If you’re interviewing at Oxford to study Chemistry, there are various questions that go beyond the typical syllabus and require lateral thinking available from previous students. Here we’ll take a look at a general approach to answering Science interview questions that is appropriate for Chemistry, and then consider three questions.
Your general approach should be as follows:
First, contextualise the question. What area of your knowledge is the question looking to probe in particular? This may seem more or less obvious depending on how left-field the question itself is. However, there should always be some core A Level knowledge that you can bring to bear.
Next, use that A Level knowledge. Show that you have an ability to recall and deploy core knowledge with ease and apply it to new contexts.
After this, use additional knowledge that you have gained from your general reading. You might bring in books that you’ve read, journal articles, experiments or projects that you’ve carried out, or online articles from reputable sites. You should demonstrate a broad knowledge base and passion.
Finally, use logic to build out your answer using the information that you have to hand, and allow for a back-and-forth discussion with the tutor. Allow them to provide you with new information and try to use that information sensibly, or ask questions that will show an ability to understand where your knowledge is lacking, and what can be done to improve it. Don’t be dogmatic, and show that you can change your point of view as needed.