GuidesUpdated 1 November 2026
Oxford interview questions, by subject
Oxford publishes sample interview questions written by the tutors who interview, such as "What exactly do you think is involved in blaming someone?" (Philosophy) and "Why do lions have manes?" (Biology). They're open problems: tutors say there's often no single right answer, and they're watching how you think, take hints and change your mind.
Below is a selection from Oxford's own page, subject by subject, with what each tutor says it tests. These are the only questions we quote; the rest of what we say about format comes from Oxford's published guidance.
Oxford's published questions, by subject
| Subject | Question (from Oxford's sample questions page) | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | "Why do lions have manes?" | Forming a theory, then designing a test |
| Biochemistry | "Would you expect this compound to be more soluble in octanol or water?" | Applying chemistry to something new |
| Chemistry | "How many different molecules can be made from six carbon atoms and twelve hydrogen atoms?" | Drawing and comparing structures |
| Computer Science | "How do pirates divide their treasure?" | Breaking a problem into small cases |
| Economics and Management | "Do bankers deserve the pay they receive? And should government do something to limit how much they get?" | Testing an economic story |
| Engineering | Bring your fingers together under a 30cm ruler: what happens? | Explaining a surprising result with physics |
| English | "Why do you think an English student might be interested in the fact that Coronation Street has been running for 50 years?" | Applying literary analysis to other media |
| History | "What can historians not find out about the past?" | Thinking about evidence, comparing periods |
| Law | "What does it mean for someone to 'take' another's car?" | Defining, then refining with examples |
| Mathematics | "How many ways are there to cover a 2 x n rectangular grid with 2 x 1 tiles?" | Investigating small cases, spotting a pattern |
| Medicine | Put Bangladesh, Japan, South Africa and the UK in order by crude mortality | Reasoning about populations and data |
| Modern Languages | "What do we lose if we only read a foreign work of literature in translation?" | Thinking about language and literature |
| Philosophy (PPE) | "What exactly do you think is involved in blaming someone?" | Testing a definition with counter-examples |
| Psychology | "Why do human beings have two eyes?" | Building from what you know about perception |
What Oxford says it's looking for
Oxford describes its interviews as academic conversations, similar to a short tutorial. Tutors assess your academic potential and motivation, and say decisions are not based on your manners, appearance or background but on your ability to think independently and engage with new ideas. You may be given a text, a poem, a graph or an object, and tutors may refer to your personal statement or written work. Oxford also says that when you don't know an answer, you should try to apply your mind to it, and that tutors may suggest another way of looking at a problem to see if you can be flexible.
The kinds of question you'll meet
| Type | Example from the list above | What a strong answer does |
|---|---|---|
| Define and test | "Take" a car; blame | Gives a working definition, then breaks it with a case |
| Explain a puzzle | Lions' manes; Welsh phone numbers | Offers more than one explanation and says how to test them |
| Investigate | 2 x n tiles; pirates | Tries small cases, spots a pattern, says why it holds |
| Read material | A compound's structure; a graph; a poem | Describes before interpreting |
| Big question | Coronation Street; translation | Makes it concrete with examples you know |
A worked example: covering a 2 x n grid with tiles
The Mathematics tutor who published this says he'd add: "I don't expect you to have the answer straight away; try working out the answer when n = 1,2,3,4 say."
- What a strong answer does: draws the small cases and counts carefully, saying each count aloud, so the tutor can check you're on the same page.
- The key move: asking how a tiling of a 2 x n grid can begin. Either one tile stands upright, or two lie flat. That links each count to the ones before it.
- Weak answer: guessing a formula from three numbers without explaining why it should continue.
- What usually comes next, per the tutor: harder grids (3 x n with 3 x 1 tiles, then 2 x 1 tiles), with hints continuing, to see how much you've taken on board.
How to practise Oxford questions
- Say it out loud. Oxford calls practising speaking your thoughts its "top tip". Reading answers isn't the same skill.
- Give yourself ten minutes per question. Then ask yourself the follow-up the tutor describes and keep going.
- Practise being wrong. Have someone (or a mock interviewer) push back on your first idea, and practise revising it calmly.
- Don't memorise answers. Treat the published questions as practice for the method, not a list to learn.
- Reread your personal statement. Several tutors start from something you wrote.
Subject guides: PPE, Law, Medicine, Maths, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, History, English and Modern Languages.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Oxford publish its interview questions?
Oxford publishes sample questions from the tutors who interview, with an explanation of what each is testing. They show the style, not the questions you'll get.
Will I be asked the published Oxford questions?
Unlikely in that exact form. They show the kind of thinking tutors want, so use them to practise the method rather than memorise answers.
Are there right answers to Oxford interview questions?
Often not. Many tutors on Oxford's page say they're interested in how you reason, take hints and respond to new information, not in a single right answer.
Will I be asked about my personal statement?
Possibly. Oxford says tutors may start with something in your personal statement or why you chose the course, then move on to your subject.
How many people get an Oxford interview?
Oxford says it typically receives over 23,000 applications for around 3,300 places and shortlists about 10,000 candidates for interview.
Related guides
Sources
Checked 1 November 2026.
AdmitMock is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its colleges. We quote Oxford's published sample questions with their source; we have no insider information.
