Tutors for the Oxford entry exams?

[OHmynoIdontthinkso]

Does anyone know if these exist and if so where I'd find them?

One of my relatives went to a (very posh) private school that employed a teacher whose sole role was to get students into Oxford to do PPE.

Speaking as someone who has done Oxford admissions, tutoring not necessary and it is easy to spot candidates who have been coached, whether by their schools or by other means. The point of the interviews is to get people out of their comfort zone and to see how they respond to new ideas and information, and over-tutored candidates sometimes do worse in interview as they don’t really listen and try to get in pre-coached answers.

From the perspective of a parent, however, I can also understand the anxiety that other people’s schools or environments may be offering advantages that your DC don’t have, even if it’s as simple as the DC having an informed and supportive teacher-figure to talk over your preparation with.

OP if you want to DM me with the subject your DC is applying for, I’ll share details of the tutor we used if by chance it’s the same subject.

It's interesting that a few people for whatever the reason always claiming that tutoring is bad. Ironically they seem forgetting what the Oxbridge are famous with is their tutoring system. Tutoring will make the candidate stronger and more confident and independent thinking.

Not if the tutor isn’t very good and is purely employed to teach someone to pass an entrance exam.

Tutes aren’t the same at all

Yes but Oxford tutoring, in the context of the university tutorial system, is not at all the same thing as private tutoring to pass an exam. The fact they have the same name is misleading in this context.

An Oxford tutorial is an intellectual discussion based on a text, topic, or set of problems. It takes whatever direction the student(s) and tutor are most interested in, and is not focused on an exam curriculum or set of criteria.

It is totally different to hiring someone to give you a boost to do better at a specific target.

People are looking for a good tutor. Passing the entrance exam means that you have already reached a certain standard.

Hmm, in modern languages (my subject) the test is a grammar and translation test. Sample tests are available on the Oxford University website. If a tutor can help you with grammar prep, I’d say go for it. So I think it depends on the subject really. That said, a bright and motivated student could probably make a lot of headway doing grammar and vocab on their own.

And it’s worth remembering that the test score is only one element taken into consideration for admissions. For instance, you could have a high score on the test, but falter on the literary interpretation exercise that’s part of the ML interview. Or vice versa: you could do poorly on the language test, but wow the interviewers with your excellent skills of literary interpretation, and still be offered a place ( especially if you come from a state school where language teaching might be more erratic).

The university is keen to demystify the admissions process as much as possible. Looking at sample admissions tests for your subject is always a good idea. And if there are practical skills that need improving, go for it! But don’t think that tutoring is a must, because it isn’t.

Believe it or not, the tutor I saw did the tutorial very much like the "Oxford tutorial" you mentioned. THAT IS an intellectual discussion based on a text, topic, or set of problems.

The vast majority of the applicants are already at the necessary academic standard and the written entrance exam is only one element with interviews being key.

I agree with @foxglovetree that tutoring for concrete knowledge of your subject and coaching for interview performance are very different. The former may be useful, the latter less so.

I’ve also interviewed candidates from independent schools who had clearly been coached, and who actually struggled to think on their feet in the interview, because they were so attached to the ready made answers they had pre-prepared.

Interviews are designed with the expectation that you will wing it, not that you’ll stick to regurgitating a scripted answer!

Another interesting observation in this forum is that people always assume that independent school applicants were over-coached to a stupid level. My DC is in a very good independent school and the preparation was doing one mock interview with another school and one with the same school that didn't involve the teach. I don't know how to coach a math subject to that level.😁

I would never assume that just because a candidate comes from an independent school, they’ve been coached.

It’s just that over my years of interviewing, the candidates who have most obviously been coached have come from independent schools (one Eton candidate in particular stands out in my memory!).

There are also plenty of candidates from independent schools who are a delight to talk to in interviews.

And sometimes candidates flounder and say incoherent things but that is totally par for the course and doesn’t mean they haven’t given plenty of thoughtful answers in the same interview as well. Perfection isn’t expected!

Wow. Don’t think you’re going to get people rushing to advise with this attitude. You also felt the need to shout in a previous post about it being OXFORD not OXBRIDGE. FYI Oxbridge includes Oxford… and as you won’t even say the subject (which is of course highly relevant otherwise pps won’t have asked…), and you’re rude to boot, then you can jolly well help yourself as far as I am concerned.

I am a universities advisor specializing in Oxbridge help for students outside of the UK, an Oxbridge graduate myself with both husband and DC also Oxbridge graduates. But never mind… you wouldn’t appreciate my input as I’d begin with what subject and where and how your DC are schooled. Then I’d just get a rude response to my intrusive questions.

Best of luck though!

