the university of oxford has released some sample oxford interview questions – direct from the tutors who conduct the interviews – to provoke thought and help explain the reasoning behind even the most odd-sounding questions.
‘we are keen to show the reality of an admissions interview at oxford,’ says mike nicholson, director of undergraduate admissions. ‘the interviews are all about assessing academic ability and potential. the aim is to get candidates to use their knowledge and apply their minds to new problems while allowing them to shine.’
‘many myths persist about oxford interviews, but these questions show there are no trick questions, no special knowledge is required, and there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. instead, the open-ended questions are designed to start discussion and see how candidates respond to new ideas or advance interesting arguments.’
interviews at oxford are structured and designed to assess academic ability and potential, looking for evidence of specific selection criteria for each subject. they take the form of an academic conversation in the chosen subject area between the tutors and the candidate.
the aim is to get candidates to use their knowledge and apply their minds to new problems while allowing them to shine.
mike nicholson ‘we want to see how candidates think, not draw out specific answers,’ explains mike nicholson. ‘the interviews may start in familiar areas and then move beyond the school curriculum to stretch candidates and see how they tackle new material and ideas. interviews are not testing personality or polish, and will not focus on things unrelated to the chosen subject, such as hobbies or sports achievements.’
‘we are not trying to catch candidates out in interview and they shouldn’t feel they need to try to second guess what we are going to ask, and prepare answers,’ says lucinda rumsey, an admissions tutor who interviews candidates for english. ‘the purpose of these kinds of open questions is as a starting point for developing a discussion, and there are many directions that might go. we want to see candidates thinking critically and exploring new ideas.’
‘we hope that these example questions will be helpful for candidates preparing for admissions interviews,’ adds mike nicholson. ‘it also gives candidates a chance to get a sense of what oxford would be like, with many interviews being similar to the tutorials that are part of any course at the university.’
interviews for undergraduate places are just one part of a very rigorous selection process, where academic ability and potential is assessed through a range of measures: at least two interviews; aptitude tests (in many subjects); written work (in some subjects); predicted grades; attained grades; and references.
interview questions
subject: geography
interviewer: lorraine wild, st hilda’s college
q: if i were to visit the area where you live, what would i be interested in?
lorraine wild: ‘the question gives candidates an opportunity to apply concepts from their a level geography course to their home area. they might discuss urban planning and regeneration, ethnic segregation and migration, or issues of environmental management. the question probes whether they are able to apply ‘geographical thinking’ to the everyday landscapes around them. it reveals the extent to which they have a curiosity about the world around them. by asking specifically about their home area the question eliminates any advantage gained by those who are more widely travelled and have more experience of a variety of geographical contexts.’
subject: modern languages
interviewer: helen swift, st hilda’s college
q: what is language?
helen swift: ‘although i would never launch this question at a candidate on its own, it might grow out of a discussion. students sometimes say they like studying spanish, for example, because they 'love the language'. in order to get a student thinking critically and analytically, the question would get them to consider what constitutes the language they enjoy – is it defined by particular features or by function (what it does)? how does form relate to meaning? and so on.’
subject: english
interviewer: lucinda rumsey, mansfield college
q: why might it be useful for an english student to read the twilight series?
lucinda rumsey: ‘there's several reasons i might ask this one. it's useful in an interview to find some texts the candidate has read recently and the twilight books are easily accessible and popular. also, candidates tend to concentrate on texts they have been taught in school or college and i want to get them to talk about whatever they have read independently, so i can see how they think rather than what they have been taught. a good english student engages in literary analysis of every book they read. the question has led to some interesting discussions about narrative voice, genre, and audience in the past.’
subject: medicine
interviewer: robert wilkins, department of physiology, anatomy and genetics
q: why does your heart rate increase when you exercise?
robert wilkins: ‘the simple answer, which all students can provide, is because you need to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to muscles and remove metabolic products. but follow-up questions would probe whether the student appreciates that there must be a way for the body to know it needs to raise the heart rate, and possible ways for achieving this. answers might include sensing lowered oxygen or raised carbon dioxide levels. in fact, gas levels might not change much, so students are further asked to propose other signals and ways in which those possibilities could be tested. this probes selection criteria such as problem-solving and critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm and curiosity, and the ability to listen.’
subject: biological sciences
interviewer: martin speight, department of zoology
q: if you could save either the rainforests or the coral reefs, which would you choose?
