Philosophy Interview Preparation Guide
Do you know what to expect in your Oxford or Cambridge Philosophy interviews?
How similar would the interviews be to Philosophy interviews at other top Russell Group universities?
Have you practised a range of Philosophy interview questions?
Oxford and Cambridge interviews can seem daunting and hard to go about preparing for as you never know what you can expect. However, they are extremely important at determining whether you get a place as they give you a chance to present yourself to your potential future tutors for the first time. This also applies to other universities with top Philosophy programmes, such as UCL or Oxford’s PPE.
This is an essential Philosophy interview preparation guide, prepared by U2's Oxbridge Philosophy tutors. We walk you through how to prepare to ensure you stand out and increase your chances of success, as well as provide numerous tips on presenting yourself, analysing problems, and effectively communicating during the interview itself. (Note: This guide is also applicable if you receive an invitation to interview at any of the top UK Russell Group universities.)
Core components of U2 Tuition's Oxbridge Philosophy interview preparation guide:
The first section of our 30-page guide is dedicated to explaining the core topics in the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy courses and what a Philosophy degree entails, including what to expect in a typical week. We also recommend looking in depth at the Oxford and Cambridge University Philosophy Department Websites.
The guide details how to build evidence of wider subject exploration in your Philosophy personal statement and during the interview to convey your motivation and interest in the subject. Our Oxbridge Philosophy tutors lead you through key course topics, recommend primary and secondary readings, and provide guidance on utilising available online resources. Each resource recommendation comes with a thinking task to get you to practise your critical thinking for the interview. Ideally, this process should start at least a few months before your Philosophy interview to allow sufficient time to explore enough resources and material.
How to prepare for personal-statement-based interview questions: Your personal statement for Philosophy will likely be used as a starting point for discussion in at least one of your interviews! For example, if you subscribe to prominent philosophical journals, you may be asked to discuss an article from a recent edition. Our guide talks you through how to go about this.
What to expect in your academic interviews, including accounts from two successful Oxbridge Philosophy candidates. Each account provides insight into the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview process, the topics, and questions they were asked, including questions related to their personal statements.
Oxbridge interview preparation tips and core concepts to understand.
In-depth analysis of past Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview questions: Four practice interview questions with discussion points and suggested further readings.
Additional past Philosophy interview questions for university applicants: 40 further questions covering topics such as “General Philosophy,” “Ethics,” “Metaphysics,” “Epistemology and Mind,” “Political Philosophy,” and “Philosophy of Science.” Preparing for these topics ensures you are prepared for the most common types of questions asked at Oxbridge interviews.
Final tips for success at Oxbridge Philosophy interviews.
Looking for a Philosophy tutor to further direct your independent preparation?
Having a Philosophy tutor can provide an invaluable learning opportunity—U2 has a wonderful network of Philosophy undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates who would be delighted to host tutorial sessions, giving you exposure to key areas within the discipline, supporting personal statement writing, critical thinking, admissions tests, and guiding you through interview preparation. We also offer mock interview days in November/December. Learn more here.
Find out more about the Oxbridge tutoring and admissions support we offer.
Book a free consultation to discuss how we can help you with your Philosophy application.
Do you know what to expect in your Oxford or Cambridge Philosophy interviews?
How similar would the interviews be to Philosophy interviews at other top Russell Group universities?
Have you practised a range of Philosophy interview questions?
Oxford and Cambridge interviews can seem daunting and hard to go about preparing for as you never know what you can expect. However, they are extremely important at determining whether you get a place as they give you a chance to present yourself to your potential future tutors for the first time. This also applies to other universities with top Philosophy programmes, such as UCL or Oxford’s PPE.
This is an essential Philosophy interview preparation guide, prepared by U2's Oxbridge Philosophy tutors. We walk you through how to prepare to ensure you stand out and increase your chances of success, as well as provide numerous tips on presenting yourself, analysing problems, and effectively communicating during the interview itself. (Note: This guide is also applicable if you receive an invitation to interview at any of the top UK Russell Group universities.)
Core components of U2 Tuition's Oxbridge Philosophy interview preparation guide:
The first section of our 30-page guide is dedicated to explaining the core topics in the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy courses and what a Philosophy degree entails, including what to expect in a typical week. We also recommend looking in depth at the Oxford and Cambridge University Philosophy Department Websites.
The guide details how to build evidence of wider subject exploration in your Philosophy personal statement and during the interview to convey your motivation and interest in the subject. Our Oxbridge Philosophy tutors lead you through key course topics, recommend primary and secondary readings, and provide guidance on utilising available online resources. Each resource recommendation comes with a thinking task to get you to practise your critical thinking for the interview. Ideally, this process should start at least a few months before your Philosophy interview to allow sufficient time to explore enough resources and material.
