I was asked this year, as I often am, advice on Oxford University entrance. It’s interview season. This is not just for the interview, use this advice for all your social media posts too. Think. It’s easy to be one-sided and rabid and ‘play to the gallery’. Of course, if you’re balanced on ‘X’ you will get the fanatics and the know it alls jumping on you – so maybe leave X to the idiotic loudmouths and empty brains. But for everywhere else – including your Oxford Entrance exam – or any place of higher learning, this will help.
What assumptions does it rely on?
What follows if those assumptions change?
Is the argument internally consistent?You’d be amazed how far this gets you. "If what you are arguing is correct, then how come..."4. In economics questions, they want clarity, not A-level jargonIf they ask about inflation or taxation, resist the urge to regurgitate textbook definitions. Instead, show causal thinking:“If interest rates rise, X happens… unless Y is true… which would undermine Z…”Oxford wants someone who understands links, not someone who memorises diagrams.5. Expect curveballs and enjoy themThey may test you with puzzles, paradoxes, or hypotheticals. Don’t worry about getting the ‘right’ answer. There often isn’t one. What matters is the path you take and whether you stay calm and curious. I was asked by the Chemistry Professor in my general interview if I liked a portrait in his window. 6. Practise the basics out loudGet someone to throw you problems like:“Should governments regulate misinformation?”“Are markets efficient at allocating healthcare?”“Is equality more important than freedom?”Answer in real time. Build the muscle.7. Finally, remember they’re picking people they want to teach for three years: show enthusiasm, but not sycophancy. Show curiosity, not chaos. Be someone they’d actually enjoy having in a room every week.You’ve done brilliantly to get here. Good luck – and remember: Oxford wants thinkers, not performers. And may you hold the world in your hand.
For all of you going for interviews - good luck and congratulations. 1. Oxford isn’t looking for the “finished product” – they want to see how you thinkPPE tutors aren’t impressed by polished speeches or pre-rehearsed lines. They’re testing one thing: can you think clearly, logically, and flexibly under pressure? If you’re given a counter-intuitive idea, don’t panic – take it apart. Show your working. Ask clarifying questions. A good answer at Oxford often begins with “It depends…” followed by a cool, structured breakdown.2. Treat the interview like a tutorial, not an interrogationThis is the biggest mindset shift. Don’t behave like a nervous candidate – behave like a future student in a one-to-one tutorial. Push back gently. Challenge premises. If you change your mind mid-argument, say so and explain why. They love that; it shows intellectual honesty and agility.3. PPE interviews nearly always probe your reasoning, not your knowledgeYou don’t need to quote Rawls or Hayek from memory. Instead, practise thinking aloud. Pick articles from the Financial Times or Economist, summarise the argument in two or three sentences, then critique it from a political, economic, and philosophical angle. That’s PPE in a nutshell.A simple structure that works every time:What is the claim?
What assumptions does it rely on?
What follows if those assumptions change?
Is the argument internally consistent?You’d be amazed how far this gets you. "If what you are arguing is correct, then how come..."4. In economics questions, they want clarity, not A-level jargonIf they ask about inflation or taxation, resist the urge to regurgitate textbook definitions. Instead, show causal thinking:“If interest rates rise, X happens… unless Y is true… which would undermine Z…”Oxford wants someone who understands links, not someone who memorises diagrams.5. Expect curveballs and enjoy themThey may test you with puzzles, paradoxes, or hypotheticals. Don’t worry about getting the ‘right’ answer. There often isn’t one. What matters is the path you take and whether you stay calm and curious. I was asked by the Chemistry Professor in my general interview if I liked a portrait in his window. 6. Practise the basics out loudGet someone to throw you problems like:“Should governments regulate misinformation?”“Are markets efficient at allocating healthcare?”“Is equality more important than freedom?”Answer in real time. Build the muscle.7. Finally, remember they’re picking people they want to teach for three years: show enthusiasm, but not sycophancy. Show curiosity, not chaos. Be someone they’d actually enjoy having in a room every week.You’ve done brilliantly to get here. Good luck – and remember: Oxford wants thinkers, not performers. And may you hold the world in your hand.