How to Prepare for the PPE Interview at Oxford University: Tips, Tricks, and Preparation for Success
In this blog, we aim to equip you with the knowledge, insights, and strategies you need to successfully navigate the competitive PPE interview process. Oxford's PPE interview is not just about assessing your academic prowess; it's about discovering your passion for these intertwined disciplines and your ability to connect ideas across diverse fields of study. Join us as we delve into key aspects of the PPE interview preparation, from mastering interdisciplinary thinking to honing problem-solving skills and staying informed about current affairs. We'll guide you through the process of showcasing your academic potential, highlighting your unique strengths, and making a lasting impression on the admissions panel.
Key Features of The Oxford PPE Interview
The Oxford PPE interview is a critical milestone on your Oxbridge application journey! As of December 2020, interviews for successful Oxbridge applicants who have aced the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) will be conducted throughout a mixture of either in-person or online interviews (depending on the college), offering a unique opportunity to showcase your academic prowess and passion for the interdisciplinary study of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. If you want to find out more about the TSA, see our blog, or our Tackle the TSA course for specific guidance.
Here are some key considerations you need to know about the Oxford PPE interview:
The Oxford PPE interviews are conducted both online and in-person, offering flexibility and accessibility to candidates. For online interviews for accessibility reasons, you'll have the opportunity to interact with esteemed faculty members from the comfort of your own space. Whether in-person or virtual, the intellectual rigour and expectations remain equally high. Be prepared to articulate your thoughts clearly and engage in stimulating discussions that highlight your potential as a PPE candidate, showcasing your passion for the interconnected disciplines of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, as well as including how they relate to one another.
Depending on the individual application, candidates may have anywhere between two to six interviews. Each interview will range from 30 to 60 minutes, providing ample opportunities to showcase your depth of knowledge and critical thinking abilities across the three disciplines.
Your performance in the PPE interview will weigh heavily in the application process. As such, meticulous preparation is essential to maximise your chances of success. Apart from familiarising yourself with introductory reading, first dedicate your free time to mastering the TSA. Only after you've tackled the TSA should you dive headfirst into intensive interview preparation which is where this blog picks up.
Some Common Myths about the Oxford PPE Interview
During the Oxford PPE interviews, the interviewers—despite some anecdotes to the contrary—have your best interests at heart, aiming to provide you with the perfect platform to showcase your abilities and potential. Without trying to trip you up, they seek to offer you an opportunity to shine and express yourself effectively. This doesn’t mean they won’t be difficult, but what it does mean is that the questions should be eminently answerable if you are well prepared, confident, and can keep your cool under pressure.
While most interviews are designed to be fair and encouraging, occasional experiences may differ. Perhaps one out of five interviews may feel challenging, but it's important to remember that interviewers, like everyone else, have their unique personalities. Some may naturally be grumpy, while others may exude a more chipper demeanor. However, any emotions displayed by interviewers are not personal; they simply reflect their natural selves. So, don't let their tone, language, or body language unsettle you—it has nothing to do with your capabilities.
The tutors conducting the interviews are dedicated to creating a conducive environment for your success. They approach the process with fairness and encouragement, valuing your potential as a PPE candidate. Trust that they are there to assess your academic strengths and engage in thought-provoking discussions related to Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
So, enter the interview with confidence and the understanding that the interviewers genuinely want to see you shine. Embrace the opportunity to express your abilities and passion for the interdisciplinary subjects, knowing that the tutors are committed to ensuring a fair and encouraging experience for every candidate.
The Oxford PPE Interview Explained
Interviews can take one of several formats.
Reading comprehension interviews
Data interpretation/ problem solving interviews
Discussion-based interviews
Personal statement interviews
The central distinctions that I would make are between reading comprehension interviews and data interpretation interviews. Discussion-based and personal statement-based interviews follow a standard interview format and should involve preparation via studying your personal statement inside out, practising clear and concise critical thinking, and doing mock interview tests with parents or tutors.
