Natural Sciences (Physical) 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

When an ice cube melts in a glass of water, does the water level increase, decrease, or stay the same?

Question 2

You have 12 resistors arranged as a cube. What is the equivalent resistance between opposite vertices?

Question 3

What makes some chemicals explosive? Why are explosions a risk in flour mills?

Question 4

Draw graphs of y = sin(1/x), y = x·sin(1/x), y = x^3·sin(1/x)

Hint: Look for asymptotes, intercepts, stationary points, and end behaviour.

Question 5

How would you adjust ethanol to make it a stronger acid?

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.