martin speight: ‘i’d expect students to be able to use their general knowledge plus their common sense to come up with an answer – no detailed knowledge is required. students might then be asked about the importance of natural features, such as biodiversity and rare species, and human interests, such as the fuel and food, ecotourism and medicines we get from rainforests or reefs. finally there are impacts to consider from climate change, soil erosion, pollution, logging, biofuel replacement, overfishing, etc. the final answer doesn't matter – both reefs and rainforests must be managed sustainably to balance conservation and human needs.’
subject: law
interviewer: ben mcfarlane, faculty of law
q: what does it mean for someone to ‘take’ another's car?
ben mcfarlane: ‘there is no right answer to this question. for example, can you take a car without driving it, or even without moving it? our focus is on the candidate’s reasoning – how he or she formulates an initial definition, and how he or she then applies and refines that initial definition in response to hypothetical examples provided by the interviewers. one example might be: i am walking along the street when it starts to rain. i open the door of an unlocked car and sit there for 15 minutes until the rain passes. have i ‘taken’ the car? the aim of the interview is to give the candidate a chance to show his or her application, reasoning ability, and communication skills.’
subject: engineering
interviewer: byron byrne, department of engineering science
q: how would you design a gravity dam for holding back water?
byron byrne: ‘this is a great question because the candidate first has to determine the forces acting on the dam before considering the stability of the wall under the action of those forces. candidates will probably recognise that the water could push the dam over. the candidate would then be expected to construct simple mathematical expressions that predict when this would occur. some may also discuss failure by sliding, issues of structural design, the effects of water seeping under the dam, and so on. the candidate will not have covered all the material at school so guidance is provided to assess how quickly new ideas are absorbed. the question also probes the candidate’s ability to apply physics and maths to new situations and can test interest in and enthusiasm for the engineered world.’
牛津大学公布了部分面试样题，并解释了他们提问那些“听起来很古怪的问题”背后的理由，他们的解释值得我们深入思考。（题目全部来自牛津大学负责面试的考官）
“我们这么做是为了掀开入学面试过程笼罩的神秘面纱。面试完全是用于评估考生的学习能力和潜力。其目的是让考生学会运用他们的知识，并在遇到新问题时发挥他们的才智，让智慧的光芒闪耀。”招生主任麦克·尼科尔森（mike nicholson）这样说。
