In this article we will guide you on how to best prepare for your Cambridge Geography interview. This includes guides on past Cambridge Geography questions, interview tips, mock examples and real experiences from students who have sat the Cambridge Geography interview.
This article has been made from a collection of accounts from Cambridge applicants.
Here is a link about what to expect about the Geography course at Cambridge
What is the Cambridge Geography Interview structure?
Tutors from the ‘first choice’ college will interview you. You will be required to take two interviews for Cambridge Geography:
- Interview 1: Assesses your knowledge in physical geography
- Interview 2: Assesses your knowledge in human geography
Cambridge Geography Interviews usually last from 20-30 minutes. In your Cambridge Geography Interview, tutors will ask you to comment on a variety of pictorial, cartographic or tabulated data that is presented to you. You can also ask any questions you may have about studying Geography at Cambridge.
Still not sure what to expect for your interview?
What are the Cambridge Geography Interview dates?
According to the official Cambridge Website, the majority of interviews will take place in the first 3 weeks of December.
Example Past Questions from Cambridge Geography Interview
Human Geography
- Questions about books talked about in your personal statement. Questions relating to themes of the book and critiquing the author
- If you were a policy maker, would you focus on urban or rural? Follow-up questions were used as a conversation
Physical Geography
- Given two articles beforehand to read with questions being heavily based from that
- Why is that Russia’s ports are used differently?
- Explain thermohaline circulation
- Explain the differences in the marine processes in the northern and southern hemisphere
Other Questions
- What do you think about people who regard global warming as nonsense?
- Explain cliff formation after looking at a photograph. How can computers aid geographers in understanding the process?
- What is the relevance of physical geography to human geography?
- Compare the effects of live 8 to those of live aid
- What would make anyone want to settle in a place like Iceland?
Insider Guides: Cambridge Geography Interview
What happened on the day of your Cambridge Geography Interview?
I had to arrive an hour before and was sitting in a room with other interviewees. I had two interviews in total which took place on the same day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. There were no talks but a guide was present to walk me to my interview which helped me feel completely at ease.
What do you have to bring to your Interview?
I was not required to bring anything to my Cambridge Geography Interview apart from the articles that I was sent ahead of time to analyse. The dress code for the interview is smart casual. I would recommend bringing any revision notes and a book/ form of entertainment to keep your mind occupied and calm before your interview.
What is the Cambridge Geography Interview setting and how long is it?
The Cambridge Geography Interview took place in an office in one of the colleges in Cambridge. I had two interviewers present in my interview room. I was also sat on a chair with both interviewers directly opposite me.
Each Cambridge Geography Interview lasted approximately 40-45 minutes long.
What are the Cambridge Geography interviewers like?
For my first Cambridge Geography Interview, both the interviewers were friendly. However, they kept a calm facade but weren’t overly nice which though intimidating, is done to keep it a fair process. They started off the interview with a small talk to break the ice, which helped me relax.
My second interview unfortunately was the opposite as my interviewers were very intense and quite cold. Don’t let that put you off though. Ultimately, the tutors are looking to assess your intellect in the subject so stay confident in your ability to analyse the information presented to you.
There is no predetermined list of follow up questions that you will get asked. Every answer is met with a follow up question in order to gain depth in the conversation and also ensure that I had the knowledge without just making blanket claims.
Are there any academic or challenging Geography questions at the Cambridge Interview?
The challenging questions were those based on my personal statement as the interviewers go very in depth through your statement and leave nothing out that you’ve mentioned. For example, one of the questions I was asked was ‘I noticed you mentioned Tim Marshall and his political opinion – what do you think of his stance and can you link this to anything you’ve learnt?’
Are there any personality, work experience or extracurricular based Geography questions at the Chemistry Interview?
I did not have any questions about my personality but my work experience that I talked about in my personal statement was mentioned. However, the interviewers were more interested in hearing about it rather than wanting a structured answer. This was also the same for the extracurricular questions.
Top Tips for the Cambridge Geography Interview
- Re-read your personal statement: It is very valuable to be aware of the topics/books/articles related to Geography that you have talked about in your personal statement as you can get asked questions relating to them
- Be up to date with current affairs: Read the news regularly in the months prior to your interview in case you get asked questions about current affairs. It is also a useful tool so that when you answer interview questions, you can reference real life examples.
- Do a practice interview: Get someone to do a mock interview with you where you are asked general questions but also several follow-up questions based on your response
- Focus on resting the night before: Try not to do much preparation the night before your Chemistry Geography Interview. Focus on remaining calm as the interviewers are also looking for individuals that are confident rather than perfect.
Top Tips for the “Why Cambridge” interview question
- Research Cambridge 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 also find something unique or rare about Oxford that makes you want to study there.
- You must also think about your specific subject. For Geography, you should research the various courses on offer, making sure to have a few in mind which you would love to come to Cambridge to study.
My Favourite Things about Studying Geography at Cambridge University
My favourite thing about studying Geography at Cambridge University is the variety that comes with the course. Within Geography, there are so many different disciplines that you get to get involved in. It is a good quality course that gives you the chance to interact with academic staff that are at the top of their field.
