PPE and Philosophy interview problems
Take a position, meet the best objection, refine your view. Type your thinking, take a hint when you are stuck, then answer the follow-ups.
The problems
Breaking a promise
FreeIs it ever right to break a promise? Give me your view, then the best case against it.
Try it freeShould knowledge weigh votes?
In the rehearsalSuppose we gave each voter extra votes for passing a test on politics. Would decisions improve? Would it be fair?
Five patients, one visitor
In the rehearsalA runaway tram will kill five people unless you switch it to a side track, where it will kill one. Most people say switch it. A surgeon could save five dying patients by taking the organs of one healthy visitor. Almost everyone says no. Is there a real moral difference?
The perfect copy
In the rehearsalA machine scans you, destroys your body, and builds an exact copy on Mars, with all your memories. Did you survive the trip?
Votes at 16?
In the rehearsalShould the voting age for UK general elections be 16?
£1,000 for everyone
In the rehearsalA city gives every adult resident £1,000 a year, with no conditions. Who gains, who pays, and what might change?
All swans are white?
In the rehearsal'Every swan I have ever seen is white, so all swans are white.' Is that good reasoning? What about 'The sun has risen every day, so it will rise tomorrow'?
Compulsory voting
In the rehearsalShould voting be compulsory, with a small fine for not voting?
Rehearse all 8
Hints, follow-ups and Mia's marks on every attempt, until 31 December.
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, until your interviews.
- 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 until 31 December 2026. 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 until 31 December 2026. 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.What the universities say
“You may be asked to explore unfamiliar ideas, think through problems aloud or consider new perspectives.”
University of Oxford: Interviews“Students do make mistakes, and that's fine”
“It's not assumed that a less-talented student will need more help on any given problem”
University of Oxford: Sample interview questions“we may ask you to solve a problem and talk us through your thought processes”
Oxford Mathematical Institute: Interviews“Our tutors are not mind readers, so if you don't say anything our tutors can't tell what you are thinking!”
Oxford Computer Science: How to apply“the people interviewing you are interested in how you work out your answers and how you think”
University of Cambridge: Preparing for your interview