Oxbridge Computer Science Interview Preparation Guide
Don’t know what to expect in your Oxbridge Computer Science Interviews?
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 guide, prepared by U2's Computer Science tutors, all of whom graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge. 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 Computer Science guide:
The first section of the our 28-page guide is dedicated to showing you how to build evidence of wider subject exploration to convey your passion and motivation for the subject. Our Computer Science graduates lead you through 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 you 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 Computer Science candidates. Each account will provide insight into the interview process, their Computer Science focused interview vs. their Mathematics focused interview, and the topics / questions they were asked
Preparation tips and core concepts to understand. N.B. Stacks and queues are common based for questions so it can be useful to read up on these topics prior to interview!
Longer worked through interview questions (two in-depth questions with multiple sub-parts). These include clues for answering the questions and further suggested readings on the topic at hand. A third further extension question based on graphs and trees is also included.
Additional past interview questions: 34 further questions covering topics such as sorting, boolean logic and computability, algorithmic thinking, and mathematical questions including problem solving / abstract questions (N.B these are the most common types of question asked at Oxbridge interview!)
Final tips for success at interview
Looking for a Computer Science tutor to further direct your independent preparation?
Having a Computer Science tutor can present an invaluable learning opportunity - U2 has a wonderful network of Computer Science 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. Book a free consultation on our Contact Us page for further details on our offerings and to discuss your university application.