In this article we will guide you on how to best prepare for your Oxford English Literature Interview. This includes guides on past English Literature questions for interview, interview tips, mock examples and real experiences from students who have sat the Oxford English Literature interview.
This article has been made from a collection of accounts from Oxbridge applicants.
Here is a link about what to expect about the English Literature course at Oxford
What is the Oxford English Literature interview structure?
The Oxford English Literature Interview is split into two interviews. Tutors are looking to assess your ability to analyse text in a short period of time. The first interview typically involves you looking at an unseen piece of poetry and sharing your views and thoughts guided by a series of Oxbridge English literature questions. The second interview can involve a mixture of unseen text, questions relating to your personal statement or just general questions surrounding English.
Some colleges may ask you to read a short passage of writing just before your Interview which will then be brought up as a part of a discussion.
Still not sure what to expect for your interview?
Here’s an Insider guide with mock English Literature questions for interview:
What are the Oxford English Literature interview dates?
Based on information from previous years on the official Oxford Website, the Oxford English Literature interviews will take place at the beginning of December.
Example Oxbridge English interview questions
- Why do we read literature?
- Read and date this short, anonymous poem. Comment on the use of imagery and its effect
- Do you think the ending of ‘The Mill On The Floss’ is poor?
- How is poetry linked to music and other arts?
- What makes a novel a classic? What is a modern classic?
- Is an author’s life important when looking at their work?
- Would you rather be a novel or a poem?
- Do you think it is important to study literature in chronological order?
- Why did you apply for English Literature?
- Is the phrase ‘I would like a cup of coffee please’ in a cafe ‘poetry’?
- How does the material of the book impact the experience of reading?
- What is the book you have read that has had the most profound impact on you?
- What books are bad for you?
- Is an understanding of rhythm important when writing prose?
- Do you know who decided to put English Literature on the school syllabus?
- Is the gender of the protagonist important?
Further Examples of Oxford English Literature questions for interview:
- Was Shakespeare a rebel?
- Do you think there is any point to reading criticism?
- Why would one bother writing a poem?
- If you could design the A Level English course, which texts would you include?
- Does every work of literature always have a moral? Is there an immoral book that exists?
- What is the difference between innocence and naivety?
- Should politicians study English?
- Can a carrot be considered a theatrical fruit, if it is used as a prop during a play?
- Can a reader truly know a writer’s intention?
- Compare and contrast Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings
- Could the sentence ‘Tom failed to catch the train on time again’ be said to be poetry?
- Do you think Hamlet is listened to when he says ‘To be, or not to be?’
- How would you describe a cucumber to an alien?
- Is the Bible a fictional work?
- Is literature a different language to speech?
- Is an author’s life important when looking at their work?
- What do you want to get out of this course?
- What does the Ghost in Hamlet have to do with madness?
- What is a haiku? Why are they so different in structure to a sonnet?
- What is your favourite word?
- What is your opinion on ambiguity?
- Would you rather be a novel or a poem?
Insider Guides: Oxford English Literature Interview
What happened on the day of your Oxford English Literature interview?
My interview took place online via Teams. I had two interviews. In the first interview, the tutors gave me a piece of prose to analyse 10 minutes before my interview. For my second Oxford English Literature, it was a piece of poetry. The interviews were centered on my understanding and thoughts on those pieces.
My interview also included a discussion of what I was reading at the moment, including things I had touched upon in my personal statement.
What do you have to bring to your Oxford English Literature interview?
Dress code does not matter at all – the tutors are interested in what you say, not what you look like! For my Oxford English Literature, I was advised to bring a pen as well as print out the extract that I was given to analyze to allow me to quickly annotate it before the interview.
What is the Oxford English Literature Interview setting and how long is it?
Both my Interviews took place online. For both my interviews, there were two tutors present with one asking the questions and the other making notes.
Each Oxford English Literature Interview lasts approximately 30 minutes in total.
What are the interviewers like?
My Oxford English Literature interviews had a variety of interviewers – some were very friendly and warm whereas others were quite hard to read. Remember to focus on what they are saying and your answers rather than their facial expressions.
The follow-up questions felt very free-flowing and conversational and were often based on what my previous answers were.
Are there any academic or challenging English Literature questions at the Oxford interview?
For my Oxford English Literature Interview, I would say the challenging questions were those that required me to critically think and analyze the pieces of English that were presented to me, for example: “How does the form of a poem impact its meaning?”
I also had a few questions based on my personal statement which were relevant to the texts I had studied at A-Level or any other works I had mentioned in my essay.
Are there any personality, work experience or extracurricular based English Literature questions at the Oxford interview?
There were no such questions in my interviews.
Top Tips for the Oxford English Literature interview
- Read your personal statement: Knowing your personal statement in and out allows you to be prepared to answer any questions your interviewers might ask in relation to the topics you have touched upon in your essay. This could be certain literature works, authors, style of writing or prose/poetry pieces that you have mentioned.
- Do not try and predict questions: While preparing for potential questions that you can get asked in your Oxford English Interview is certainly useful, the majority of questions you get asked on the actual day will be based on the responses you give to the initial questions. Focus on reading as much information as you can and knowing your material well.
- Practice talking to other people: Get friends, family members and teachers to constantly ask you a wide range of questions. You can call us to find out more about Oxford English interview tutoring. It is a good way to practice thinking on your feet. This will give you the opportunity to discuss your ideas with other people and work in your favour to build up your confidence!
- Don’t rush your answers: When asked a question, take a moment to think about how you want to approach the answer. Try not to rush your thinking process and focus on explaining your thought process out loud to your interviews. Your interviews are not looking at the vastness of your literary knowledge but rather are assessing your ability to critically arrive at an answer.
- Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to challenge the interviewers on their ideas. Its impressive to show that you can respectfully and productively disagree with someone as it shows you can actively engage in critical discourse.
Top Tips for the “Why Oxford” interview question
- Research Oxford and think about why you really want to go there – this cannot be simply because it is one of the world’s top universities. You should find something unique or rare about Oxford that makes you want to study there.
- You must also think about your specific subject. For English, you should research the various courses on offer, making sure to have a few in mind which you would love to come to Oxford to study.
My Favourite Things about Studying English Literature at Oxford University
My favourite thing about studying English Literature at Oxford University is the environment that is created in every tutorial. I love how I leave every tutorial feeling inspired. My peers and tutors alike are so passionate and full of ideas and sharing our ideas is always encouraged and facilitated by the course structure.
