Oxford interviews 2026: dates, format and how to prepare
Every Oxford interview for 2027 entry is online, in December 2026. Shortlisting letters usually arrive from mid-November to early December, sometimes with only a week's notice. Your dates depend on your course; find yours in the timetable below. Tutors want to hear how you think through something new, not a memorised answer.
From invitation to decision
Shortlisting
Letters or emails usually arrive from mid-November to early December. An invitation may give only a week's notice, so prepare before you hear.
First interviews
Online, in your course's window below. Your invitation gives your exact times.
Possible second college
Some courses interview again at another college. Oxford aims to give at least 24 hours' notice.
Decisions
Oxford's page gives 12 January 2027 for outcomes through UCAS, followed by college messages later that day.
Interview dates by course, December 2026
All online. Dates are scheduling windows: your invitation gives your own times. "Not listed" means the timetable gives no second-college dates, not that there will be none.
| Course | First interviews | Second-college dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology and Anthropology | 14 to 15 Dec | 17 Dec |
| Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 8 to 11 Dec | 10 to 15 Dec |
| Biochemistry | 7 to 10 Dec | Not listed |
| Biology | 7 to 11 Dec | Not listed |
| Biomedical Sciences | 9 to 10 Dec | Not listed |
| Chemistry | 7 to 10 Dec | 15 to 16 Dec |
| Classical Archaeology and Ancient History | 7 to 8 Dec | 11, 15 Dec |
| Classics | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 7 to 10 Dec | 10 to 16 Dec |
| Classics and English | 7 to 9 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Computer Science | 14 to 17 Dec | 16 to 17 Dec |
| Computer Science and Philosophy | 14 to 17 Dec | 16 to 17 Dec |
| Earth Sciences | 14 to 16 Dec | Not listed |
| Economics and Management | 9 to 11 Dec | 15 to 16 Dec |
| Engineering | 14 to 17 Dec | Not listed |
| English Language and Literature | 7 to 9 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Fine Art | 7 to 9 Dec | 11 Dec |
| Geography | 9 to 16 Dec | Not listed |
| History (Ancient and Modern) | 7 to 11 Dec | 14 to 17 Dec |
| History | 7 to 11 Dec | 14 to 17 Dec |
| History and Economics | 7 to 11 Dec | 14 to 17 Dec |
| History and Politics | 7 to 11 Dec | 14 to 17 Dec |
| History and English | 7 to 11 Dec | 14 to 17 Dec |
| History of Art | 7 to 8 Dec | Not listed |
| Human Sciences | 8 to 11 Dec | 15 Dec |
| Law/Law with Law Studies in Europe | 7 to 9 Dec | 11 Dec |
| Materials Science | 10, 14, 15, 16 Dec | Not listed |
| Mathematics / Mathematics and Statistics | 14 to 17 Dec | 16 to 17 Dec |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 14 to 17 Dec | 16 to 17 Dec |
| Mathematics and Philosophy | 14 to 17 Dec | 16 to 17 Dec |
| Medicine | 14 to 15 Dec | Not listed |
| Medicine (Graduate Entry) | 17 to 18 Dec | Not listed |
| Modern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Classics and Modern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| English and Modern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| European and Middle Eastern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 10 to 16 Dec |
| History and Modern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Modern Languages and Linguistics | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Philosophy and Modern Languages | 7 to 10 Dec | 14 to 16 Dec |
| Music | 7 to 9 Dec | 14 Dec |
| Philosophy, Politics and Economics | 7 to 9 Dec | 11, 14, 15, 16 Dec |
| Physics | 9 to 15 Dec | Not listed |
| Physics and Philosophy | 9 to 15 Dec | Not listed |
| Psychology (Experimental) | 14 to 16 Dec | Not listed |
| Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics | 14 to 16 Dec | Not listed |
| Philosophy and Theology | 7 to 10 Dec | Not listed |
| Religion and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 7 to 11 Dec | 10 to 15 Dec |
| Theology and Religion | 7 to 10 Dec | Not listed |
Some interviews fall outside these windows: Biochemistry may start in the week of 30 November; PPE, Computer Science, Maths and Engineering have some interviews in the week of 7 December. Medicine applicants interview at two colleges on 14 or 15 December.
