Oxbridge applicants 2026??

[Justlurkingmostly]

Is there a thread for this year’s applicants - I can’t seem to find with a search. Thanks for signposting 🙏

PAT results are like TSA. Oxford has them now so they can weigh up all relevant info, but they aren't made public until Oxford offers are made. It does stop all the agonising about the difference one or two marks could make before you know whether or not you have an offer.

@NamechangeRugby PAT was sat on the same dates as MAT I think. If they’re the same they’ll find out if they’ve got an interview in the next few weeks and then the test results are released with the outcome of the interviews mid-January (I think).

n.b. I am far from being an expert on any of this so very happy to be corrected. Good luck to your dc.

Yes, you get the MAT/PAT scores at the end of Jan once you have been told if you were successful or not.

My DC1's experience last year (joint honours humanities at Oxford) was very much as @MonGrainDeSel suggests. They gave her some academic questions/problems/analysis, and asked her to think aloud as she worked through them. She got some things wrong, but the interviewers give guidance, and the vibe was supportive rather than looking to trip people up. It might sound obvious, but I think one piece of advice would be expect the interview to be quite hard, and then you'll be less likely flap/panic/clam up if you get a bit stuck or need redirection at points.

Her 6th form college didn't do much by way of preparation other than being super enthusiastic about as many pupils as possible throwing their hats in the ring. She didn't do any paid activities. The most helpful preparation was watching YouTube mock interviews from various university colleges, and DC1 said that these were pretty accurate in terms of the sort of questions she faced. @Muchtoomuchtodo the other free thing your DC can to is to keep reading! This was DC1's only "supercurricular", and the interviewers were really interested to hear about what she'd been reading and what her responses to it were.

Regarding admissions tests, DC1 got bang average marks of all interviewed applicants, and less than average of successful applicants (although of course mathematically some of them must be less than average!).

Watching with interest at DS at Cambridge (Law) Y2 and DD will be applying for music next year. I second suggestion to study the YouTube interviews made by Directors of Studies I stumbled across one a couple of days before DS' interview and one of the interviews was almost identical apparently - it was reading a passage and then answering questions. Other interview was the "stress interview" when they really went into detail on his UCAS statement ripping apart all his ideas. He walked out looking dazed but rather enjoyed it. Had low expectations going in but came out saying he was glad to have had the experience.

Would also say don't worry about not having offers yet for Law. First offer came in from Warwick just as we were driving to Cambridge for the interview in December. In the end all offered but some were very late (I am looking at you Bristol).

@Muchtoomuchtodo @HewasH2O @Llangewydd57 thanks very much all, timings make sense now.

@Shodan I also have a DS looking at eng at cam and yes it’s hard to know when to know what is happening.

Not sure about scores because DS (4th yr engineering at C currently) sat the ENGAA for engineering, not the ESAT, but he really didn't think he had done enough - either on the test, or in the interviews..but he was wrong on both counts. I think I posted upthread - but he got his interview email on the 24 Nov.

Best of luck to your DS!

Last year DC1’s friends had interviews at Cambridge with ESAT scores of 3. something on the three areas tested.

Found this on FB, if useful for anyone applying STEM at C

Just to reiterate what lots of people have said about the interviews - they're designed to be hard to 'coach' for (and to be hard!).
DD had a mock interview at college, but not a lot else - she enjoyed it but said it was nothing like her actual interviews. She was really unwell in the week or so before the interviews (and heavily dosed up for the interviews themselves), so didn't do a lot of the prep she was hoping to. But she said none of it would have made any difference - it was just a deep dive into a really niche aspect of her (STEM) subject and they really didn't want her to draw on existing knowledge, they wanted her to talk and think about stuff she didn't know yet. (Incidentally, my own interview, some 30 years ago, was remarkably similar - 30 minutes of incredibly detailed discussion about a poem.)
Wishing everyone good luck - it's a tough process.

