This page contains set up and familiarisation support for students with an interview on Whereby (& possibly using Miro whiteboard).

• Info for subjects that mainly require conversation
  (and possible screen-sharing by the interviewer)
• Info for subjects where you may need  to write things
• Joining your interview
• Troubleshooting
   

What is Whereby?

Whereby is a free video communication technology that is entirely free to use. It works in your browser, so you don't need to download anything to use it. Whereby can be used on any device, including computers/laptops, tablets and smartphones (though we don't recommend using a smartphone for your interviews). It works a lot like Zoom, so if you are familiar with Zoom but not Whereby, don't worry - you will quickly get used to it.

Setting Up - What do you need?

Essentials: we recommend that you use a desktop computer or laptop and that you open the link to join your interview in the Chrome browser.

It is very important to read the system requirements and to use an appropriate browser otherwise you will find that Whereby does not work well.

Setting Up - Testing camera and microphone

It is important that you check the camera and the microphone on your device works in advance of your interview date/s, so that you have time to resolve any issues. 

• To test your camera, open the pre-installed camera application on your device. If the image moves, then your camera should be working normally.
• To test your microphone, go to https://www.onlinemictest.com/ and follow the instructions. You will need to give permission to access the microphone when prompted.
• Check whether there are any updates

At the time of your interview

 Open a Chrome browser

Click on the correct link for your interview (or copy and paste it into the browser) and follow the joining instructions -

• enter your name (exactly as you wrote it on your UCAS application) and click continue
• click 'request permissions' when prompted to allow access to the camera and microphone by the browser. Then double check you're connected to the right camera, mic and speakers.
• Click on 'Knock' to be let in. Note that when you press 'knock' it will take a picture of you to show to the room host so they can see you before they let you in!

If Chrome/Firefox is not your default browser (i.e. not the one that opens when you click the link in the email), you will need to copy and paste the interview link into Chrome/Firefox instead.

Note that your interviewers may well put you on hold until they are ready for you. You do not need to do anything whilst you are on hold - just wait and be ready for when they let you into the virtual room.
 

Suggested trial and familiarisation exercises before interview day

To familiarise yourself with how Whereby looks before your interview day, it would be beneficial to set up a test session with a friend, family member or a teacher, but you can also test this yourself. Whereby works best in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or other Chromium-based browsers.

To test Whereby, follow these instructions:

If a friend, family member or teacher can help you:

1) Set up a free account with Whereby. This should be done by the other person, so that you can practise entering the meeting. 

2) Create a room link, and ensure that the room is 'locked'.

3) Have the person helping you send the link to you. 

4) Click on the link and follow the joining instructions - enter your name and click 'request permissions' when prompted to allow access to the camera and microphone by the browser. You will then need to 'Knock' to be let in. Note that when you press 'knock' it will take a picture of you to show to the room host so they can see you before they let you in!

5) Wait to be let in. Once in the meeting, it is like any other video-calling platform. You will be able to see yourself if the camera works, and the movement of a green bar on the microphone button if it is detecting sound. 

6) End the session when you are finished testing.

If you need to do it on your own:

1) You will need two devices, or use Google Chrome, with one normal window and an Incognito window. 

2) On one device/window, set up a free account on Whereby and create a room. Ensure that the room is 'locked'. 

3) Open the room on the first device/window. Where using Chrome + an incognito window, make sure you're doing this step in regular Chrome.

4) Copy or type the link into the other device/window (incognito if using that for your test). Enter a name and click 'Request Permissions' - there will be a prompt to allow Whereby access to the microphone and camera. Click allow. 

5) On the second device/window, click knock. On the first device/window click 'see who' when prompted - this is what it will look like for your interviewer!

6) On the first device/window, click 'Let In'. You will be able to see yourself if the camera works, and the movement of a green bar on the microphone button if it is detecting sound. 

7) End the session when you are finished testing.

Useful links:

What	Description
/current-applicants/set-up	Christ's interview support sessions
https://whereby.com/	The Whereby website
https://www.onlinemictest.com/	To test your microphone

This section contains information about writing in your interview (for tasks such as solving equations). Please look at section one ('conversation only') for general information on using Whereby, and suggestions for familiarising yourself with it as a platform and wait for your invitation to interview, which will have details of how the interviews in your subject will work (please don't make assumptions as the details won't be the same for all subjects). 

Equipment for writing

If your invitation to interview says that your interview will / may include writing tasks then where possible, you should use a desktop computer or laptop for your interview as these are the most compatible devices for interviews that will include problems or exercises where you need to write. Shared whiteboards do not work well on smartphone devices and can have issues on tablets.

See your invitation to interview email (the one with times, dates and joining details) for details for your subject.

In all cases we recommend that you have Pen and Paper. Your interviewers may prefer this to using a digital whiteboard in general, they may suggest that you use pen and paper for specific parts of the interview, or your pen and paper may be needed as back-up in case working on the virtual whiteboard doesn't work that well. The pen should be one that is easily visible if you need to hold up any workings to the camera. A liquid ink pen or pen with a thicker tip (e.g. a felt-tip) may be a good option. Make sure they're working ahead of the interview and have a spare, just in case!

If your interviewer shares a whiteboard and asks you to write or draw something on it, you will be able to do this by moving a mouse, using a touchpad on a laptop or using a graphics tablet & stylus. NB. Although it's not a problem if a touchpad is all you have available, a mouse would be very helpful if available to you (see if you could borrow one from someone you know, or from school). We do not expect you to purchase any equipment for your interview and the equipment used in your interview will be noted on your interview report. The interviewers will be happy to work with the equipment that you have and it is helpful, as always, if you can talk through what you are writing whilst you are writing it so that the interviewer also has your comments to listen to.

