Interviews for international students

Many (but not all) of our applicants will be invited for online interview, and this includes our international applicants. There are lots of useful tips on how to prepare for interview on the University of Cambridge website (the two films called 'Preparing for interview' and 'the interview' are particularly helpful).

It is worth bearing in mind that a Cambridge interview is not a straightforward academic “examination” of what you know: it is a way of finding out how you handle and apply new information, and whether you would thrive within the supervision (tutorial) system. Since the vast majority of those applying to Christ’s have achieved (or are predicted to achieve) top academic grades, the online interviews are a useful part of the selection process as they allow us to see how you think and work directly, which helps us to see whether you will thrive on your chosen course at Cambridge.

The most important thing is to ensure that you are comfortable discussing academic matters, spontaneously, in English. Sometimes a practice will help - try explaining some ideas in your subject to an adult that you don't know too well.

College Registered Written assessments

Some of the courses require a short written online assessment if you are selected for interviews. These are called "College Registered" assessments, because applicants do not need to do anything to register for them. In the case of "College Registered Assessments", we automatically organise the assessment for you and send you details if we select you for interview.

Examples of the written assessments can be found by following the links from the admissions assessments page. If you are applying for an essay-based subject, it is worth researching and considering how you might structure an essay answer under timed conditions (see this information, for example).

For further information, see the admissions assessments page.

Details for how the online admissions assessment in your subject will be conducted will be given after you have been selected for interview.
 

Interview advice from previous international applicants

With thanks to our previous international applicants who shared their advice for future international applicants:

• "The questions are designed to be out-of-the-box and may be unfamiliar to you in terms of how the concepts are presented, but do not panic, the interviewer can assist you in understanding them should you require assistance."
  Applicant from Malaysia
   
• "Be comfortable about talking, do not worry about accent or vocabulary too much to even start talking."
  Applicant from China
   
• "I would advise them to prepare well for the interview and tests! And enjoy the process!"
  Applicant from Singapore
   
• "Believe it or not, the interviewers want to bring the best out of you! Instead of fixating on what your application lacks, focus on how you can best present an authentic version of yourself at interview. Treat your interview as an incredible opportunity to learn new things in an unfamiliar academic context, and no matter which way it ends up, you will always remember your interview as a learning experience. Don't feel dismayed if your interview wasn't up to par - most candidates who ultimately receive an offer feel this way. Finally, have some faith! If you ARE good enough to study at Christ's, you WILL get an offer." 
  Applicant from India
   
• "The interviewers were nice. I enjoyed the interview very much."
  Applicant from Hong Kong