My brother went to Oxford - many years ago not recently. He didn't have a tutor. Wasn't even that bothered just went along with it when a teacher at the school suggested he try getting into Oxford or Cambridge.
He said the interview questions were weird and not subject related and when he went to leave he noticed someone hiding in a corner taking notes!

@hepsitemiz
You didn't deserve that response from the OP.

OP this is an anonymous forum, people want to help you, answering the question isn't going to jeopardise your kid's chances - you'll get a tailored response.

DD who has an Oxford Economics and Management offer just did practice papers by herself for a month or so before TSA and got roughly top 5%. Didn't have anything via school though they have lots of applicants so a great peer group. State school. I also went to Cambridge so could help her with interview, would have thought your DH could do the same unless very different subjects. DD previously did a year at grammar and a lot were tutored for that and the ones tutored who just got in needing tutoring throughout. Maybe look at past papers and see how they score without first. I got in from a comp where noone had got in before, no tutor, but I think some of those who tried and failed before me might have faired better with a tutor. Though have known some over tutored and would have thought vast majority are not tutored but having a relative who went there isn't uncommon. I don't think private is over represented now, it was in my day, had 25% from the one boys public school at my college, but there are entrance exams for many privates so they are more like grammars than comps. And some of the people going from comps are wealthy, one I know parents have several million pounds worth of properties and both earn six figure salaries. Some are from much more ordinary backgrounds.

Tutors for Oxford (and Cambridge) exist and are used by many. Certainly by students in international schools
They prep for specific admissions teats and interviews. In the absence of specifics of the admissions test, I can only suggest you try a tutor agency. There are many specialising in Oxbridge entry but most of the big name tutors featuring in the Good Schools Guide (tutoring edition) also have them.

For interview - If the school has a good oxbridge preparation programme then its almost certainly not worth it. However, if the school is quite hands off then its probably useful to have a few practise chats where your child will be tested on the curriculum in imaginative ways and it certainly wont hurt their confidence going in?
For entrance exam - they just need to know the A Level curriculum REALLY well. Nothing will be in the exam that they wont have seen in lessons, oxbridge are much better now at making sure that the tests don't disadvantage pupils from schools who might not have had the capacity to stretch pupils beyond the curriculum. They will be expected to apply this knowledge to new problems though.

Actually it was me who was told to shuffle off under my rock. Despite having an untutored DD who has recently graduated and having contributed to these boards for the last 8 years or so, the OP decided that she didn't like my query.

DD simply followed the suggestion from the university itself that tutoring wasn't necessary to do well in the entrance exams and a lack of it shouldn't be a barrier to applying.

The basis of the article @dylexicdementor11 linked to use incorrect. At 6th form level, it’s not 6% educated in the private sector, it’s 17%.

The Cambridge stats are very transparent. The offer ratios made to those from different types of schools - independent, grammar, comprehensive, sixth form college and FE college are pretty much the same - if anything, the most favourable offer rates are for grammars and the lowest for FE colleges, but the differences are negligible.

17% of A-level students are educated in the private sector but they account for 24% of A star grades - which is what you need to apply. It stands to reason that private school will always punch above their weight in terms of A star grades simply because more of them are academically selective. You can’t compare a super-selective independent school like Westminster to a comprehensive - everyone at Westminster or similar schools will achieve the required grades for Oxbridge so it stands to reason more will apply. This is also true for very selective grammars.

On average nowadays, about 25% of A star grades are gained in the independent sector and this is reflected in the current state / independent offer ratio at Oxbridge.

The stats show that around 75% of Oxbridge entrants come from the ‘state sector’ - but this is misleading, because if you delve deeper into the stats, you will see that a very high proportion of these come from grammars or particular sixth form colleges such as Hills Rd in Cambridge or Brampton Manor in East London.

Just like a large proportion of the independent school intake is coming from the London super-selective day schools.

Cambridge have announced they are going to get rid of the state v independent criteria in their future admissions stats publications. This is because they have found that the ‘state demographic’ actually getting in is the same as the independent - ie. families in Bucks or Kent or North London who happen to be in grammar areas are no different to those in non-grammar areas who use independent schools.

So going forward, they will be tracking POLAR and ACORN stats only, as categorising by school sector has priced to be a largely blunt instrument in WP.

‘Proved’ not ‘priced’ sorry

As for tutoring, it’s impossible to say as OP won’t state which subject.

All they can do is have a go at the practice papers online, surely? No school can have any ‘special insights’ beyond the actual content of the sample papers.

If the DC is as rude as their mother it might be worth starting with someone to teach them some manners.Oxford dons are usually looking for people they'd like to teach and someone who is that rude won't be off the starting blocks.

Strongly seconded londonmummy1966.