Reading Comprehension Interviews
You will be given a piece of text, anywhere between a couple of hundred to about a thousand words (1-2 pages of A4) to read before the interview. The text will be fairly understandable, and will involve some kind of analysis or argument. E.g. a newspaper article which makes a particular case for something. The interviewer will then ask you follow up questions based on the argument in the text. Such as…
What is the conclusion of the argument?
Could you break the argument down into its logical steps (premise + premise = conclusion)?
What evidence would most effectively support/ disprove the argument?
Top Tip: Oxbridge interviews are designed to test how you think rather than what you think…
To Practise: Check out this past article a PPE applicant was tasked with for their Economics interview, ‘The Cost of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions’, with a question to practise designed by one of U2’s PPE tutors.
These interview DO test:
How well you can listen to the argument in front of you (either verbal or written).
How well you can interpret arguments and use evidence to support your claims.
How well you can defend your argument by responding directly to the objections made.
These interviews DON’T test:
How much knowledge you have about a particular subject area.
How easily you can bring in new facts from other arguments or discussions.
How strong-willed you can be in an argument.
During the PPE interview, it's crucial to make notes on the text provided during the reading time. These notes will prove invaluable when defending a position or presenting a new argument. By referring back to your notes, you can easily recall key points and maintain a coherent discussion.
Additionally, remain open and responsive to new evidence or arguments presented by the interviewer. If you find yourself defending a particular argument or viewpoint, and the interviewer introduces evidence or an argument that seems to challenge your stance, be honest and address it. Acknowledge the new information and explain why you believe it disproves the argument you were initially making.
Keep in mind that the interview isn't about having a specific "right" answer. Instead, it focuses on your thought process and analytical skills. Listen attentively to what the interviewer is saying, and carefully consider their points before responding. Your ability to engage with the information and articulate your thoughts clearly is more important than arriving at a predetermined answer.
Data Interpretation and Problem-Solving Interviews
This style of interview is similar to the reading comprehension—which is why I’m introducing them together. The difference is that this interview will involve material other than written text in the introduction period. These could come in the form of:
Game theory games
Reading graphs/ charts/ other visual data representation
Pictures
Thought experiments
Watch the first 10 or so lessons in this tutorial series:
Practise interpreting and talking about data – view the economy section of major media outlets and try to unpack the data. What is each axis labelled as, what patterns in the economy are being reflected in the data, are there any gaps in the data, can we challenge the conclusion by questioning the data?
Sample Oxford PPE Interview Questions
‘Thinking is my fighting.’ [VIRGINIA WOOLF, 1940] Discuss.
Is hip-hop/rap more political than the Eurovision Song Contest?
Are democracy and nationalism allies or enemies?
Did Eve make the right choice?
‘The Labor Movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.’ [MARTIN LUTHER KING] Discuss.
Does the teaching of economics need a radical overhaul?
Is ever-rising inequality inevitable under capitalism?
How should we measure the cost of climate change?
Should ethics make us better people?
Privatisation of public services: solution or problem?
What is the most important unanswered question in philosophy?
Has contemporary philosophy anything to do with the love of wisdom?
‘Fundamentally, mainstream microeconomics is a “just world” theory, in which everyone gets what he or she deserves.’ Do you agree?
If you’d like more guidance on preparing for all aspects of the Oxford PPE interview, have a look at our Oxford PPE interview preparation guide. Our comprehensive guide walks you through all aspects of interview prep, from exploring broader subject interests to interview case studies and a bank of additional PPE interview questions to give you more opportunities to practise.
Final Thoughts and PPE Interview Preparation Tips!
Do TSA first – this is the priority!
Don’t worry – the tutors really want to see the best from you.
Speak slowly (to give more thinking time), and pause in momentary (momentary!) silence when you need to work out what to say next.
Don't make allusions to things you don't know or can't remember.
