Classics Oxford & Cambridge University Interview Questions

Past admissions interview questions for Classics:

  • Can you pick one word to describe life under democracy in 5th century BC Athens? (submitted by Oxford applicant)

  • Do you know how long it took Virgil to write the Aeneid? (submitted by Oxford applicant)

  • Would Ovid’s chat-up line work? (molivam42's weblog)

  • If there was an omnipotent god would he be able to create a stone that he couldn’t lift? (molivam42's weblog)

  • What would happen if the Classics department burnt down? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • Do you think Feminism is dead? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • "Emma has become a different person since she took up yoga. Therefore she is not responsible for anything she did before she took up yoga." Discuss. (Oxbridge Applications)

  • Why do you think Ancient History is important? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • How civilised was the Roman world? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • When would you start a book about the history of England? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • What is the difference between a debate and a philosophical conversation? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • The stage, a platform for opinions or just entertainment – what are your thoughts? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Is Aeneas a modern hero? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Are history and myth compatible? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Where do you draw the line between Plato and Socrates and why? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • What is irony? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • What is fate? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Does Ezra Pound ‘translate’ Propertius? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Is it fair that Ted Hughes won a literary prize for a translation of an Ovid poem? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Why would a book of today be called a classic? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Is the ending of The Iliad useful? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • What do you think the differences are between modern and ancient democracy and why? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • What is the future perfect of moneo? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Do you think we need to take a different approach when studying French culture as opposed to the Classical world? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Did the Romans or the Greeks leave a more notable impression on the culture of today? How? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • What do you think Tacitus’ view was on the conflict between religion and science? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • If you were reading Virgil’s Aeneid in translation, would you be reading the work of Virgil or of another author? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • If I you could turn this room into the British museum, what items would you put in it to convey the importance of the Classical Worlds? (Oxford Interview Questions)

  • Do you think its right for a country to fight another one in self defence (Cambridge interview, The Student Room)

  • Is there a link between Greek and Japanese culture (Cambridge interview, The Student Room)

  • does language exist? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • should a doctor kill one person with little chance of living to save 3 others who needed this person's organs immediately to survive

  • was Augustus just an arrogant child? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • what is free will? (Oxbridge Applications)

  • Why do you think Dido kills herself in Aeneid 4? Couldn’t she just have gone back to her old life? (oxford university website)

  • Why do you want to study classics?

  • Given an extract from the Odyssey, the candidate was asked to think about it and then questioned about Odysseus' characterisation. (life more extraordinary)

  • The candidate had written that she found Ovid funny in her personal statement. In the interview she was asked to give examples of his wordplay. (life more extraordinary)

  • What do you find interesting about linguistics, and what can we learn from the words neighbouring societies share? (life more extraordinary)

  • How would you stage a tragedy differently to a comedy? (life more extraordinary)

  • If you found these sample interview questions for classics useful, please remember to submit your questions, post interview, to oxbridgeinterview@gmail.com