“关于牛津大学的面试题，外界有很多传闻，但我们的开放式题目并不是捉弄人的，题目不要求任何特殊知识，也没有什么‘对’或‘错’的答案。那些开放式问题是为了激发学生与面试官之间的讨论，观察考生对新思想的反应或者是否能提出有趣的论点。”他继续说。
牛津大学的入学面试是组织严密的，用来评估面试者的学习能力和潜力，每个主题都有具体的选择标准。面试官和考生采取学术对话的形式选定他们讨论的主题。
“我们希望看到候选人的思考过程，而不是得出具体的答案。面试问题会从熟悉的领域开始，然后拓展到课本以外的广泛领域，看看他们如何应对新的知识和思想。面试不是测试个性或爱好，不会涉及与所选主题无关的事情，例如嗜好或运动成绩等等。”麦克·尼科尔森（mike nicholson）解释道。
“我们不是为了难住考生，所以没必要猜测考官接下来要问什么，没必要提前准备好答案。开放式问题是为了激起讨论，可以有很多发散思维的方向。我们希望看到候选人的批判性思维以及如何探索新的思路。”负责英语学科面试的考官lucinda rumsey说道。
“希望这些例子对考生入学面试准备有所帮助。它也可以让候选人提前了解牛津大学的氛围，因为入学后，这样的面试过程在学习任何一门课程时都会遇到。 ”
“本科入学面试只是其中的一部分，牛津将通过一系列措施非常严格的甄选过程来评估你的学术能力和潜力：至少有两个面试；一个能力测试（大多科目）;一个写作能力测试（一些科目）;预测成绩;已获成绩，推荐信。”麦克·尼科尔森（mike nicholson）补充说。
面试问题
科目：地理
面试官：lorraine wild, st hilda’s学院
问：如果我去你的家乡旅行，我应该对什么感兴趣？
lorraine wild：”这个问题让候选人有机会将他们的地理知识运用到自己的家乡上。lorraine wild：”这个问题让候选人有机会将他们的地理知识运用到自己的家乡上。insert html tags_?previousnext?他们也许会讨论城市规划和再生，种族分离和迁移，或环境管理问题。这个问题探测考生会不会用'地理思维'来思考周围日常环境。同时可以揭示，他们是否对周围世界保持着好奇心。通过询问他们家乡的问题，避免了一些人因为游览过很多地方，对许多地理环境都有过不同的体验而拥有的优势。保证了题目对所有考生的公平性”
科目：现代语言
面试官：helen swift, st hilda’s学院
问：什么是语言？
helen swift：“我不会一开始问他们这个问题，要等讨论过程中再提出来。考生有时会说他们喜欢学习西班牙语，因为他们爱这门语言。为了让考生展示批判性思维和分析能力，我会提出这个问题，让他们考虑自己喜欢的语言究竟是由什么组成的-是特定的文化还是语义功能？形式和意义是如何关联起来的？等等。
科目：英语
笔者：露辛达林士，曼斯菲尔德学院
问：为什么英文专业的学生有必要阅读twilight(暮光之城)系列？
[译者注:该系列包括《暮色》《新月》《月食》《破晓》《午夜阳光》5本书]
露辛达林士：“我问这个问题是基于以下几点理由。首先这对我了解候选人最近阅读的书籍有帮助，因为《暮光之城》系列最近比较普及，很流行。此外，候选人通常都专心于学校学过的课本，而我希望他们可以谈谈自己独立选择的书籍，这样我就可以知道他们是怎么想的，而不是如何被教导的。一个优秀的英语专业学生对他们看到的每本书都会有自己独到的文学分析、看法。这个问题引起人们对文学作品的表现手法，流派，评论等的一些有趣讨论。
科目：医药
笔者：罗伯特威尔金斯，生理学，解剖学和遗传学系
问：为什么运动时你的心跳会加速？
罗伯特威尔金斯：“答案很简单，因为你需要给肌肉提供更多的氧气和养料，排除代谢产物。所有考生都能答上来。但是，后续问题会考察学生是否明白，身体究竟如何知道它需要提高心率，可能有多少种方式来实现。答案可能包括感觉到氧气量减少或二氧化碳浓度提高等。事实上，气体成分比例不会发生大的变化，所以学生们会进一步被问到“有其它的身体信号吗？”或者“提供几种可以被检测到其他可能性”。这个问题的选择标准是，能否考察考生的解决问题能力和批判性思维，求知欲，热情和好奇，听的能力。”
主题：生物科学
笔者：马丁斯佩特，动物系
问：如果你可以拯救热带雨林或珊瑚礁，你会选择哪个？
马丁斯佩特：“我希望学生能够使用他们的一般知识，加上他们的常识来得出答案-不需要什么特定的知识。接着，学生可能被询问到自然形态的重要性，如生物多样性和稀有物种，以及人类从雨林和珊瑚礁得到的利益，如燃料和食品，生态旅游和药品等。最后应该考虑到气候变化，土壤侵蚀，污染，伐木，生物燃料替代，过度捕捞等问题。最终的答案并不重要-珊瑚礁和热带雨林都必须保护好，以平衡自然保护和人类的需求。
主题：法律
笔者：本麦克法兰，法学院
问：一个人“拿走”别人的车是什么意思？
本麦克法兰：“这道题没有确定的答案。比如说，如果不开或者不发动汽车，你怎么“拿走”一辆车？我们关注候选人的推理过程-他或她是如何形成一个初步的设想，以及他或她接着如何应用和提炼这个初步设想来回答这个假设的问题。一个例子是：我在路上走着，突然开始下雨。我打开一个上了锁的汽车，在里边坐了15分钟，直到雨停才离开。我的行为算“偷”车吗？面试的目的是让候选人有机会展示他或她的应用能力，推理能力和沟通技巧。”
主题：工程
笔者：拜伦伯恩，工程科学系
问：你会如何设计一个防洪重力大坝？
拜伦伯恩：“这是一个大问题，因为候选人首先要对大坝进行完整合理的受力分析，然后才能考虑大坝在这些力的作用下如何保持稳定。考生可能会认识到，水可以冲垮大坝，然后他或她要能写出简单的数学表达式来预测大坝何时会被冲垮。有些人可能还会讨论地层滑动引起的问题，结构设计问题，水下渗透腐蚀问题。问题不会涵盖考生在学校学到的所有知识；我们会引导他或她，评估考生能否迅速吸收理解新的想法。这个问题主要考察候选人遇到新情