Oxbridge Engineering Admissions 2024: Essential Guide to Personal Statements and Interview Prep
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.
Understanding the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering Courses
Both the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering courses are brilliant courses of study for students. They allow you to form a broad and solid basis of Engineering in your first two years by following a general engineering course. In your third and fourth years, you will go on to specialise in areas that most interest you. This could be anything from Chemical Engineering to Manufacturing or Electrical or beyond.
“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. “
- Charlie (Oxford)
Both the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering courses are accredited, allowing you to go on to achieve Chartered Engineer status after finishing, and both courses introduce you to the foundations of general engineering before building your specialism. There is some variation in the modules you study and your options for specialisation in later years, ranging from materials science to biomechanical engineering, software, electrical, mechanical etc. It’s important to spend some time on the Oxford Engineering Science course page and the Cambridge Engineering page to fully understand the different approaches of these courses. At Oxford, for example, you have the option of taking an Entrepreneurship and Innovation module to try a more interdisciplinary approach to the subject.
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. 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.
- David (Cambridge)
The entry requirements for both courses are A * , A *, A. See below for specific guidance for the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering Admissions Tests (PAT and ESAT). Both Oxford and Cambridge require you to take Maths and Physics A Level, with Oxford requiring you to achieve A stars in these subjects (or Further Maths). Cambridge strongly advise students to take Further Maths in addition to these subjects and indicate that this places students at a strong advantage in the Cambridge engineering application process. If you cannot study or have not studied Further Maths, it’s important you study additional pure maths and mechanics in your own time.
Preparing for the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering Admissions Tests:
Oxford PAT: Physics Aptitude Test
All students applying to Oxford Engineering Science, Material Science and Physics courses take the PAT in the autumn during the application process. The Oxford PAT is 2 hours, consisting of some multiple choice questions and some longer ones. PAT questions are based on the A-level Maths and Physics syllabae. 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 to those you learn at school.
You should look online for the current PAT syllabus 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 and make sure you spend time learning these. We have a great blog on how to approach the PAT test if you are looking for preparation tips. In addition, an Oxbridge tutor can also help support you in learning any content beyond your school syllabus that you may need.
“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 Oxford Engineering Science as they will likely have slightly different strengths. However, remember that the PAT is written to encompass everyone, and the tutors are likely to take that into account during the selection and interview process for Oxford Engineering Science.”
- Charlie (Oxford)
Cambridge ESAT: Engineering and Science Admissions Test
From 2025 entry, Cambridge Engineering applicants will no longer sit the ENGAA. Instead, they will be required to sit the ESAT. Cambridge Engineering Applicants must take the Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics questions on the paper.
We’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to the Cambridge ESAT exam filled with tips to prepare for and understand the new exam paper. Read it here.
Crafting a strong Oxford or Cambridge Engineering Personal Statement
To prepare a strong personal statement for both the Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering course, you should broaden your knowledge of the subject and particularly develop a foundational understanding of the mathematical and mechanical principles that will be key to the course. It will benefit you across all components of your Oxbridge engineering application to stretch and challenge yourself with harder problems and higher level subject reading.
U2 Tuition Tip: 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.
It’s important that your personal statement demonstrates your enthusiasm for the subject and has a clear answer to the question “Why Engineering”, ideally rooted in some of the details of the Oxford Engineering Science or Cambridge Engineering course.
A great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm is getting involved in Engineering first hand. You may want to gain some Engineering work experience, or try your hand at a research project. A U2 Oxbridge Engineering Tutor can support you through the research process, introducing a project tailored to your interests. Working on an independent research project will introduce you to new, key engineering principles and allow you to both hone your research skills and practically apply your knowledge. Alternatively, U2’s co-curricular department, Minds Underground, runs an Engineering summer school. This is designed to introduce important engineering foundations and allow you to develop and expand your knowledge in a way sure to impress in an Oxbridge Engineering personal statement. Find out more.
Expand your Oxbridge Engineering Personal Statement with our Engineering Summer School
Minds Underground's Engineering Summer School offers Year 12 students an opportunity to develop essential skills for top university engineering applications, including Oxbridge. With sessions led by Oxbridge graduates, students will improve their problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills through interactive classes.
