6 wonderful Oxford interview questions

Some of the most bizarre and outrageous Oxford interview questions that you could be asked and how to go about answering them.

Do you think you’re clever?

What a way to start. This is a perfect question for tricking the candidate into thinking that the Oxford interviews questions are a test of your personality. Should I be honest or should I be modest? This is not the best way to go about this. It is a much better idea to decide how you are going to answer this question in terms of your subject. Make sure you link it to your subject, for example, you could talk about a great mind within your subject. Conversely, you could answer the question by arguing what the definition of “clever” is.

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Do you believe in fairies at the end of the garden?

The bizarre nature of this question might immediately throw you off but you need to make sure not to panic. This question was once asked in an engineering exam with the intention of forcing the candidate to take this ridiculous question and place it in a practical setting. For example, that “believing” doesn’t mean anything without proof in terms of mathematics. I would, therefore, be willing to believe in them if someone showed me proof – it is the dissection of question that is important.

[Pointing to a map of the world] What would you comment on about that?

This is one of those Oxford interview questions that are so interesting because they can be used for any subject. It could be the history and science of the fact that the pieces of lands were altogether. It could be a literary view of how lonely the world looks from that perspective or a political. Possibly a question about the geographical point, about the community distribution within the world. Or you may just comment on the thickness of the paper used.

There are a lot of myths about Oxford interviews, read Oxford’s take here >>>

What is a sense?

Oxford interview questions are sometimes mainly difficult because they are hardly understandable as a meaningful phrase. You have to remember that you choose how to answer the question. Therefore you could answer this question in terms of what a sense means for humans. As in one of the five senses, or what sense is, as in, what does something mean if it ‘makes sense’.

This could be asked as one of your Oxford interview questions to find out your scientific knowledge of ants, or simply your imaginative perspective on identity, existence and meaning.

Would you believe me if I said right now that you have not secured a place at Oxford?

This is a terrifying question and I think it would be extremely rare for this to be included as an Oxford interview questions, however, the candidate has to be able to think on the spot. Therefore, theorise how to answer this question (i.e. what does authority and trust mean within our social system), and try not to react emotionally.

Will I really get a strange Oxford interview question?

Overall, I would say that Oxford interview questions are rarely like this – but they do sometimes throw them in and you have to be prepared to sit back and think about your plan of attack – do not just give up.

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