Everything You Need to Know About Applying For Oxbridge Engineering in 2024
In this blog we hear from two of U2’s mentors who have gone on to pursue an Engineering career path following successful application. Charlie graduated from Oxford in 2016, and works in London as a civil engineer at an internationally renowned consulting firm, working on small footbridges to HS2 rail and tunnelling projects, with a wide range of clients and architectural collaborators. David graduated from Cambridge in 2018 and currently works as a Systems Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, in the Advanced Interior Sensing team within the Electrical Engineering division. They focus on the development of futuristic features which involve an aspect of user monitoring. In this blog, they lead you through the ins and outs of the courses, as well as top tips for application.
What is different about Oxbridge Engineering & courses at other universities?
Charlie:
Oxford and Cambridge offer fantastic Engineering Science courses for students - both offer a ‘general engineering’ course, where you will study a broad range of subjects before specialising in your third and fourth years, in anything from Chemical Engineering to Manufacturing or Electrical (there is even a new Entrepreneurship option at Oxford). Engineering Science at Oxbridge is a ‘general engineering’ course, where you will study a broad range of subjects before specialising in your third and fourth years. At other universities such as Imperial, the courses are specific from the outset. My experience is that at Oxford and Cambridge, the end result is that you reach the same level in whatever you specialise as you would on a specialist course (e.g. Imperial), but have a broader base from the general study in the first two years. I see this as a very positive aspect of a general engineering course.
David:
As with most science-based courses, the workload is reasonably high, with about 10 lectures, two tutorials and one lab session per week. At Cambridge, your ‘Finals’ exams are spread over your 2 , 3 and 4th years, so all are equally important in getting the degree you want at the end – it is not like many humanities type degrees where your degree is based on coursework and then two weeks of finals exams at the end of your last year.
Admissions Tests for Oxbridge Engineering
Oxford: Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
All students applying to Oxford for Engineering, Material Science and Physics courses take the PAT in the autumn during the application process (2 hours, some longer questions, some multiple choice). PAT questions are based on the A-level Maths and Physics syllabuses. The test allows the interviewers a better insight into your ability than your exam results on your UCAS application, but isn’t designed to be significantly harder, or cover different topics than those you learn at school. It is worth looking online for the current PAT syllabus early to check if there are any topics which haven’t been covered at school yet or aren’t included on a particular exam board’s syllabus.
As the PAT is used for a number of courses, a question which is easy for someone applying for Physics may not be as easy for someone applying for Engineering – as they will likely have slightly different strengths. But the PAT is written to encompass everyone, and the tutors are likely to take that into account during the selection/interview process.
Cambridge: Engineering Admissions Test (ENGAA)
Students applying for Cambridge Engineering sit the ENGAA test in November. The test consists of two sections - one involving Mathematics and Physics multiple-choice questions (mostly mechanics), and the other, Advanced Physics multiple-choice questions. Check the spec for details of topics to cover in preparation.
As the paper is multiple choice there will be no method marks so it is essential that you work through all questions methodically and carefully to avoid silly mistakes. Another aspect that comes with practice is the ability to pick out relevant information from the question based on certain buzzwords or simply ignoring red herrings. For example, any question that involves collision will most likely be about momentum, an object going from motion to standstill will likely be about energy. If all of the answers are qualitative, there will likely be no need for any quantitative calculations.
Top tip: Write everything down and draw diagrams, this will ensure you don’t miss anything important!
Personal Statement
Charlie:
The Personal Statement is your chance to show that you would be a good fit for the course, have the right level of ability, and most importantly would be a good student to have at a particular college: it is the place to demonstrate things you’ve done outside school, set yourself apart by describing work experience, or your relevant interests at home. This will give the tutors reviewing your application a better sense of who you are, what you enjoy doing, and whether you show interest and enthusiasm for the course.
Unlike many subjects, during my application process which I believe was fairly typical, the personal statement did not form a key part of my interviews, but will certainly have been used to see if I had the right interests for studying engineering.
David:
Prior to interview, remind yourself of the activities that you did on your personal statement, as these are likely to be asked about. Also check any claims of knowledge or understanding as they might be tested.
Top tip: We have a great blog on the importance of extending your research in science through activities such as wider reading & maths challenges, to aid personal statement writing.
Interviews
Charlie:
All engineering candidates who are invited to interview are interviewed at their college of choice, and then assigned a second college (no choice in this) by the admissions tutors. You will be interviewed at both colleges, often on the same day, and both colleges will consider your application equally when they look to fill the spaces they have for engineering at their colleges. Some colleges take on more students than others for Engineering, and lots of statistics for course and colleges can be found on the Oxford website.