The programme also helps build content for Oxbridge engineering personal statements and interview preparation, providing a unique chance for engineering applicants to explore complex topics like machine learning and aerodynamics.
Four Tips for Oxford and Cambridge Engineering Interviews:
Don’t panic if you don’t know the answer
An Oxbridge Engineering interview is meant to challenge you. You should expect this and be okay with not feeling 100% confident about everything in the interview. A great Oxford interview should feel like a tutorial experience where you are being pushed to develop your ideas and learning new content. Often, Oxford and Cambridge Engineering interview questions will “dress up” A Level content in a way that seems unfamiliar but is in fact only testing what you already know. Staying calm will help you spot questions like this and realise that by taking your time to think logically, you may know the answer to a question that feels knew.
Verbalise your thought process
Equally, the interview will also try to push you beyond what you know. When approaching problems that feel out of your depth, try and clarify your thought process and be open with your approach to the problem. State the information you know, what the unknowns are, and how you might work them out. In most cases tutors are not interested in the answer. They want to see that you can learn, not what you already know. 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 Oxbridge and is how supervisions/tutorials work. Before your interview, you should practise working through questions in front of a friend, parent or tutor to get used to explaining the steps you take.
Take your time
There is no need to start speaking immediately and it can be really helpful to take time to consider your response. Lay out your overall approach first before going onto the individual steps. Often, if you jump to answering a question quickly, you may have missed a detail the interviewer said, or not left time to make a connection. Interviewers are generally trying to lead you to the right answer and seeing how you get there. Think about why they are asking you what they’re asking and how it fits in to the rest of your discussion.
Don’t be scared to change your mind
A really important quality the Oxbridge interviews test is the ability to be mentally agile and to change your ideas if presented with new information that counters what you previously thought. You should be confident and defend your ideas, but it’s also important to recognise when perhaps you’ve gone down the wrong path and new information the interviewer reveals has undermined or disproved what you said. This doesn’t mean you are wrong. It shows you are able to learn and respond intelligently to new information.
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.
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. This will give you a sense of what topics your interviewer may bring up.
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.
- Charlie (Oxford)
Oxbridge Engineering Mock Interview Days
U2 Tuition hosts mock interview days to prepare you for the Oxbridge Engineering interview. All students receive two one-to-one interviews with a specialist Engineering tutor from their university of choice. After the sessions, students will receive in-depth written feedback on their performance, helping them improve with targeted further reading and follow up questions to push them for the Oxbridge engineering interview.
Sample Engineering Interview Questions: Oxbridge
These Oxbridge Engineering questions are designed to give you a sense of what might come up in the interview, and an opportunity to practise. You can find our full Oxford Engineering Science and Cambridge Engineering interview preparation guide here, complete with a further bank of 33 interview questions as well as preparation advice and support from Oxbridge Engineering Graduates.
Explain the significance of gyroscopic stability in the design of bicycles and motorcycles. How does it contribute to balance and steering?
Apply basic mechanics principles to scenario then see where gaps remain
have a look at angular momentum and think about links to regular momentum and circular motion
What is the probability that at least 2 people in a room of 5 have the same birthday?
think about permutations
In the context of robotics, discuss how torque specifications can influence the design of robotic arms for various applications, such as manufacturing or surgery.
Think about practicality of real-world scenarios. How can you then create force diagrams?
Describe the engineering challenges and considerations involved in designing amusement park rides that involve complex circular motion, such as the swinging pendulum rides.
Firstly, do the mechanics of scenarios. Secondly, do you know how that translates to real world design?
U2 also hosts Oxbridge Mock Interview Days each year to replicate the process for students. Contact us for more information!
Are You Applying For Oxbridge Engineering?
Oxbridge Engineering Mentoring
U2 offers admissions test preparation support, as well as wider Oxbridge Mentoring programmes to support you through the Oxbridge Engineering application process, from entrance exams to interviews. Book a free Oxbridge Engineering consultation to discuss options. We have a large team of Oxbridge Engineering mentors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates. Students could also work with a tutor on independent research projects to enhance their application, or attend a Minds Underground Engineering summer school to boost their engineering skills and portfolio.
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 + VAT.