Oxbridge Earth Sciences Interview Preparation Guide
Don’t know what to expect in your Oxford Earth Sciences or Cambridge Natural Sciences (Geology) Interviews?
Oxbridge interviews can seem daunting and hard to prepare for as you never quite know what to expect. However, they are extremely important: some candidates are successful based on interview performance alone.
This is an essential Earth Sciences / Geology interview preparation guide, prepared by U2's Earth Sciences tutors, all of whom graduated from either the Oxford Earth Sciences or Cambridge Natural Sciences / Geology course. We walk you through how to prepare to ensure you stand out and increase your chances of success, as well as a number of tips on how to present yourself, analyse problems, and communicate during the interview itself. (N.B. this guide will also be applicable if you receive an invitation to interview at any of the Top UK Russell Group Universities)
Core components of U2 Tuition's Oxbridge Earth Sciences interview preparation guide:
The first section of the our 35-page guide is dedicated to explaining the differences between the Oxbridge and Cambridge course, and what an Earth Sciences degree looks like, including what your options could be post-graduation. The guide then presents details on how to build evidence of wider subject exploration in your Earth Sciences personal statement, and at interview to convey your passion and motivation for the subject. Our Oxbridge Earth Sciences tutors lead you through key course topics, what to read / explore (primary and secondary material), and how to utilise online resources available. Each resource recommendation comes with a thinking task. Note: ideally, this process should start at least a few months before the Oxbridge interviews take place so you have time to explore enough resources / material!
How to prepare for personal-statement based interview questions: your personal statement may be used as a springboard for discussion in at least one of your interviews!
What to expect in your academic interviews, including accounts from two successful Earth Sciences candidates: one Oxford Earth Sciences, and one Cambridge Natural Sciences (Geology). Each account will provide insight into the Oxbridge Earth Sciences interview process, and the topics / questions they were asked, including a handful on questions asked on their personal statements.
Oxbridge interview preparation tips and core concepts to understand
Longer worked through past Oxbridge interview questions: five in-depth practice interview questions with discussion points and further reading suggestions. These cover topics such as “Rock Observation”, “Mass of the Oceans and Atmosphere”, “Graph Sketching”, and “Specific Heat Capacity”
Additional past Earth Sciences interview questions: 45 further questions covering topics such as Earth System questions, estimation questions, physical background geological knowledge questions, biological background geological questions, and a handful of general / personal questions (N.B these are the most common types of question asked at Oxbridge interview!)
Final tips for success at interview
Looking for an Earth Sciences or Geology tutor to further direct your independent preparation?
Having an Earth Sciences / Geology tutor can present an invaluable learning opportunity - U2 has a wonderful network of Earth Sciences, Natural Sciences and Geology undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates, who would be delighted to host tutorial sessions giving you exposure to some of the key topic areas within the discipline, support personal statement writing, admissions test and interview preparation. We also host mock interview days in November / December. Book a free consultation on our Contact Us page for further details on our offerings and to discuss your university application.