GuidesUpdated 1 November 2026
The Oxford PPE interview
Oxford PPE applicants take the TARA admissions test, and shortlisted candidates (about 38% of applicants on average in 2023-25) are invited to at least one online interview in December. Tutors say the interview is not mainly a test of what you know: it looks at understanding, intellectual flexibility, critical thinking and communication.
Expect arguments to pick apart, thought experiments, and economics or politics questions with no single right answer. Below is the format, the questions PPE tutors have published, a worked example and how to prepare.
How does the Oxford PPE interview work?
| Question | What Oxford says |
|---|---|
| Admissions test | TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions), required for all applicants |
| Written work | None |
| Who is interviewed | 38% of applicants; 12% successful; intake 227 (3-year average, 2023-25) |
| Interviews | At least one, online, in December. Often a second college too |
| Technology | Tier 2: Teams plus a shared Miro whiteboard |
| 2026 dates | Most first interviews Mon 7 and Tue 8 December 2026; second-college interviews 11 to 16 December |
| Decisions | 12 January 2027 |
What PPE tutors assess
The PPE course website says the interview "is not primarily a test of existing knowledge" and that interviewers look for potential in four areas:
- Understanding: listening carefully, analysing problems, spotting the premises and conclusion of an argument, and putting someone else's ideas in your own words.
- Intellectual flexibility: being willing to consider other views and to respond to problems and criticisms.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving: assessing arguments, telling good reasons from bad, judging relevance, thinking independently.
- Communication: expressing ideas clearly, giving considered answers and staying on the point.
Questions Oxford PPE tutors have published
These come from Oxford's sample interview questions page (source: University of Oxford, sample interview questions), under PPE and Philosophy:
| Question | Part of PPE | What the tutor says it tests |
|---|---|---|
| "I agree that air transport contributes to harmful climate change. But whether or not I make a given plane journey, the plane will fly anyway. So there is no moral reason for me not to travel by plane." Is this a convincing argument? | Philosophy | Individual responsibility for collective harm, tested on other cases |
| Would you plug yourself into a machine that gives you all the experiences you value, without knowing they aren't real? | Philosophy | What makes a life worth living |
| "Are our deaths bad for us?" | Philosophy | Drawing distinctions and justifying an instinct |
| "What exactly do you think is involved in blaming someone?" | Philosophy | Testing a definition with counter-examples |
| "Why is income per head between 50 and 100 times larger in the United States than in countries such as Burundi and Malawi?" | Economics | Capital, technology, institutions |
| A pensions crisis was foreseen for decades but little was done. Is there a fault with democracy? | Politics | Thinking about democracy and its limits |
| "I'm having trouble with the meaning of three words: Lie, Deceive, Mislead... Help me to sort them out." | Philosophy | Nuanced distinctions between concepts |
A worked example: the plane journey argument
- What a strong answer does: restates the argument as premises and a conclusion, then finds the step that carries the weight ("my journey makes no difference").
- Then it tests that step on another case. The tutor who set it says she'd push with examples like voting, where one vote rarely changes the result, and asks whether those cases help with the original one.
- Weak answer: "Flying is bad for the planet, so it's wrong," which ignores the argument instead of assessing it.
- Disputing the premise is allowed, the tutor notes, but you'd then be asked to assume it's true and carry on.
Teaser of a strong opening: "The argument depends on the claim that my choice makes no difference. But if everyone reasoned that way, the plane would always be full, so maybe the question is whether I'm responsible for my share of what we do together."
How to prepare for the PPE interview
- Practise breaking arguments down. Take an opinion piece, write its premises and conclusion, and find the weakest step. Do it out loud.
- Work through the published questions. Spend ten minutes on each, then ask yourself the hardest follow-up you can think of.
- Get comfortable changing your mind. Flexibility is one of the four criteria. Practise saying "that case breaks my definition, so let me revise it."
- Keep economics intuitive. You won't be tested on economics you haven't studied, but think about everyday questions: prices, incentives, why some countries are richer.
- Revise for the whiteboard. PPE is tier 2, so tutors may show a graph or write on Miro. Practise reading a simple chart aloud.
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
What test do I need for Oxford PPE?
The TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions). All PPE applicants must take it.
What percentage of Oxford PPE applicants get an interview?
On average 38% were interviewed and 12% were successful over 2023-25, with an average intake of 227.
Do I need to have studied philosophy or economics for the PPE interview?
No. PPE tutors say the interview is not primarily a test of existing knowledge, and many candidates haven't studied philosophy before.
How many PPE interviews will I have?
At least one, online. Many candidates also have an interview at a second college; in 2026 these run from 11 to 16 December.
Is maths needed for the PPE interview?
Oxford recommends a maths background but doesn't require it. PPE applicants should be comfortable expressing ideas in an equation or a diagram.
Related guides
Sources
Checked 1 November 2026.
AdmitMock is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its colleges. We use Oxford's published formats and questions, not insider information.
