Online interview days: some advice for this year’s applicants

Student experience Welcome to Physics 11 November 2020

Physics & Astronomy usually welcomes applicants for interview every Tuesday and Thursday from October to March. This year, instead of inviting everyone to the Schuster Building, the interviews have moved online. We caught up with Admissions Tutor Professor David Binks to ask what the new process is like and what you can expect from your interview.

What do students need to use to access their interview? Do they need to sign up for an account? Should they have their camera on?

“We have been using Zoom for the interviews this year, which is very easy to use: the applicants just click on the links they are sent. Ideally, the applicants will be on video because this allows them to show us a written answer to any questions they are asked (by simply holding up the paper with their answers on to the camera.) However, if any applicant has trouble accessing a webcam then they should get in contact with us.”

What is the academic interview like?

“The interview is done in a friendly and relaxed way; we want you to be able to show us the best of your abilities, and the best way for this to happen is for us to put you at your ease. The questions will allow you to show us what you know about physics and maths, and are designed for students on target for an A or A* at A-level (or the equivalent in other qualification systems).”

How should students prepare for the interview?

“There’s no particular preparation that you need to do – just be able to talk a little bit about why you are interested in studying physics and be able to answer some general questions about the physics and maths you have learnt at school or college.”

When will the applicants hear about an offer?

“The offer decision should be visible on UCAS with a week or so of the interview.”

Do you have any other advice?

“Don’t worry if there’s some technical glitch. We will do our best to sort you out on the day, but if that isn’t possible we can always reschedule for another day.”

More information

If you want to know more about the admissions process, you can read our Q&A with Professor Binks where he answered some of the most frequently asked questions.

Or check out our interview with First Year Tutor Dr Draga Pihler-Puzovic where she told us about what teaching is like for this year’s new students.