Both my interviews (45 minutes to 1 hour) were centred around questions from my physics and maths A-levels, and possibly by chance, were all based on mechanics problems. The questions are typically similar questions to those you would answer in your exams, however there will often be a twist at the end, or an extension. The questions are not designed to catch you out, lead you down the wrong path or embarrass you – they are things you will be familiar with from school.
In every case, the tutors who interview you are looking for you to demonstrate your understanding and help you as you work through the problems in front of you. They will steer you towards your answer as they are trying to establish your ability, but also what you would be like to teach – you will have weekly tutorials with them if you are accepted to the college, so they are looking for engaging and receptive students, not only candidates with a very strong technical ability.
David:
I have laid out some of my top tips for strong interview performance below:
Confidence and positivity (smiling): Try to carry a good amount of humour through your answers. This displays comfort and confidence in a way that isn’t arrogant. As well as making you feel better, it also makes the interviewer feel more positive towards you and makes you more likely to stand out.
Don’t be surprised to be challenged by some of the questions: It is likely that the interviewer will find the limit of your knowledge in a given topic, and then try to see if they can prompt you into reaching more advanced conclusions that you wouldn’t have been able to reach alone. If you do get asked about niche topic of which you know very little, it is very reasonable to openly admit that you don’t know much background to this topic, and there are ways to do this in a positive manner. One way is to ask the question back to try and clarify what they mean, or by offering some information which you think might be related to the topic.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Talk through your thought process: In most cases they are not interested in the answer. They want to see that you can learn, not what you already know. They will first discover what you don’t know, then they will give you a clue or a bit of information and will expect to see how you use that information, combined with your prior knowledge, to reach the next step towards the answer. It is very important that you talk through your logical thinking. Not only does it display that you can learn on the spot, but it lets the interviewer see where your logical thinking has an error and correct it to help you reach the answer. This is how most learning happens at Cambridge and is how supervisions tend to work.
Top tip:
Research the interviewer and their main areas of study. Most professors have a small Oxford/ Cambridge biography that you can find by googling them. Then YouTube and Wikipedia are nice ways to get a quick and dirty appreciation for their subjects.
U2 also hosts Oxbridge Mock Interview Days each year to replicate the process for students. Contact us for more information!
Suggested Preparation for Oxbridge Engineering Applicants
David:
Research your course:
Research the engineering course at Cambridge so that you the format and the different topics, especially for the first year. This can be found at the Cambridge Engineering Department’s website: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/engineering. Modules to choose from include everything from materials science to biomechanical engineering, software, electrical, mechanical etc. The best thing is to look online for the current modules on offer. These are often taught by those in the department at the cutting edge of their field of research. Don’t worry about understanding the topics, it can just be good to be aware of them and of particular projects throughout the course.
You’ll also undertake a research project in 3rd (3YP) and 4th year (4YP) - This is an opportunity to carry out new, cutting edge research and work with a leading expert in that particular field. 4YPs often lead to research masters and PhDs if you get on well with your supervisor and they are keen to take you on in their departments.
Best preparation:
Work experience in any field of engineering which interests you
Self-led research into something (or things) that interests you, beyond the scope of what you’re taught at school. Including this on your personal statement, and then being able to discuss it at interview confidently, will demonstrate your enthusiasm for the course of engineering.
Less exciting but still very good:
Ensure you are confident on your A-level maths and physics work to date
Take a look at the Feynman Lectures on Physics here, a famous lecture series which covers the key principles of modern physics and engineering, and a whole lot more. A hugely interesting resource, and extremely well-explained by the famous physicist Richard Feynman while he was teaching at CalTech.
Best of luck, it’s a challenging application process, but is hugely rewarding!
Are You Applying For Oxbridge Engineering?
Oxbridge Engineering Mentoring
U2 offers admissions test preparation, as well as wider Oxbridge Mentoring programmes (book a free consultation to discuss options). We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated Engineering mentors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates.
The Process:
1) We suggest an Oxbridge Engineering graduate as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study Engineering at the University of Oxford, Cambridge, as well as top UK Universities such as Imperial, and are well-placed to guide you through personal statement curation, the entrance exam and interview process. We may suggest a range of application tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.
2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour informal assessment/ taster session, where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for application, including test and interview. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.
Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Students can take either ad hoc sessions, or we structure a full programme for preparation, which may include further co-curricular opportunities such as our research projects, Engineering Summer School and Oxbridge mock interview days. Honing the skills necessary to succeed for Oxbridge ideally requires long-term preparation and mentoring presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best Oxbridge has produced.
Sessions from £70/h.