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Interviews, tests, and written work

Exam results are an important criteria for admission, but they're far from the only information we look at.

We also consider your performance in written tests and at interview, as well as your references, your personal statement, and your individual circumstances.

Interviews

For 2023-2024, we will be interviewing shortlisted applicants virtually, with interviews taking place in December.

We invite about 80 per cent of those who apply to Jesus College to interview. The interviews are conducted by specialists in the subject you've chosen to study.

The aim of the interviews is to discover whether:

  • You have a genuine passion for the subject
  • The course is an appropriate choice for you
  • You are a clear thinker, with analytical ability, and enthusiasm for complex and challenging ideas.

What the interviews will cover

Our questions are designed to assess your ability to use what you already know in unfamiliar situations, and determine whether you can see connections. We're also looking to see whether you can assimilate and use new information or ideas that we give you.

You may be asked questions about your personal statement and the subjects you have studied in the past, and sometimes an interviewer may ask you to clarify some factual or practical aspect of your application. You may also be asked to discuss a text or a specimen if they are relevant to the course you're applying for, or to work through a problem that the interviewers show you.

We aim for a structured but also relatively informal discussion in which we can see you thinking through problems. Questions are not designed to trick you. You can take your time to think about your reply, or to ask for clarification. Don’t worry if you stumble or feel you need to backtrack on something you were saying: we are not looking for a ‘smooth’ performance, we want to hear your thoughts.

You can watch some example interviews to get a sense of what to expect on the day.

Preparing for your interviews

The best preparation for your interviews is to explore your interests beyond your school curriculum. Make full use of any information sources you have access to: your school or local library, TV or radio programmes, websites and blogs, newspapers, magazines, etc.

You can also develop your interview skills by discussing what you have learned with your fellow students, family members, teachers, or anyone else who may be interested. This will help you practice thinking clearly, developing an argument, and defending your position.

If you're planning to get some work experience that could be relevant to your application, try to complete it before you apply. Then you can draw on the experience to discuss your interest in the course, and the knowledge and skills you've gained.

Just before the interviews, make sure you reread your application and any written work you have submitted. Make sure you arrive in plenty of time, wearing something that you feel comfortable in. Try to give clear and focused answers, take time to think whenever you need to, or to ask for clarification. Remember that content and not style is most important to us.

You can find more tips about preparing for interview on the University website

Interview schedule

This year interviews are likely to be held between 4 and 15 December 2023.  Please note that these dates are provisional and may be subject to change.

Tests

Written assessments are another important part of the admissions process. We use course specific tests to evaluate your current understanding and knowledge of the subject and any relevant skills you have developed.

These assessments are not simple pass or fail tests, but we take them into account together with everything else. In other words, a weak performance in the written test can be compensated by strong performance elsewhere in your application. 

A number of subjects hold assessments in mid-October before interviews take place:

  • Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Natural Sciences
  • Veterinary Medicine.

These subjects require you to register in advance. Full details, including the relevant deadlines, can be found on the University website.

Other subjects hold written assessments around the time of interview:

  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (if combining with a Modern Language)
  • Design
  • English
  • History
  • History and Modern Languages
  • History and Politics
  • History of Art
  • Linguistics
  • Modern and Medieval Languages 
  • Music
  • Philosophy

You do not need to register for these in advance and we will provide details directly to you.

There are no common format written assessments for Mathematics.

You can find more detailed information about written assessments, as well as sample tests and tips on how to prepare, on the University website.

Written work

Depending on the course you've applied for you may be asked to submit written work. We may use this as a starting point for discussion at interview. Please note that the submission deadline for all subjects asking for written work will be 2 November 2023. The College will provide full details to all applicants.

Don’t forget to add the signed coversheet to each piece of work that you submit (you'll receive further information about the coversheets when you apply). Make sure you keep a copy for yourself so that you can reread it before your interview. 

Subject

Written work

Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Two examples of marked work done as part of your school course, up to 2,000 words each, in any relevant subject. This can be a coursework extract.
Archaeology Applicants are required to submit one piece of written work. This should be in essay format (not science coursework or a timed exam) with a word limit of up to 1,500 words. The work can be extracted from an EPQ. 
Architecture One PDF (6 A4 pages, and less than 15MB in size) of your own artwork should be submitted. The selection of images should, in part, reflect material you might share with your interviewers (if invited) as part of your portfolio.
Classics Two examples of marked work done as part of your school course, up to 5,000 words each, in the last two years. Coursework may be work submitted for an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a written test, an essay, or a language exercise such as a translation or composition. If you study Latin, Greek, Classical Civilisation, or Ancient History at school please make sure one piece of work, and preferably both, is from one of those subjects.
Design One PDF (6 A4 pages, and less than 15MB in size) of your own artwork should be submitted. The selection of images should, in part, reflect material you might share with your interviewers (if invited) as part of your portfolio.
Education All applicants are required to submit two pieces of written work. These should be in essay format (not science coursework or a timed exam) and can be extracted from an EPQ.
English Two examples of marked work done as part of your English Literature course (of any length). One can be a coursework extract instead of an essay.
History Two examples of what you consider to be your best work, of any length, preferably an essay written as part of your History course (if you are taking History).
History and Modern Languages You will be asked to submit two pieces of written work you have completed at school. If you are applying for a post-A Level language, one piece of written work should be in the language you intend to study.
History and Politics You'll be asked to submit two short classwork essays of up to 2,000 words each for illustrative purposes.  An extract of longer coursework can be submitted instead of an essay.  The work can be from any subject, and won't necessarily be discussed during your interview.
History of Art Two examples of what you consider to be your best marked work done as part of your school course, of any length and in any humanities subject. This can be a coursework extract.
Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) Candidates for HSPS at Jesus College are normally asked to submit two pieces of written school work for illustrative purposes. These can be from any subject, and will not necessarily be discussed during the interview.
Modern and Medieval Languages You'll need to submit two pieces of written work prior to interview. These should be recent examples of writing completed for school, one of which should be in one of the languages you intend to study at University. 
Music One example of marked work of any length, done as part of your school course, preferably in Music, and a musical composition or a harmony exercise.
Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion Two examples of marked work done as part of your school course, up to 2,000 words each, in any subject; this can be a coursework extract.

Please see individual subject pages for further information.

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