Practise your Cambridge or Imperial interview, and see what your answer was missing
Five timed interview sessions. Type what you would say, and get feedback point by point: what you showed, what you left out, and a worked model answer.
- Feedback point by point
- Worked model answer for each
- The next thing to say aloud
- Interviews 7 to 18 December
- 1Type your workingas you would say it
- 2Point by pointshown and missed
- 3Say nextthe next step aloud
- 4Model answerworked in full
- 5 timed sessions: Engineering, NatSci Physical and Biological, Imperial
- 20 original interview problems, worked out loud
- Feedback on your typed working against our practice points
- The next thing to say aloud on every problem
- A worked model answer for each problem
Free: one interview problem, with full feedback
Type what you would say to the interviewer, working included. About 8 minutes. No sign-up.
Question 1 10 marks
Without a calculator: which is larger, 2^100 or 3^60? Explain how you decide, as you would to an interviewer. Then use the same idea to compare 2^300 and 3^200.
0 words · at least 50 needed for feedback. Answer as fully as you would on the day.
The 5 sessions
Five timed interview sessions for Engineering, Natural Sciences (Physical and Biological) and an Imperial panel. Type what you would say, the way you would talk it through with an interviewer, and get feedback point by point: what you showed, what you left out, the next thing to say aloud, and a worked model answer.
- Engineering 1 and 22 × 35 minCurve sketching, a ladder in equilibrium, a kettle estimate, a proof; circuits, projectiles, why bikes use tubes, a draining tank
- Natural Sciences (Physical)35 minWhy ice floats, a spring on the Moon, why methane needs a spark, molecules in a room
- Natural Sciences (Biological)35 minWhat limits cell size, bacterial growth on a log scale, enzymes in hot springs, the path of one oxygen molecule
- Imperial panel35 minYour personal statement, why this course, a car-power estimate, a problem you choose
One payment unlocks all 5 sessions
- 5 timed sessions, 35 minutes each: 2 for Engineering, 1 each for Natural Sciences Physical and Biological, 1 Imperial panel
- 20 original interview problems in the style the universities describe: applying what you know to new problems and showing your working
- Feedback on your typed working against our practice points: what you showed (your own words quoted), what you left out, and the next thing to say aloud
- A worked model answer for every problem, with a suggested follow-up to practise
- A topic-by-topic picture across the session, and up to 3 marked attempts per session
How the universities say they use your ESAT score
- Cambridge
- “If you're shortlisted for interview, your test score will be looked at together with the rest of your application before the College decides whether to offer you a place.” (Admission tests and assessments)
- Cambridge
- “There's no pass or fail mark for the tests, but a strong performance is usually needed to get through to interview.” (Admission tests and assessments)
- Imperial
- “We consider your ESAT and TMUA scores alongside other parts of your UCAS application, like your personal statement, when we decide whether to invite you to an interview or to make you an offer.” (Understanding your ESAT and TMUA scores)
- Imperial
- “Achieving a high score does not necessarily mean that you will be offered a place, while a low score does not mean that your application will be unsuccessful.” (Understanding your ESAT and TMUA scores)
So your score still counts after you are shortlisted: it is looked at with the rest of your application. The interview is the part of that application still ahead of you, and the part you can still prepare for: working through problems you have not seen and explaining your reasoning.
Interview dates and format, 2027 entry
- Cambridge interview dates
- Main interview period 7 to 18 December 2026. Most invitations are sent in November, some in early December. Winter pool interviews around mid to late January 2027.
- How long
- Most applicants have 1 or 2 interviews lasting a total of 35 minutes to an hour; some have 3 or 4, depending on subject and College.
- Online or in person
- It depends on the College and the course, and you will not usually be able to request a particular format. Your invitation tells you how to attend.
- What happens
- Cambridge: you are likely to discuss topics with two or three interviewers and apply your knowledge to new problems. For science and mathematics courses you may be asked to share your workings.
- Natural Sciences
- The stream you apply for (Physical or Biological) and the subjects you study affect the types of questions asked.
- Cambridge decision
- If you were interviewed in the main period, you hear the outcome on 27 January 2027.
- Imperial
- Most departments interview, usually between November and February: a panel, typically with one or two people from the department, or a recruitment day that could include a group task, discussion or written test. You may be asked follow-up questions on your personal statement.
Sources (read 29 October 2026): Cambridge: What to expect at your interview; Cambridge: Preparing for your interview; Cambridge: Admission tests and assessments; Imperial: What to expect from your interview; Imperial: Understanding your ESAT and TMUA scores.
Questions
How is my answer judged?
Each problem has our own list of practice points, from setting up the method to the follow-up. An automated marker checks your typed answer against every point, in about a minute, and any credit it gives quotes your own words. It can miss a valid line of reasoning or credit something it should not, so treat it as practice feedback and compare your answer with the model answer. There is no pass mark: the band (strong, solid, developing) is our own guide, not a university mark or a prediction.
Can typing really prepare me for a spoken interview?
It practises one important part: setting out your reasoning step by step on a problem you have not seen. Cambridge suggests that maths and science applicants practise problem solving and think about how they might show or explain the way they worked out a problem. Typing does not test how you speak or a live back-and-forth with follow-up questions, so say your answer aloud as you type it, and practise with a teacher or friend too.
I am applying for Natural Sciences. Which session is mine?
Physical or Biological, matching the stream you applied for: Cambridge says the stream and your subjects affect the types of questions asked. The Engineering sessions are good extra practice for Physical applicants.
When should I use it?
Before or after your invitation arrives, leaving time to go through the model answers. Cambridge's main interview period is 7 to 18 December 2026, and most invitations are sent in November. Imperial departments usually interview between November and February.
Can I try it first?
Yes. One interview problem is free and gets the full point-by-point feedback, with no sign-up.
What about my ESAT score?
The universities say they look at the score alongside the rest of your application. This pack does not change your score; it helps with the part still ahead of you.
Independent: ProSyllabus is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Cambridge, its Colleges or Imperial College London. The problems and model answers are our own; no university material is reproduced.
Disclaimer
Is this official, or from Cambridge or Imperial? No. ProSyllabus is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Cambridge, its Colleges or Imperial College London. Cambridge says plainly that commercial interview preparation is not endorsed and has no access to exclusive information, and all official guidance is free on its website. These are our own problems, written to the format the universities describe; read their free pages too (linked below).