What Oxford says tutors look for
How you think
You may be asked to explore unfamiliar ideas or think through problems aloud. An immediate right answer is not the point.
How you use help
Tutors expect to give hints and expect mistakes. What matters is what you do with the hint.
Interest in the subject
Motivation and engagement with new material. Background and appearance are not selection criteria.
Before your online interview
- Check the date, time and platform in your invitation, and the time zone if you are abroad.
- Test your camera, microphone and connection in the room you will use.
- Have plain paper and a pen ready in case you want to sketch or work something out.
- Reread your personal statement and any written work you sent.
- Practise thinking aloud on problems you have not seen, and saying when you are stuck.
- Know what to do if your connection drops: check your invitation or your college's guidance.
Practise your subject
Interview-style problems answered out loud, with feedback on how your thinking comes across. One free problem in each subject.
Maths
Proofs, curve sketching and counting, worked out loud.
Maths problemsComputer Science
Puzzles and algorithms: find a method, then show it is the best.
Computer Science problemsEngineering
Forces, circuits and estimates from first principles.
Engineering problemsPhysics
Explain what happens and why, then put numbers on it.
Physics problemsEconomics and Management
Markets, data and incentives, reasoned step by step.
Economics problemsLaw
Apply a rule to new facts, then test it on a harder case.
Law problemsPPE and Philosophy
Take a position, meet the best objection, refine your view.
PPE problems
Rehearse out loud before December
Problems in your subject, answered out loud on the page. Take hints when stuck, answer the follow-ups, and see how your thinking comes across. Until 31 December 2026. No offer is promised.
Oxbridge Interview Rehearsal: two subjects
£199 once. No VAT is charged.
Rehearse every problem in two subjects you choose, with hints, follow-ups and Mia's marks, for 12 months.
- All 8 problems in each of your two subjects, chosen after you pay
- Hints when you are stuck, then the tutor's follow-up questions
- Mia's marks on every attempt: thinking aloud, using hints, checking, reasoning
- Your next problem picked from your weakest skill
- Every attempt saved, with re-attempts side by side
Access for 12 months, until 11 October 2027. Choose your subjects after paying. Full refund within 14 days, for any reason.
By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right.Oxbridge Interview Rehearsal: all subjects
£299 once. No VAT is charged.
Every problem in all seven subjects, for joint courses and for practising beyond your own subject.
- All 56 problems: Maths, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Economics, Law and PPE
- Hints when you are stuck, then the tutor's follow-up questions
- Mia's marks on every attempt: thinking aloud, using hints, checking, reasoning
- Your next problem picked from your weakest skill
- Every attempt saved, with re-attempts side by side
Access for 12 months, until 11 October 2027. Full refund within 14 days, for any reason.
By paying you agree to our Terms and get access straight away, which ends your 14-day cancellation right.More free help
Questions people ask
When are Oxford interviews in 2026?
In December 2026, online. Most courses interview between 7 and 18 December; your course's window is in the table above, and your invitation gives your exact times.
When do Oxford interview invitations come out?
Shortlisting outcomes usually arrive by letter or email from mid-November to early December. An invitation may give only a week's notice.
Are Oxford interviews online?
Yes. Every course in the 2026 timetable interviews online.
When will I hear if I have an offer?
Oxford's page gives 12 January 2027 for outcomes through UCAS, with college messages later that day.
Do I need interview coaching?
No. Oxford's tutors say they want to see how you think, not a rehearsed answer. Practising thinking aloud on unfamiliar problems is the useful part, and Oxford's own sample questions and videos are free.