The Oxford PPE Interview Guide

If you're preparing for an Oxford PPE interview, there are a few things that you should know.

Firstly, you will likely have one interview for each of the three subjects, meaning you will be interviewed for each separately. As such, you should prepare for each subject individually.

Secondly, you don't have to have studied philosophy, politics, or economics to apply for Oxford PPE, and there is no assumed knowledge of the subjects at interview. Therefore, don't expect to be asked any questions about the subjects beyond what might be picked up through general knowledge and a passing interest. For example, you are unlikely to be asked about Cartesian dualism, or semi-presidential systems of government, or the Phillips curve. This should inform your preparation, as you should focus on getting to grips with the format and having to think on your feet, rather than reading your economics textbook. Your interviewers want to see how you think, not what you know.

Thirdly, the interviewers aim to ask the same questions of every candidate they interview. This is so that they can have a fair way of comparing students. Consequently, don't expect that because you studied Politics A-Level, they are going to ask you tougher politics questions. In fact, the interviewers are unlikely even to know which A-Levels you studied. Similarly, don't expect to be asked questions pertaining to your personal statement, for example, about a book you claimed you read. Such a question wouldn't help them compare you to other candidates, the interviewers typically don't have your personal statement in front of them at interview, and they're not trying to catch you out, and so would not ask you this in any case.

With this in mind, we will now turn to the types of questions you might be asked for each subject, followed by some more general advice.

Philosophy

At its heart, philosophy is the study of fundamental topics such as existence, knowledge, reason, and morality. It is not explored through analysis of experimental data. Instead, methods such as conceptual analysis and common sense are used. As such, for your philosophy interview you are likely to be asked philosophical questions, but are not expected to use famous philosophers and well-known arguments (and doing so may weaken you answer. Instead, the interviewer wants you to utilise your intuition, to see how you approach a question on a topic you're unfamiliar with, in order to gauge your potential for formal study of philosophy.

Politics

More than the other two subjects, politics is closely linked to world affairs. Therefore, while you're not expected to have knowledge of the type you gain from studying politics, basic knowledge of fundamental concepts like democracy and how they relate to our everyday lives is assumed. Questions will often ask your opinion on basic political issues, and will typically require you to draw on your knowledge of world affairs to answer them. While your interviewer is not looking for references to political theorists, references to political events, especially lesser-known ones, can be a great way to show your keen interest in the subject.

Economics

As there is no requirement to have studied economics in order to apply, the economics interview is quite different to the other two, as you're unlikely to have any knowledge of economics beyond the very most basic concepts without formal study. As such, the interview tends to focus on problem-solving questions as a way to gauge your aptitude for study of economics. Often, they involve game theory, and unlike the politics and philosophy questions, there tends to be a right answer. Nevertheless, the interviewer still wants to see how you think, and so you should still talk them through your thought process as you tackle the question, especially as they are generally complex, layered questions that are difficult to answer correctly straight away.

General Advice

Having covered the ways in which each subject's interview differ, we now turn to general advice that applies to all of your interviews. Indeed, most of this advice applies to interviews of every type, and so can often be overlooked when you prepare.

1. Due to the stress of the interview, time can feel like it is moving more slowly. The science behind this is that stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline supercharge neural circuits, effectively making your internal clock tick faster. This means that your brain processes information more quickly, and so each second feels much longer. In your interview, this means that you will often feel like you have taken too long to think about your answer, and so feel pressured to start talking, when barely any time has passed. Due to not taking the time you need, your answer is rambling and unstructured, and has unnecessary 'waffle' as you have had to think whilst speaking.

   
   

   To counteract this, you should keep reminding yourself to breathe slowly and relax, and know that you have much more time than you think. If you're asked a particularly challenging question, there's nothing wrong with asking for a minute to think - as well as showing to the interviewer that you're giving the question the time it needs, rather than just 'shutting down', it also relaxes you, as you now feel like you have permission to take a moment in silence for deep thought.

   
   

2. As the interviewer wants to see how you think under pressure, and how deeply you can think about ideas, they will typically challenge your answer, and often even challenge your responses to their challenge. This is a great way for them to compare different candidates, who may all have given satisfactory answers to the initial question, but begin to struggle when challenged on their answers. Don't be discouraged at all if you feel like the interviewer keeps picking holes in your answer (this is often a good sign as it shows they want to stretch you further).

   
   

   You should consider their challenges in good faith, and evaluate whether you answer may need some revision. The interviewer doesn't want someone who is unable or unwilling to defend their answers against the slightest bit of interrogation, as this suggests that your beliefs are very loosely held thus making you a poor debate partner, or you lack the intellectual capacity to strengthen your argument in the face of criticism. On the other hand, the interviewer also doesn't want someone who is entirely unwilling to consider there may be any issues with their argument, as this leads to a highly unfruitful discussion. Therefore, you should aim for the middle ground, taking their argument on board, and deciding how your argument holds up. There's nothing wrong with accepting their challenge has some merit, and so making some adjustments to your argument as a result.

   
   

3. In the same way that your interviewer is evaluating whether they would enjoy working with you at a job interview, rather than solely your ability, your interviewer is evaluating whether they would enjoy having tutorials with you. In fact, the interview is so similar to the format of tutorials that thinking of it as a 'mock tutorial' can be a helpful framing. You want to convince the interviewer that you will be a positive addition. As well as displaying your intellect, therefore, you should show that you are respectful, engaged, and pleasant, and that you are enjoying the discussion.

   
   

   When challenged by your interviewer on your answer, be prepared to defend your ideas, but also show that you are open to different perspectives (the interviewer is unlikely to pose a completely stupid challenge). Trying to show 'softer' aspects of your personality can be difficult over a video call, but you should try to smile, and appear positive and alert throughout.

At this point, you should have a good understanding of what's expected of you for your Oxford PPE interviews. The next step is to put it into practice through mock interviews. See you there!