Chemistry Oxford & Cambridge University Interview Questions

Past admissions interview questions for Chemistry

• They asked me what I'd been doing recently [in chemistry] (ie what do you want to talk about). I said looking at links between physical and organic - using kinetics to determine mechanisms etc. They rather liked equilibria - so I had to come up with an organic equilibrium - esterfication. Had to draw its mechanism and the hydrolsis mechanism. Found this quite hard becuase I did IB which has very little organic chemistry.

• Then they threw a periodic table with only 6 periods at me. Had to draw some Lewis structures of various molecules, speculate that the element with three valence electrons would be the basis for life in this universe and then deduced that life would then be flat - formation of triganol planar molecules rather than tetrahedral.

• Last bit was on a Pressure/Volume phase diagram, included in the IB syllabus but not on the A-Level so I found this quite easy without the interviewers knowing how. Had to discuss the triple point, which area was which phase and some of the unique properties of water linked to this.

• How many molecules there were in the glass of water on the table? (The Student Room) Comments

• Visualisation of 3D molecular models when given a molecular formula. In addition, rotation, and symmetry of 3D models. (The Student Room)

• Why does the boiling point of water rise as salt is dissolved in it? (Oxbridge Applications)

• What makes drugs physiologically active? (Oxbridge Applications)

• Explain the bonding in benzene. (Oxbridge Applications)

• Shown a block of iron. Asked to name it, explain why it rusts, how to stop it rusting. (Oxbridge Applications)

• Why is there salt in the sea? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• What is the concentration of water? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Why is life X enantiomer-based rather than Y? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How many atoms are there in a brussel sprout? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• What makes some chemicals explosive? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How would you measure pH if I told you how many hydrogen ions there were? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How does a glow-stick work? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Tell me about these eggs? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Tell me about your life, from the beginning to what made you sit in that chair (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Derive a Henderson equation. (Oxford Interview Questions)

• What is ‘turning you on’ in chemistry at the moment? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How many molecules there were in the glass of water on the table? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How would you measure pH of a solution if I told you how many hydrogen ions there were in it? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Why do you think chemistry will change your life and the life of those around you? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Why do you want to study chemistry?

• Why does the boiling point of water rise as salt is dissolved in it? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Explain the bonding in benzene. (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Write down an organic reaction you have studied at school and explain its mechanism. (Oxford Interview Questions)

• Why don’t fish freeze? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• A container with liquid nitrogen is left in a laboratory, and its temperature is being recorded over a long period. The recorded temperature shows variations. Why? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How many grains of sand are there in the world? (Oxford Interview Questions)

• How many different molecules can be made from six carbon atoms and twelve hydrogen atoms? (for answers see

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