Biochemistry interviews
Thank you for applying to Oxford to study Biochemistry. Read this introductory message from our tutors and watch the briefing from Petros Ligoxygakis below (captions can be turned on in the bar at the bottom of the video).
Congratulations for being shortlisted for interview – this is already a sign of your brilliance! The purpose of the interview is to assess your potential and suitability for the course, not your knowledge. This isn’t a test that you pass or fail, it’s about finding out if you would like to do Biochemistry here in Oxford and at Hertford. It’s also about us finding out whether this is the right course for you: there are many outstanding Biochemistry courses in the UK, and Oxford’s does not suit everyone. So, if you don’t get offered a place in January, it is not a failure. Your academic record shows that you are all very able students and will have a great future whatever the outcome of this process.
Your interview will last for 25 minutes. The general purpose of the interview is to explore your problem-solving abilities, so it won’t be a quiz. The structure of the interview will be as follows:
- Before the interview you will be sent pre-interview reading by the college’s Admissions Office that will require confirmation of receipt. You will read, make notes on the article and highlight what you think are the three most interesting/important points.
- We’ll start the interview by welcoming you and discussing your personal statement.
- We will continue by discussing a topic that interests you, probably something you’ve mentioned in your personal statement.
- We will then discuss the pre-interview reading you were sent.
- Following the pre-interview reading discussion we will work through some problem-solving questions.
If there is a technical problem and we lose each other, we will reschedule. Do not be anxious about this – no one will be disadvantaged due to their internet connection. Remember: you should not discuss the content of your interview with anyone else until the process has been completed in January.
For your Biochemistry interview at Hertford, you will require only a device with access to Microsoft Teams, a microphone and webcam. Although the University has categorised Biochemistry as a subject recommending ‘Tier 2’ technology, at Hertford we will be treating it as ‘Tier 1’, meaning that no additional tablets or virtual whiteboards are needed. You will also be interviewed at a second college, where a ‘Tier 2’ set-up may be required. To find out more about what this entails and to watch an introductory video, please see our Online Interviews Technology page. If you have any questions or concerns about the technology set-up, either here or at a potential second college, you should email undergraduate.admissions@hertford.ox.ac.uk and we’ll do our best to help.
Best wishes and good luck to all!