Natural Sciences (Biological) Interview-style Questions

Note: Oxford and Cambridge do not publicly release any interview questions because they often reuse questions across application cycles. Below are interview-style questions of suitable difficulty that will help you prepare for your Oxbridge interview.

Question 1

How can you tell how genetically identical the individuals of a species are?

Question 2

Why are there only twenty amino acids?

Question 3

How could you tell how long a disease had been prevalent in an area?

Question 4

The viruses that infect us are totally dependent on human cells for their reproduction. Is it therefore surprising that viruses cause human diseases?

Question 5

Ladybirds are red. So are strawberries. Why?

Interview Tips

  • Think out loud: The interviewer will be assessing your ability to think through complex problems. They can only do this if they know your thought process.

  • Be familiar with your syllabus: The interviewer can ask you a question from any topic you have been taught already in your A level/IB syllabus.

  • Practice: There is no better way to prepare than to practice.

For comprehensive guidance, visit our Oxbridge Interview Guide.