Course details

This practical seminar offers practice admissions interviews with volunteer student candidates. Taking part in a practice interviewing session is optional but previous participants have found this to be invaluable.

In this session, available as an option to anyone who has previously completed the tutored online course on admissions interviewing, participants have the opportunity to work with a group of colleagues from the same or similar disciplinary areas as themselves to prepare for and carry out a practice interview with a volunteer student candidate. You will also observe an interview carried out by another group. Plenty of opportunity is allowed for questions and discussion. Staff of the Learning Institute and the Oxford University Admissions Office deliver this seminar jointly, with the support of experienced interviewers from around the University.

We ask that colleagues only sign up for these interviews if they are committed to prioritising taking part on the day over other work-related demands that may arise. This is important because of the effect that late cancellations have on the colleagues with whom you would have been working and the students who kindly agree to act as candidates. The value of the session to remaining participants can be seriously compromised by such cancellations.

For a full explanation of all the Undergraduate Admissions courses on offer, please see our Training for Admissions Interviewing web page.

Aim
To enable participants who have completed both the full online course and the practice interview session to approach admissions interviewing with confidence, having a full understanding of the sources of information available to inform the selection process, the use of criteria to distinguish between candidates and the use of appropriate interviewing techniques.

Learning outcomes
We expect that by the time you have completed this course you will:

• be adequately prepared for the practice interviews in accordance with the session timetable;
• have practised the use of selection criteria in planning and structuring interviews and in designing questions, taking account of the advice provided;
• have considered the logistical and practical arrangements for interviews, taking account of the advice provided in the online pre-requisite course.

Completion of pre-requisite course
Completion of the tutored online course on admissions interviewing is a prerequisite for this seminar, and deadines for completing the full online course are set so as to allow the Learning Institute sufficient time to recruit student interviewees in appropriate disciplines.