Oxford PPE Application FAQs

Applying to Oxford for PPE is a significant decision, and a singular experience. Here, we have tried to answer many of the questions you may have regarding a potential application.

I am unsure if I will get an offer; is it still worth applying?

Absolutely - students often surprise themselves, and so you never know for sure whether or not you will be successful. Also, the application process itself can prove beneficial for students, deepening their appreciation of the subject. Finally, studying this course is such a wonderful opportunity, and so you don't want to live with the regret of not even trying!

If you're truly unsure, get in touch with us at hello@ppesuccess.com, or give us a call on +20 8156 4942, and we can arrange a consultation.

Do you offer tuition to help me get the grades I need?

Yes! We offer tuition for GCSE, A-Level, and IB students through our partners, Avalon Education. Theirs tutors can tutor you for your exams, ensuring that you're in the best position possible when it comes to making your application.

When should I begin preparing for my application?

We recommend that students begin initial preparation as early as possible, as this allows you to progress at a calmer pace, and gives you more time to broaden your knowledge of the subject. Due to the importance of exam results, if it's more than a year before your application date, your focus should be on getting the best grades possible, with occasional (every month or so) tutorials to discuss readings. For GCSE, A-Level, and IB tuition, visit our partners, Avalon Education.

We advise that students begin preparing in earnest in January of their application year, as this allows for sufficient time to cover comfortably all past papers, the personal statement, and mock interviews.

Why should I choose PPE Success?

We are the only educational consultancy in the world with a singular focus on PPE applications to Oxford. This means that we can focus on offering the best guidance and tuition for this particular subject, rather than splitting our attention across a range of subjects and universities.

Will my application be advantaged or disadvantaged due to my going to an independent or state school?

As a general rule, the Oxford tutors are seeking to admit the students of the greatest intellectual ability and potential.

That said, the university does take into account a variety of factors to inform the student's potential, and these include things like school background. As such, a student who is at a school that typically performs very poorly's grades will be looked upon more kindly than a student from a high-performing school's grades. This can mean that an independent school background may disadvantage your application when there is a finite number of places on the course.

Nevertheless, impressive students of every background are admitted every year. If you believe that it may be slightly more competitive for you because of the light in which your grades are viewed, that is all the more reason to work extra hard at the TSA and in interview prep, so that you're undeniably a great candidate anyway.

Do I need additional support if my school said that they will help me with my application?

It's up to you. Most schools will review your personal statement, and will also likely arrange for a mock interview from one of your teachers.

However, schools have huge numbers of personal statements to get through, and so don't have the bandwidth to spend hours perfecting each one.

On the interview front, a mock interview with a teacher can be helpful, and you should take the opportunity if it's presented, but the teacher is unlikely to have recent, direct experience of Oxford PPE interviews (did they recently finish studying PPE at Oxford?). As such, they will struggle to replicate closely the experience of Oxford PPE interviews, and so it can only be of limited benefit. On the other hand, a mock interview course of several mock interviews, each with a different Oxford PPE tutor, means that by the real thing you will have experience with a range of questions and interview styles, as well as having received useful feedback on past performances, giving you the confidence you need on the day.

With regard to the TSA, this is something your school is very unlikely to prepare you for, in part due to the amount of time needed for adequate preparation. There are ~20 past papers available, and the best-prepared candidates will have gone through every one, marked them, and met with a tutor to discuss their errors - this is something that makes a crucial difference, and is something that most schools simply cannot offer.

In sum, while your school will try to help, even the best schools won't be able to offer all of the support you need, particularly for the TSA. That's where we come in. To find out more, contact us at at hello@ppesuccess.com, or give us a call on +20 8156 4942, and we can arrange a consultation.

What makes PPE Success's tutors unique?

We hire very selectively, and pay well to attract the best talent. Furthermore, our entire tutoring team studied PPE at Oxford, and so we are able to offer insights on the application process that can't be gained anywhere else.

Which parts of my application are most important?

The most significant parts of your application are your predicted A-Level grades, your TSA score, and your performance at interview. Specifically, your application won't be considered if you don't meet the A-Level entry requirements. If you do, then you will sit the TSA, the score of which is the main factor in securing you an interview. If you are invited to interview, your performance there, along with your TSA score, are the main factors considered for the decision of whether to make you an offer.

When should I begin interview preparation?

As candidates are often not invited to interview until 1-2 weeks before the interview date, waiting to hear back before starting mock interviews can give you insufficient time to prepare.

As such, we advise beginning interview preparation shortly after completing the TSA. This will allow for a cadence of one mock interview per week, whilst ensuring that 4-6 mock interviews will have been completed before the real thing.

Seeking to cram several mock interviews into just a couple of weeks can be counterproductive as students struggle to remember feedback and keep improving over such a short time period, and also it can be difficult to arrange interviews with so many tutors on such short notice.

You can book your mock interview with us here to get started.

What can I go on to do after studying PPE?

One of the great things about the PPE course is the amount of doors that are open to you after studying it. Although it's renowned for producing prominent people in politics and media, PPE graduates also frequently go on to careers in finance, consulting, law, industry, academia, and entrepreneurship! Through our partners, Avalon Education, we offer careers consulting, so whether you are still applying to university and want help charting out your path, are now enrolled at Oxford, or anything else, we can help you plan what's next.

Hopefully, we have answered your question here. If not, just get in touch and we would be happy to help!