How interviews work

Interview timeline

The timeline below shows an overview of the interview process and when you should expect to hear from us.

Please be aware that not all Colleges/subjects will send out invitation to interviews on the same day. It may be that someone who applied to Downing for one subject hears before another subject, or one College may have invited a certain subject to interview before Downing has sent out their invitations. Please do not worry – you will definitely hear from us!

timeline of interview process

Invitation to interview

If you are invited to interview you will receive an email around mid-end November with the following information:

  • Date and time of the interview
  • Number of interviews
  • Interviewer names (where possible)
  • Joining instructions

All interviews for Downing take place online regardless of subject or your location. Downing uses Zoom to host its interviews and your invitation will contain more information about how to join.

We try to avoid any clashes that you have made us aware of either in your My Cambridge Application or via email. However, please be aware that this is not a guarantee. Once you receive your interview invitation it is not possible to reschedule except for exceptional circumstances, such as a hospital appointment. Therefore, it is important to keep the first two weeks of December clear and let us know about any unavoidable conflicts as soon as possible. 

Please be aware interviews can be scheduled between 8am – 8pm GMT. If you are going to be outside of the UK at the time of your interview and the time of your scheduled interview in your location is between 12am – 6am, please get in touch with admissions@dow.cam.ac.uk urgently. We would not expect you to conduct an interview at this time.

Interview format

How to join your interview:

In your invitation you will receive a Zoom meeting ID and password to join the Zoom call. Please join at least 15 minutes before the start of your first activity (interview or pre-reading).

Step 1. Join the meeting with the meeting ID and password.

Step 2. You will automatically enter a waiting room. Your screen will say something similar to, ‘Welcome to Downing Admissions.’

Step 3. You will be brought into our main room and met by two of our current students. They will check that all your technology is working and help to fix any issues.

Step 4. If your interviewers are not ready for you, then our current students will place you back into the waiting room.

Step 5. Once your interviewers are ready, you will be brought back into the main room before being sent to a breakout room, where your interviewers will be waiting.

Step 6. At the end of your interview please select, ‘leave meeting’ button and Zoom will close. If you have a second interview, please go back to step 1.

Tech checks:

To make sure you are familiar with the process we offer the opportunity to test out the system on Friday 1st December. This allows you to check your Wi-Fi connection, technology and to ask any questions about the format of your interview over Zoom. More information on the tech checks will be sent in your interview invitation.

Support Webinar:

Downing will also invite you to attend an ‘Interview Preparation Webinar’. At this session the Admissions Tutor will explain what he is looking for in applications and what candidates can expect at interview. The Admissions Team will also go over the practical details around what to do on the day of your interview.

The support webinar will take place on Thursday 30th November at 10:00am with a repeat session at 5:30pm. Joining details will be sent to you with your invitation to interview.

Interview structure

Every interview looks different, and they do not follow a single formula. This means that the number of interviews and the length of interviews will vary depending on subject. However, you will have the same number and length of interviews as every other applicant applying for your subject at Downing.

You will usually have either:

  • 1 x longer interview (between 30 and 45 minutes)
  • 2 x shorter interviews (between 20 and 30 minutes)

If you have multiple interviews, they will not necessarily take place on the same day. If only one interview is mentioned in the email, then you will only have one interview.

There will usually be either two or three academics in your interview. If you have multiple interviews, your interviewers will be different in each. One of your interviewers is likely to be the Director of Studies for the course at Downing. 

Pre-reading

Some Arts and Humanities subjects will have pre-reading as part of the interview process. If you have pre-reading, you will be told the timing of this when you receive your invitation to interview.

You will need to join the Zoom meeting in plenty of time for your reading slot. At the time of your reading, you will be placed in a breakout room with an invigilator. They will explain the process and then share their screen with the reading.

During your pre-reading, you are allowed to make notes on paper, but you are not allowed to use any electronic devices. You will not have access to the pre-reading other than through the shared screen.

When your reading time has finished, the invigilator will stop sharing their screen and you will either be sent into your interview or placed back into the waiting room.

If you have informed us of any extra time or other adjustments, these will be applied to your pre-reading if necessary.

Pre-reading gives you the opportunity to showcase some of the skills that are required for your course and may be used as the basis of a discussion in interview.

College Registered Admissions Assessments

College Registered Admissions Assessments typically take place in the last two weeks of November; however, some may take place during the interview period itself.

You will only have a College Registered Admissions Assessment if you are going to be interviewed.

The following courses have a College Registered Admissions Assessment at Downing:

  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (if combining with a European language)
  • Classics (4 years)
  • Design
  • English
  • History and Modern Languages (language tests)
  • History of Art
  • Linguistics
  • Modern and Medieval Languages
  • Philosophy 

If you're invited for interview, Downing will arrange for you to take the relevant College Admission Assessment. We will let you know when and how you should take your assessment.

You may be told about your College Registered Admissions Assessment before you receive the full details of your interview/s. This means that you will be invited for interview, and the full details will follow.