more as ‘opportunities to excel’ rather than ‘hurdles to overcome’.

We use interviews to look for evidence of your seriousness about your subject, an enthusiasm for complex and challenging ideas, intellectual curiosity and flexibility and an ability to think about problems intelligently. We may also be looking for evidence of a vocational or professional commitment, where appropriate (e.g. applicants for Medicine). It is important to stress that whilst interviews form an important part of our selection process, they are not the be all and end all of admissions decisions - academic qualifications are still the most important aspect of your application.

The University website has much more information about interviews, including videos of mock admissions interviews.

Written work and other tests

In some subjects, mainly the arts and humanities, we ask applicants to submit written work in support of their application. Ordinarily we would ask for two essays produced as part of your normal curriculum at school or college. We will contact you after you have applied to tell you what you need to send in. In other subjects, we ask candidates to sit short written tests on the day of their interviews. Both of these practices are normal at all Cambridge Colleges. Details of specific requirements for each course can be found on our course pages. More information about submitted work and written tests is available on the University website.

Ultimately, the best approach to all of our interviews and tests is simply to work hard and to apply. You don't need to excel in every area of our assessment; we're simply looking for some clear signs of genuine interest, high ability and high potential.