Oxford admissions

Oxford interviews: a practical guide

6 min read · updated 2026-10-02

Oxford interviews for 2027 entry are held online in December 2026. They are academic conversations, not tests of polish: tutors want to see how a student thinks about something new.

Timeline

✓ 15 October 2026: UCAS deadline for Oxford
✓ October and November: admissions tests for courses that set them
✓ Late November and early December: shortlisted applicants are invited to interview
✓ Mostly 7-18 December 2026: online interviews
✓ January 2027: decisions

What happens in the interview

Most applicants have two or more interviews with subject tutors, often at more than one college. A typical interview starts from something the applicant has not seen before: a problem, a text, a graph or a short extract. The tutor then pushes the reasoning further with questions and hints.

How to prepare

Preparation is practice in thinking aloud, not memorising answers:

✓ Work unseen problems out loud with someone who will interrupt and question you
✓ Re-read your personal statement and be ready to go deeper on anything in it
✓ Read beyond the syllabus in your subject, and be able to explain one idea well
✓ Practise on a video call, so the online format feels normal