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Video call interview preparation

Interview preparation, 2026

Oxbridge Mock Interviews

Real length, real questions and strict marking, with a rotating panel of Oxford and Cambridge interviewers, so the real interview is never the first time you face someone new.

Discuss a mock interview →97 subject guides with practice questions

Mock interviews

How our mock interviews work

Real length, real questions and strict marking, with a rotating panel of Oxford and Cambridge interviewers, so the real interview is never the first time you face someone new.

01

Real conditions

Two interviews of 25 to 30 minutes in one hour, with a strict cut-off. Standard questions, unseen material and real past interview questions we keep for our mock interview students.

02

A rotating panel

On the day you meet people you have never seen before. So you meet a different interviewer each time, never more than four mocks with the same person, and nothing is asked twice.

03

Strict marking

Every interview is scored on the same three criteria and written up on a feedback sheet in your portal, so you can see exactly where you are improving and what to fix next.

One hour, two interviews

Many Oxford and Cambridge applicants have two interviews, so every session gives you two, back to back, at the real length.

  1. Before

    Your interviewer prepares

    We match you with an interviewer for your course. They read your personal statement first, and they see every question you have already been asked and how you scored, so they can push you somewhere new.

  2. During

    Two real interviews

    A mix of standard questions and unseen problems, sources or texts. Think out loud: your interviewer is listening to how you reason, not only to the answer.

  3. After

    Feedback you can use

    A few minutes of live feedback at the end of the hour, then a written feedback sheet in your portal: your scores, the questions you covered, your main strength, the one thing to fix and what to practice before the next mock. Parents linked to your account can read it too.

What we mark

  • 50%

    Academic thinking

    Breaking an unfamiliar problem down, testing ideas, using what you know in a new setting and spotting where an assumption fails.

  • 30%

    Communication

    Thinking out loud, stating your assumptions, answering the question actually asked and making good use of a hint.

  • 20%

    Resilience under pressure

    Not whether you are nervous, but whether you recover: after a correction, a dead end or a deliberately vague question.

How strictly we score

Each criterion is scored on one fixed scale, the same in every subject and for every interviewer.

85ExceptionalUnusual independence and insight. Very rare.
80StrongConsistently proactive, needs little guidance.
75GoodAt least one clear highlight in thinking, communication or recovery.
70DevelopingSound fundamentals and some initiative, not yet consistent.
65BasicFollows hints, but the interviewer supplies most of the structure.
60PoorCannot answer many questions, even with step-by-step hints.
55Very poorCannot answer most questions, even with hints.

A student who follows every hint without reasoning for themselves scores 65, not 70.

Why we rotate interviewers

On the day you will be interviewed by academics you have never met, each with their own way of asking. A student who sees the same tutor every week gets used to that tutor, and that comfort is gone the moment the real interview starts. So we spread your mocks across a panel.

  • 4The most mocks any one interviewer takes with you. The rest come from the wider panel.
  • 0Questions asked twice. Every interviewer sees what you have already had, so each mock covers new ground.
  • New facesFor your final simulations. Wherever the panel allows, the last mocks before the real thing go to interviewers you have not met.

An example plan

An example plan of ten mocks. Your own plan depends on your course and when your invitation arrives.

  • Mocks 1 to 4

    Your personal statement, standard questions and first unseen problems.

  • Mocks 5 to 8

    Tailored to your college and course once your invitation arrives.

  • Mocks 9 and 10

    Full simulations.

How to start

  1. Tell us your course, your colleges and two or three times that suit you.
  2. We match you with an interviewer for your course and confirm who it is.
  3. You have two full interviews, live feedback, then the written sheet in your portal.
  4. Each next mock picks up where the last one left off.
Discuss a mock interview →

2027 entry

Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial interview dates

  • Oxford

    For 2027 entry, Oxford interviews shortlisted applicants online in December 2026, and tells them the outcome on 12 January 2027.

    1. Shortlisting email: A week or more ahead
    2. Online interviews: December 2026
    3. Decision: 12 January 2027
    Oxford mock interviews →

  • Cambridge

    Cambridge holds its main interview period from 7 to 18 December 2026. Most applicants have one or two interviews, lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total, and Cambridge says applicants find out the outcome on 27 January 2027.

    1. Interview invitation: Mostly November
    2. College interviews: 7 to 18 December 2026
    3. Outcome: 27 January 2027
    Cambridge mock interviews →

  • Imperial

    Most Imperial departments interview shortlisted applicants, usually between November and February; Medicine runs Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) in January and February.

    1. Shortlisting: After the admissions test
    2. Interviews: November to February
    3. Medicine MMIs: January and February
    4. Decision: Through UCAS by 31 March 2027
    Imperial mock interviews →

Checked against official university sources on 26 October 2026. Your invitation email has the details for your own course and college.

Some of the best at Oxford and Cambridge

Our interviewers are some of the best at Oxford and Cambridge: graduates who came through the same interview, many of them at or near the top of their year.