How to prepare for personal-statement-based interview questions: Your personal statement for Philosophy will likely be used as a starting point for discussion in at least one of your interviews! For example, if you subscribe to prominent philosophical journals, you may be asked to discuss an article from a recent edition. Our guide talks you through how to go about this.
What to expect in your academic interviews, including accounts from two successful Oxbridge Philosophy candidates. Each account provides insight into the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview process, the topics, and questions they were asked, including questions related to their personal statements.
Oxbridge interview preparation tips and core concepts to understand.
In-depth analysis of past Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview questions: Four practice interview questions with discussion points and suggested further readings.
Additional past Philosophy interview questions for university applicants: 40 further questions covering topics such as “General Philosophy,” “Ethics,” “Metaphysics,” “Epistemology and Mind,” “Political Philosophy,” and “Philosophy of Science.” Preparing for these topics ensures you are prepared for the most common types of questions asked at Oxbridge interviews.
Final tips for success at Oxbridge Philosophy interviews.
Looking for a Philosophy tutor to further direct your independent preparation?
Having a Philosophy tutor can provide an invaluable learning opportunity—U2 has a wonderful network of Philosophy undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates who would be delighted to host tutorial sessions, giving you exposure to key areas within the discipline, supporting personal statement writing, critical thinking, admissions tests, and guiding you through interview preparation. We also offer mock interview days in November/December. Learn more here.
Find out more about the Oxbridge tutoring and admissions support we offer.
Book a free consultation to discuss how we can help you with your Philosophy application.
Do you know what to expect in your Oxford or Cambridge Philosophy interviews?
How similar would the interviews be to Philosophy interviews at other top Russell Group universities?
Have you practised a range of Philosophy interview questions?
Oxford and Cambridge interviews can seem daunting and hard to go about preparing for as you never know what you can expect. However, they are extremely important at determining whether you get a place as they give you a chance to present yourself to your potential future tutors for the first time. This also applies to other universities with top Philosophy programmes, such as UCL or Oxford’s PPE.
This is an essential Philosophy interview preparation guide, prepared by U2's Oxbridge Philosophy tutors. We walk you through how to prepare to ensure you stand out and increase your chances of success, as well as provide numerous tips on presenting yourself, analysing problems, and effectively communicating during the interview itself. (Note: This guide is also applicable if you receive an invitation to interview at any of the top UK Russell Group universities.)
Core components of U2 Tuition's Oxbridge Philosophy interview preparation guide:
The first section of our 30-page guide is dedicated to explaining the core topics in the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy courses and what a Philosophy degree entails, including what to expect in a typical week. We also recommend looking in depth at the Oxford and Cambridge University Philosophy Department Websites.
The guide details how to build evidence of wider subject exploration in your Philosophy personal statement and during the interview to convey your motivation and interest in the subject. Our Oxbridge Philosophy tutors lead you through key course topics, recommend primary and secondary readings, and provide guidance on utilising available online resources. Each resource recommendation comes with a thinking task to get you to practise your critical thinking for the interview. Ideally, this process should start at least a few months before your Philosophy interview to allow sufficient time to explore enough resources and material.
How to prepare for personal-statement-based interview questions: Your personal statement for Philosophy will likely be used as a starting point for discussion in at least one of your interviews! For example, if you subscribe to prominent philosophical journals, you may be asked to discuss an article from a recent edition. Our guide talks you through how to go about this.
What to expect in your academic interviews, including accounts from two successful Oxbridge Philosophy candidates. Each account provides insight into the Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview process, the topics, and questions they were asked, including questions related to their personal statements.
Oxbridge interview preparation tips and core concepts to understand.
In-depth analysis of past Oxford and Cambridge Philosophy interview questions: Four practice interview questions with discussion points and suggested further readings.
Additional past Philosophy interview questions for university applicants: 40 further questions covering topics such as “General Philosophy,” “Ethics,” “Metaphysics,” “Epistemology and Mind,” “Political Philosophy,” and “Philosophy of Science.” Preparing for these topics ensures you are prepared for the most common types of questions asked at Oxbridge interviews.
Final tips for success at Oxbridge Philosophy interviews.
Looking for a Philosophy tutor to further direct your independent preparation?
Having a Philosophy tutor can provide an invaluable learning opportunity—U2 has a wonderful network of Philosophy undergraduates, graduates, and postgraduates who would be delighted to host tutorial sessions, giving you exposure to key areas within the discipline, supporting personal statement writing, critical thinking, admissions tests, and guiding you through interview preparation. We also offer mock interview days in November/December. Learn more here.
Find out more about the Oxbridge tutoring and admissions support we offer.
Book a free consultation to discuss how we can help you with your Philosophy application.