When in a hole, stop digging. You don’t want to end up contradicting yourself. It is quite possible this can happen in the real thing: interviewers may well bring in additional facts/ arguments/ ideas that necessitate reconsidering your line of argument. You have three choices when this happens: a) stubbornly stick to your guns with little extra reason for doing so – a bad choice, as no one wants to teach a student like that; b) work out a way to diffuse and/ or include the new idea or argument such that you can maintain your original position – possible, but almost certainly you will have to nuance your original position; c) own up, and say you have to change your mind based on new considerations – this is a perfectly legitimate choice, and in many cases the right one in the face of a strong counterargument, as it shows that you are willing to learn, to consider new information, and be responsive to the thoughts and ideas of tutors.
Prepare for the unfamiliar - often students prepare for questions around their personal statement, but are slightly flummoxed when tasked with questions that seem to go beyond the remit of what they have explored in their own time. If you don’t know much about the topic/ question (e.g. say you are asked, ‘How do we value a painting?’, but you don’t know much about art’, don’t worry! You can (and need to) draw on what you do know to answer questions on unfamiliar territory. For instance, drawing on economics to discuss the various elements that go into valuing any object
Take time outside of our prep to consider what are your general positions on some key areas: e.g. ‘What is personal identity?’: what do we know and how do we know it? ‘What is the yardstick for ethical decision-making?’ Being clear on your own positions will be very useful when it comes to interview!
Draw a timeline, and fill it in, going from Plato (~400BC) to the present. The aim is to fill it in with things you know: E.g. The Republic, the birth of Christ, the Baroque movement, and so on. The goal of this is for you to see how things link together, and how you can create narratives of these events: e.g. the Baroque movement being a reaction to the austerity of the early Protestant Reformation, which was a reaction to the excesses of the Catholic church (such as indulgences), which was a result (in part) of the high costs of funding the Crusades, which was a consequence .... and so on and so on. You don’t have to know everything, but it can be a good reminder of what you do know!
Give your answers structure: Try to answer with your position, and then provide reasoning, rather than the other way around. Like an essay, it is much easier to follow an argument if we know the position from the outset
Practice – as with anything, the more times you practise, the better and more confident you will feel on the day.
Are You Looking For a PPE Tutor for Oxford University Applications?
At U2 Tuition, we are proud of our exceptional team of mentors specialising in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at Oxford University. Our dedicated Oxbridge tutors & admissions support team work closely with each student, understanding their strengths and areas for improvement. With our experienced PPE tutors, students receive personalised tutoring sessions tailored to their specific needs. From assisting with TSA admissions test preparation to crafting compelling personal statements and preparing for the PPE interviews, our comprehensive support equips students with the skills and knowledge for success.
The Process:
Experienced PPE Tutors: We carefully select Oxbridge graduates with expertise in studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford. Their deep familiarity with the Oxford PPE admissions process allows them to guide you through personal statement curation, submitted work, TSA and interview preparation. Depending on qualifications and experience, we provide a range of application tutors for you to choose from.
Informal Diagnostic Session: We recommend beginning with a 1.5-hour informal diagnostic session to assess your current performance level for the application. Following this, we provide a detailed feedback report and structure a customised preparation plan.
Focused Tutorial Sessions: The focus of tutorial sessions depends on the requirements of the particular student. If they would like to focus on all application components, their primary PPE mentor will take care of all aspects. This can include exploring ‘beyond the syllabus’ material that can be discussed in their personal statement and during interviews. Tutors will help students to refine their interests within the PPE course, expose them to various approaches and new concepts, and guide them in their reading and subject exploration. We recommend engaging in intensive TSA preparation in addition to this, and have tutors who specialise specifically in supporting students to achieve the highest grade bands. Our PPE tutors are also experienced with PPE interview preparation, covering all formats of question and hosting PPE mock interviews.
You can decide the frequency of sessions with your tutor. We offer both ad-hoc sessions and structured full preparation programmes, including co-curricular opportunities such as our Politics, Philosophy and Economics Summer Schools, research projects and Oxbridge mock interview days.
Our one-to-one sessions are priced from £75/h + VAT.
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