  • Hannah

    History

    1st of 169 in the year

    Double Starred First, Cambridge, ranked 1st of 169

  • English

    1st of 183 in the year

    Double Starred First, Cambridge, ranked 1st of 183

  • Toby

    Chemistry

    6th final-year Chemistry

    Triple First in Natural Sciences, Cambridge

  • Mathematics

    5th of 284 Part III

    Part III with Distinction, Cambridge, ranked 5th of 284

  • History and Law

    2nd of 216 first-year Law

    Double First, Oxford, then 2nd of 216 in first-year Law at Cambridge

  • Engineering

    MEng, First with Distinction, Cambridge, and a PhD

  • PPE

    Top 5% of the year

    First, Oxford, top five per cent of the year

  • Medicine

    First Class in Medical Sciences, Oxford

Interviewers are confirmed with you before each session. Oxbridge Mentors is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.

Oxbridge interview questions to try

One real-style question from each of our most popular subject guides. Answer it aloud first, then open the guide for hints and more questions.

  • Oxford Medicine

    Why is sugar in your urine a good indicator that you might have diabetes?

    Oxford Medicine questions →

  • Oxford PPE

    A city introduces a congestion charge. What effects would you expect on drivers, public transport, local businesses and fairness?

    Oxford PPE questions →

  • Oxford Law

    What does it mean, in law-like terms, to 'take' another person's car?

    Oxford Law questions →

  • Oxford Engineering

    A vertical-faced gravity dam has water on one side. How would you decide whether the wall is stable against sliding and overturning?

    Oxford Engineering questions →

  • Oxford Mathematics

    A ladder leans against a vertical wall with its foot on the ground. As it falls, what curve is traced by the midpoint of the ladder?

    Oxford Mathematics questions →

  • Cambridge Natural Sciences

    A 5 kg box is in a lift accelerating upwards at 4 m s^-2. Find the tension in the supporting rope, then explain what changes if a second identical box is attached beneath it by another rope.

    Cambridge Natural Sciences questions →

  • Oxford History

    You are given a short petition about food prices. What can you infer from the wording, and what remains uncertain?

    Oxford History questions →

  • Cambridge Economics

    Sketch the graph below for positive c, explaining turning points and limiting behaviour.

    Cambridge Economics questions →

  • Oxford Computer Science

    Tidy boxes: you have 10 boxes, 100 blocks, and 10 colours; show that the blocks can be packed so that each box contains at most two colours.

    Oxford Computer Science questions →

  • Oxford English Literature

    Before we start with any specific questions, can you give me a more general impression of whether you found the poem interesting, whether you liked it, and what particular points in the poem drew your attention?

    Oxford English Literature questions →

  • Oxford Physics

    A ball starts from rest and is pushed upward by a constant force for a fixed time. Sketch its velocity-time graph until it hits the ground.

    Oxford Physics questions →

  • Cambridge Philosophy

    Here is a short passage arguing that we can never be certain the external world exists because all our evidence comes through the senses. Read it, then tell me in one sentence what the author is actually claiming.

    Cambridge Philosophy questions →

When are the interviews? See Oxford and Cambridge interview dates.

Applying for Medicine?

Oxford and Cambridge college interviews and Imperial's MMIs, in one series with a different medic each time.

Medicine mock interviews →

Interview questions and mock interviews by subject

97 subject guides across Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, each with practice questions, hints and how that interview runs. Pick your university, then your subject.

Or start with your university: Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial.

Questions families ask

What is a mock interview?

A practice interview at the real length, with an interviewer you have not met, using standard questions and unseen material, followed by feedback on how you reasoned, not only on your answers.

When are Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial interviews?

For 2027 entry, Oxford interviews shortlisted applicants online in December 2026, and tells them the outcome on 12 January 2027. Cambridge holds its main interview period from 7 to 18 December 2026. Most applicants have one or two interviews, lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total, and Cambridge says applicants find out the outcome on 27 January 2027. Most Imperial departments interview shortlisted applicants, usually between November and February; Medicine runs Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) in January and February.

When should I start mock interviews?

Before your invitation arrives. Early mocks cover your personal statement, standard questions and your first unseen problems; once you know your college and dates, the later mocks are tailored to them.

How many mock interviews do I need?

It depends on your course and your dates. An example plan has ten, with never more than four with the same interviewer, so the last ones before the real thing go to people you have not met.

Who are the interviewers?

Oxford and Cambridge graduates matched to your course, many of them at or near the top of their year. Interviewers are confirmed with you before each session.

What feedback do I get?

A few minutes of live feedback at the end of the hour, then a written feedback sheet in your portal with your scores, the questions you covered, your main strength, the one thing to fix and what to practice next. Parents linked to your account can read it too.

How much do mock interviews cost?

Our admin team explains the options and prices on a short free call, along with a plan that fits your interview dates.

Book your Oxbridge mock interview

Start with our admin team: tell us your course and interview dates, and we match you with an interviewer for your course.

Discuss a mock interview →