Joining as the anxious wait begins. DS applying for subject that didn’t have a test at Cambridge. Wondering if they sort interviews first for candidates that have done an aptitude test

Just found this for Cambridge - thought I would share as it might be useful 😀

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U6K415ot2Daa02HqV40x8CiTVJlMnYWMhGkV7YHqk14/edit?gid=113092479#gid=113092479

and: www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7640358

If the school doesn't offer interview practice; DC can prep by taking any opportunity to talk about their subject, whether just by chatting informally about ideas with friends and family or giving an EPQ presentation and taking questions afterwards.
DS was interviewed by his prospective Cambridge Director of Studies (DoS) and an additional DoS from another college. It was more of a discussion than a formal set of questions. Once the "interview" was underway, DS said he relaxed and enjoyed the back and forth discussion. He mainly drew on the reading he had already done so would advise interviewees to know the books they claim to have read.

DD had a more formal set of interviews for Oxford, STEM and, for her subject, the interview questions/problems/scenarios were the same across all the colleges. She had to apply existing knowledge/understanding of principles to try to work out answers. She got the impression her interviewers were more interested in her methods than the answers. She found her EPQ project and presentation were useful prep for her interviews.

I've uploaded the recordings of the first two webinars in the STEP Support Programmes "Problem Solving for Maths Interviews" webinar series. You can find them here: https://maths.org/step/webinars

One of my older dc's did MML at Cambridge. He absolutely loved his time there, made some wonderful friends, and I think he is missing it now (he graduated in July). Good luck to your son.

Best of luck to your dd. My ds graduated in July from Cambridge MML. He loved his course and his time there, made some wonderful friends, and met his lovely girlfriend!

I’m very glad we’ve had the distraction of a driving test (passed) and a Manchester interview date next week, to prep for - it’s filling up some of the waiting time

@wonkylegs congratulations to your DS - drive carefully! What subject is he applying for? Our ds has got an offer from Manchester for maths - no interview, just very high A level grades needed l!

@Muchtoomuchtodo
he’s applied for Physics, I believe the earliest he’ll hear anything from Oxford is the day of his Manchester interview. He’s booked his tickets and is ready for a day out in Manchester. It’s his 2nd favourite but it’s very competitive too.
He’s got a very comfortable offer from York already which takes off some pressure although it’s his least favourite. Edinburgh is silent at the moment.

I seem to remember from last year that lots of DD's friends got quite late offers from Edinburgh (it was lots of people's first or second choice). So you might have to wait a bit!

DS2 has finally submitted the rest of the choices on his UCAS application! Well, all bar one anyway- apparently Sheffield haven't given definite details of the course he was looking at so it hasn't gone on the application.

He also seems less sure about Cambridge- for him it ranks equally with Bath at the moment. I have no idea whether that will change. But at least he's most of the way there now.

Re Edinburgh - a couple of years ago my DD waited until early May and then gave up and chose her firm and insurance offers as A Level exams were beginning. Her best friend applying for the same course as DD waited a week longer and Edinburgh sent an offer. Interestingly it was higher than the Oxford offers they both held.

So yes patience is often required with Edinburgh. That was for Modern Languages and both DD and her friend had been predicted Astar, Astar, Astar.

Yes, this.
My dd got into Oxford (rural comp) and had no help with any kind of preparation for the interview. I don’t think you can prepare for the interview really, so people shouldn’t worry if their child has had less help or is from a school where it’s uncommon to get into Oxford or Cambridge. The interview is a conversation about your subject, but really they are looking for a very specific type of person, it’s not just academic prowess or an-in depth knowledge, it’s more that they want people who will respond to the specific way that they teach, and who have a broad and flexible type of intelligence and curiosity. Everyone applying will have good grades, they don’t care at all about extra curricular stuff, so the margins between students who get an offer and those who get rejected are tiny.
Obviously the interviews are really stressful as there is so much pressure to do well, but the most important thing is to try and enjoy the chance to chat about your subject.

Same here. DS will have his interview at Manchester next week. I don't see any interview required for other subjects, so wonder why just Physics?

He felt not too bad after sitting PAT, but still not sure if it's good enough for interview at O. However he is happy with Manchester, his 2nd favourite too.