For those applying in 2025, the vast majority of our interviews will be online. For Music and Mathematics,there will be the option for in-person interviews. Further details below under Interview Format for 2025.
What are interviews for?
Interviews play an important part in admissions to Cambridge, but it is important to stress that they are not the only method by which colleges decide who will be offered places. Interviews give us insights into your ability to discuss topics, to listen, to bring concepts together, and to evaluate arguments, qualities that we cannot directly assess in other parts of your application.
What are interviews like?
At Homerton, it is our usual practice to offer two interviews, both academic. There are usually two interviewers in each interview, with each interview lasting 25 minutes.
Potential students will be interviewed by academics, knowledgeable in the applicant's chosen field, and they often include the subject-specific College Director of Studies. In some cases, you may also be interviewed by academic staff in a closely related subject area or by a Tutor. You may be asked about a pre-prepared piece of work, or be asked to consider problems relevant to your subject. The nature of interviews varies from subject to subject. We have different expectations of those applying to read subjects they have studied at school, and those applying to read subjects they have not.
Whether your interview takes place in-person or online, the level of assessment and the type of questions asked will be the same. The only difference is the format of the interview itself.
Interview format for 2025:
Homerton will be using both online and in-person interviews.
Online interviews will be held for the following subjects for all applicants: Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, Archaeology, Architecture, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Classics, Computer Science, Design, Economics, Education, Engineering, English, Geography, History and Modern Languages, History and Politics, History of Art, History, Human, Social, and Political Sciences, Land Economy, Law, Linguistics, Medicine, Modern and Medieval Languages, Music, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion, Veterinary Medicine.
For Music and Mathematics only: there will be the option for in-person interviews for applicants who are at school in the UK or applying post-qualification and are ordinarily resident in the UK. Applicants who are outside the UK will be interviewed online.
- Technology: If you're being interviewed online and are eligible for Free School Meals, you can contact the College for help accessing suitable technology.
- Disability support: You can request any adjustments you might need at interview by completing a Disability Adjustments form. The College will provide you with the form to complete and return by a given date to allow us to make the appropriate arrangements. Find out more about support for disabled students.
- Travel expenses: For in-person interviews, travel support is available for UK students eligible for Free School Meals.
- Accommodation and meals will be provided for those applicants attending in-person interviews and living more than 2 hours travelling distance of the College and/or if the interview is held before 10am or after 5pm. We are not able to offer accommodation to accompanying parents/guardians. Further information will be provided in the interview invitation.
- Disability support: You can request any adjustments you might need at interview by completing a Disability Adjustments form. The College will provide you with the form to complete and return by a given date to allow us to make the appropriate arrangements. Find out more about support for disabled students.
What are we looking for?
We do not expect you to know all there is to know about your subject. The answer 'I don't know' is not a wrong answer. Nor do we expect you to have an answer to our questions immediately. You are allowed to think about your response.
We do, however, expect that you will have thought seriously and carefully about your application, that you are genuinely interested in your subject(s) and that you can think things through with clarity. The best interviews are more like discussions, and can even be fun; they are certainly not something to be feared. Our principal aim is to ensure candidates will be at their best and so we try to put you at ease, allowing you to show your true potential. We are certainly not trying to catch you out, nor will you be asked any trick questions. you may even get questions wrong or change your mind; your interviewers can help you through the most difficult parts of the questions.
Further advice and guidance on interviews can be found on this page.
What if it goes wrong?
Anyone can have an interview that does not go to plan. That is one of the reasons we give you two opportunities and two interviewers in each interview. If you feel that the interview did not go well, please remember that we are aware of how stressful they can be and that this part of the admissions process is not more important than any other. A 'bad' interview is not the end of your application.
Where can I find further information about the interview process at Cambridge?
You can find further information about the interview process at Cambridge, by visiting What to expect at your Cambridge interview | Undergraduate Study, watching the videos, ‘Our interview experience’ and ‘What to expect at your online interview’ and visiting Preparing for your Cambridge interview | Undergraduate Study.
These two short films below may help you with your interview preparation. You may also want to explore the extra guidance and resources we have under our Resources and Homerton College Outreach pages.
