Guides · Updated 1 November 2026

The Oxford and Cambridge Economics interview

Oxford Economics and Management applicants take the TARA, and only about 18% are interviewed (2023-25 average), online in December. Cambridge Economics applicants take the TMUA and usually have one or two interviews, often one on economics and one on quantitative problem-solving.

Neither tests economics you've already studied. Oxford says its E&M interview is "not a test of any economics or management studied previously": tutors want to see you build and test an argument, often from a puzzle or a short case. Below are both formats, questions tutors have published, a worked example and how to prepare.

Oxford E&M and Cambridge Economics compared

What Oxford E&M tutors look for

• an interest in and motivation for studying the organisation of businesses and the economy
• a capacity to construct and critically assess arguments
• a willingness and ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, on paper and orally
• independence and flexibility of thought, and an ability to analyse and solve problems logically and critically

Questions Oxford economics tutors have published

From Oxford's sample interview questions page (source: University of Oxford, sample interview questions):

• "Do bankers deserve the pay they receive? And should government do something to limit how much they get?" (Economics and Management). The tutor says a good candidate asks why equally talented people earn so much more in banking, and considers whether the industry is competitive.
• "Why is income per head between 50 and 100 times larger in the United States than in countries such as Burundi and Malawi?" (PPE). The tutor points to capital, technology, education and institutions.
• The Holiday Puzzle (Economics): two cousins each have 400 euros for a four-day trip, and one is impatient. How should each spread their spending? The tutor says candidates get it 10 minutes before the interview, spend 10 to 15 minutes on it, and that it involves simple maths ideas but no heavy calculation.

A worked example: "Do bankers deserve the pay they receive?"

• What a strong answer does: starts with the simplest economic story (a competitive labour market pays for rare skills) and then tests it: are bankers really that much more skilled than equally able people elsewhere?
• The key move: offering a second explanation, that the industry may earn profits above what a competitive market would, which workers share. That changes whether government should step in.
• Weak answer: "No, it's unfair" or "Yes, it's the free market," with no mechanism.
• What usually comes next: "What would you need to see in the data to tell those two stories apart?"

How to prepare for an Economics interview

1. Practise the two-story habit. For any economic claim, give the simple explanation, then a rival one, then say what evidence would decide between them.
2. Do short quantitative puzzles out loud. TMUA-style problems and simple optimisation (how to split a budget) are good practice for Cambridge's quantitative interview.
3. Read about the economy with a question in mind. For each article, ask why the people involved behave as they do.
4. Practise reading a chart on a whiteboard. E&M is tier 2, so tutors may share a graph or diagram.
5. Know why this course. For E&M especially, be ready to say why both economics and management.

AdmitMock is an AI mock interview app for Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL and US college alumni interviews: an AI interviewer asks the questions out loud, follows up, and shows you what to fix.

AdmitMock is not affiliated with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge or any of their colleges. We use published formats and questions, not insider information.