Mock interviews for Maths, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering and Natural Sciences applicants to Oxford and Cambridge — with December interviews in view
Every interview tutor is vetted by
An Oxbridge maths or science interview is a conversation about a problem you have not seen before. Alex holds a Distinction in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge and a prize-winning MPhys in Theoretical Physics from the University of Manchester, and has tutored entrance-exam candidates personally for years. He personally interviews and selects every tutor on our team.
Read Alex's StoryIn the universities’ own words — every line below links to the official page.
Cambridge describes its interviews as “academic conversations about the subject you’re interested in studying.” Most applicants have one or two interviews lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total, usually with two or three interviewers, and are asked to “apply your knowledge to new situations, materials, problems or scenarios.” For science and maths courses, you may be asked to share your working on a problem as you go.
| Course | Format | What they’re looking for |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | December, online. About 25 minutes each; one or two at your first college and at least one at another. | “We are trying to see how you think when you do Mathematics.” You may be asked to solve a problem and talk through your thought process, or to work out the consequences of a definition. |
| Computer Science | December, by video call. Around 30 minutes each, usually with two interviewers. | Like a short tutorial: most of the time goes on solving a computer science problem and discussing your thinking out loud. |
| Physics | All online. Normally two interviews at your first college and one at a second (admissions procedure). | “Purely academic in nature” — mostly maths and physics questions, with knowledge of the ESAT syllabus assumed. |
One piece of advice comes up in almost every department’s guidance. Oxford’s mathematicians put it bluntly: “we are not mind-readers — if you don’t say anything, we can’t tell what you’re thinking!” What the interviewers want to see is how you think, not just where you end up. Oxford Maths and Cambridge both recommend a practice interview — Cambridge suggests, ideally, with someone who doesn’t know you well. That is exactly what a mock interview with us is.
A problem you haven’t seen, questioning like the real thing, and honest feedback straight afterwards.
Your tutor sets a problem in your subject that you haven’t met before, and leads the conversation the way an interviewer would — a hint when you stall, a follow-up question when you finish, a changed assumption to see how you adapt.
Talking through your reasoning while you solve is a skill, and most students have never had to do it. Your tutor coaches you in narrating your approach, admitting when you’re stuck, and using a hint well rather than waiting for the answer.
Mock interviews run live online with an interactive whiteboard — the same way you’ll show your working in an online interview, so writing and talking at the same time on screen feels normal by December.
Straight after each mock, your tutor tells you what went well, where your reasoning went quiet, and what to work on before the next one. Your personal statement topics can come up too, as they may in the real thing.
What we won’t claim. Cambridge warns applicants that paid interview preparation is not endorsed by the University and has no access to exclusive information — and that is true of us too. We don’t sell “real” interview questions or a secret formula. All official guidance is free on the universities’ websites, and we link it above. What we add is the practice they recommend, with someone who knows the mathematics and physics well enough to push you.
Interviews fall in December, and invitations can arrive only shortly before.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 12–16 October 2026 | ESAT and TMUA October sitting — the one Oxford and Cambridge applicants must sit |
| 16 November 2026 | ESAT and TMUA results released to candidates |
| November – early December | Cambridge interview invitations (most in November, some in early December) |
| December 2026 | Oxford interviews, online — check Oxford’s timetable for your course |
| 7–18 December 2026 | Cambridge main interview period |
| January 2027 | Decisions |
Start in November, before any invitation arrives. That leaves room for more than one mock, so the feedback from the first can be acted on before the real interview — and it avoids trying to book a first session in the week your invitation lands. At Oxford, shortlisting for Maths and Computer Science uses the TMUA and for Physics mainly the ESAT, so if you are still preparing for those tests, our ESAT tutoring and TMUA tutoring come first.
Applicants whose interviews are maths or physics problems at heart.
Oxford and Cambridge Mathematics, and Oxford’s joint honours maths courses — unseen problems, consequences of a definition, points of technique and curve sketching, all under questioning.
Algorithmic and mathematical problems talked through with your interviewer, in the short-tutorial style Oxford describes.
Oxford Physics, Physics and Philosophy and Engineering Science; Cambridge Engineering — maths and physics problems, with the ESAT syllabus assumed at Oxford Physics.
Cambridge Natural Sciences applicants on the physical side, for the maths and physics problems in their subject interviews.
How much does Oxbridge interview preparation cost?
Oxbridge admissions preparation, mock interviews included, is charged at our Advanced rate of £105 per hour, reflecting the university-level depth these lessons demand. Each mock interview is booked like any other lesson, with no contract. See full pricing details.
Do you know what questions Oxford and Cambridge will ask?
No, and nobody outside the universities does. Cambridge says so directly: interview preparation companies are not endorsed by the University and have no access to exclusive information, and all official guidance is free on its website. What we offer is the practice both universities recommend — a practice interview, working through an unseen problem out loud with someone who pushes you, followed by honest feedback.
When should I book mock interviews?
In November. Cambridge sends most interview invitations in November and some in early December, and its main interview period for 2027 entry is 7–18 December 2026. Oxford interviews for Maths, Computer Science and Physics take place online in December. Starting in November leaves room for more than one mock, so feedback from the first can be acted on before the real interview.
Are Oxbridge interviews online?
At Oxford, the Maths, Computer Science and Physics departments state that interviews are online. At Cambridge it depends on the College assessing your application: some interview online, some in person, and some let applicants choose — Cambridge lists each College’s format. Our mock interviews run online, on a shared whiteboard, which is also how you will show your working in an online interview.
Can interview preparation run alongside ESAT or TMUA lessons?
Yes, with the same tutor. Oxford’s Department of Physics says knowledge of the admissions-test syllabus is assumed in its interviews, so for physics and engineering applicants the ESAT content and the interview preparation overlap directly.
Who runs the mock interview?
A tutor from our team matched to your subject. Our team includes students and graduates from Imperial, Cambridge, UCL and Warwick, and every tutor is personally interviewed and selected by our founder, Alex Fraley, who holds a Distinction in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge. Alex still takes on the occasional admissions student directly, by request — ask us.
Oxbridge admissions preparation, mock interviews included, is charged at our Advanced rate, reflecting the university-level depth these lessons demand. Full platform access included.
See Full Pricing Details“…helped my son reach his dream of heading to Oxford to study maths and we could not be more thankful.”
“Alex also provided guidance on how to structure revision, prepare for my exams and even helped in the process of applying to university.”
“If it wasn’t for them I would not have managed to get an A in maths A-Level and a place at my first choice university.”
Book a free 20-minute intro meeting in November and tell us your course — we’ll match you with a tutor and plan your mock interviews around your dates. No obligation, no pressure.
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