The whiteboard used in Whereby interviews is a Miro Whiteboard. You won't need to do anything to access it as the interviewee - your interviewer will look after sharing the board. Sometimes they just want to display something to you, other times they may ask you to write something. Your interviewers will tell you clearly what they'd like you to do.

If you are using two cameras with pen and paper (again, pay attention to your invitation to interview to see if this applies to you - it is not a choice) then make sure that your second device (the one trained on your paper) is muted and the volume turned down/off - this will prevent any echo on your call.

Suggested familiarisation exercises:

We recommend setting up a (free) Miro account - this won't be needed for your interview, but it will enable you to see what Miro looks like in advance, find the buttons, have a go with the digital pen and try doing some writing in it before your interview. You don't need to be an expert in Miro, but it will help if you know where to click to get the digital pen and how you like to use it.

Don't neglect the pen and paper option, as it would also be worth practising this. Why not get a friend and try a meeting in a free Whereby account, write stuff on paper and hold it up so you can experiment with which pens work best, how big to write, where to hold the paper so your friend can see etc.

Whether communicating by moving your mouse or by holding up paper that your interviewers can see, it will help greatly if you can also talk through your thought processes as you work. Explain what you are writing and why as you write it, if you can, so that the interviewers can also hear what you are saying. This is also worth a practice!

None of this is going to be perfect but one thing about having a practice is also to accept imperfection. When approaching an online interview, you need to think that you just need to do enough to communicate with your interviewers about what you are thinking and how you are approaching a problem. They will not be bothered if you can't write neatly (they've seen it all before) - they will just want to understand what you are getting across, and they will want you to focus on the questions you are being asked.
 

1. Before the interview, find your invitation to interview email with the dates, times and joining details. All times are GMT (so students not in the UK should check they have the correct timing for their country - check this using World Clock). 

2. On a sticky note or piece of paper, or by printing the email, write down the following for each interview

• The Meeting Link (in full!) - it will look something like https://camchr.whereby.com/example-subject and will be in your invitation to interview. You *only* need this link.
• The interview time 

Make sure you keep this information in a safe place and to hand during your interview (e.g. next to your keyboard), in case of any technical issues requiring you to rejoin the session. 

3. Click your interview link directly from your invitation or type it into your browser. The link is the only thing required to join your interview (there is no password).

4. Enter your name as instructed and click continue.

5. Click 'Request permissions' and click 'allow' when prompted by your browser. 

6. Check your camera and microphone are working (see instructions in the familiarisation exercise) and click 'Knock' at the time of your interview. 

7. Wait to be let into the interview. 

8. When your interview is finished, please leave the meeting.
 

My camera is not working

1. Check that the browser or application has been given permission to access your device's camera. If you cannot find a way to do this, try exiting and restarting the session to renew the prompt. If this still doesn't work, clear your cookies, or use an Incognito tab.
2. Check that Whereby is connected to the right camera. You can do this by hovering your mouse over the camera button.                                                                            
3. Check whether the fault is with the camera - open the pre-installed camera application on your device to see if it produces an image.
4. Ensure that the device you are using has installed the latest updates.
5. Ensure that the browser has installed the latest updates.
6. If using a mobile phone as a second camera (some subjects, you will have been told if this applies to you!), try using Firefox instead if you have first tried Chrome (or vice versa).
7. If using a wired webcam (i.e. not built-in) check that the wire is properly connected to your device.
8. If at school, consult your IT technicians for further advice. 
9. If it cannot be made to work, try an alternative device if possible. 

My microphone is not working

1. Check that the browser or application has been given permission to access your device's microphone. If you cannot find a way to do this, try exiting and restarting the session to renew the prompt. If this still doesn't work, clear your cookies, or use an Incognito tab.
2. Check that Whereby is connected to the correct microphone. You can do this by hovering your mouse over the microphone button.                                                   
3. Check whether there is a fault with the microphone - go to https://www.onlinemictest.com/
4. If using headphones, disconnect the headphones and try the device's own microphone. 
5. If not using headphones, try connecting some headphones with a microphone. Where possible, please use wired headphones, not headphones which connect over Bluetooth as this is a weaker connection. 
6. Ensure that the device you are using has installed the latest updates.
7. Ensure that the browser has installed the latest updates.
8. If at school or using a school device, consult your IT technicians for further advice. 
9. If it cannot be made to work, try an alternative set of headphones, or an alternative device if possible.

I can't hear anything

1. Check that Whereby is connected to the correct speaker(s). You can do this via the settings.  
2. Check if the problem is Whereby or your device - open YouTube in another tab and select any video. If you still hear nothing, it's likely the issue is your device/connected speaker. 
3. If you cannot hear anything including via YouTube, restart your device. 
4. Check that any external speakers - including headphones - are properly connected/plugged in. Also try unplugging them completely.
5. Try an alternative browser. Whereby works best in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Chromium Edge.
6. Ensure that your device and browser have the latest updates installed. 
7. If at school or using a school device, consult your IT technicians for further advice.
8. If it cannot be made to work, try an alternative speaker/set of headphones, or an alternative device if possible.

I can't open Whereby

1. Ensure that your device has the latest updates installed.
2. Ensure that the browser has the latest updates installed. 
3. Try an alternative browser. Whereby works best in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Chromium Edge.
4. Check that JavaScript is enabled in the browser being used. Click here for advice on turning on JavaScript.
5. Check any possible firewall or other restrictions on your internet connection. If using the device on your school's network, you will need to consult the IT team.
6. If possible, try using an ethernet cable for a stronger connection.
7. If you are using a mobile device, we recommend that you use Whereby via Chrome as a browser, rather than the Whereby app.