Philosophy, Politics and Economics 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

What distinguishes knowing a fact from having a mere true belief in it?

Question 2

A person with £50,000 is rich. A person with N pounds is rich, and a person with N-1 pounds is also rich. Therefore, a person with £1 is rich. Falsify this argument.

Question 3

Should prisoners get a vote? What is the strongest argument for and against?

Question 4

Pick a number between 0 and 100. You win if you pick the number closest to 2/3 of the average number picked by 1,000 contestants. What number do you pick?

Question 5

Do bankers deserve the pay they receive? And should government do something to limit how much they get?

Question 6

A new country is formed in Africa. They introduce a new currency. How does the international market value what it is worth?

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.