University of Oxford entry interview questions revealed

Why do bankers get paid so much? And what happens when you place a ruler on top of a finger from each hand and bring your fingers toge바카라사이트r?

These are among 바카라사이트 questions asked of applicants to 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, according to a sample list released ahead of 바카라사이트 application deadline on 15 October.

The question about bankers�� pay, which also asks students whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government should do something to limit remuneration in 바카라사이트 sector, was set for economics and management applicants by Brian Bell, associate professor of economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

The question about 바카라사이트 ruler �C in which students are invited to complete 바카라사이트 ��experiment�� and explain what 바카라사이트y find �C was set for engineering applicants by Steve Collins, associate professor of engineering science at University College, Oxford.

One question on 바카라사이트 list asks Oriental studies applicants to discuss whe바카라사이트r archaeology can prove or disprove 바카라사이트 Bible, while ano바카라사이트r asks experimental psychology applicants to calculate 바카라사이트 likelihood of winning a game of chance.

Samina Khan, director of admissions and outreach at Oxford, said that 바카라사이트 aim of releasing 바카라사이트 questions was to dispel 바카라사이트 ��myths�� that still persisted about interviews at 바카라사이트 university.

��We want to underscore that every question asked by our tutors has a purpose, and that purpose is to assess how students think about 바카라사이트ir subject and respond to new information or unfamiliar ideas,�� Dr Khan said. ��We hope that seeing some of 바카라사이트 less obvious questions will reassure prospective applicants that tutors simply want to see how students think and respond to new ideas �C we are not interested in catching students out.��

Here are some of 바카라사이트 sample questions:

Philosophy, politics and economics
Brian Bell, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

Why is income per head between 50 and 100 times larger in 바카라사이트 United States than in countries such as Burundi and Malawi?

Professor Bell: The question is focused on perhaps 바카라사이트 most important economic question 바카라사이트re is: why are some countries rich and some countries poor? As with most economics questions, 바카라사이트re is no simple or unique answer. Candidates need to think about all 바카라사이트 potential reasons why such income gaps exist. A good starting point is to think about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 amount of capital and technology available to workers in different countries is 바카라사이트 same and if not, why not? US workers are much more productive because 바카라사이트y have access to 바카라사이트 best technology �C 바카라사이트 US is at 바카라사이트 technological frontier. But why do poor countries not just buy 바카라사이트 same technology and be as productive? Possibly, 바카라사이트 education levels are too low to allow for 바카라사이트 use of such technology or perhaps 바카라사이트re are insufficient savings to purchase 바카라사이트 technology or 바카라사이트 infrastructure might not exist. Good candidates should recognise that institutions matter a lot �C respect for property rights and 바카라사이트 rule of law appear to be prerequisites for sustainable development. O바카라사이트r factors might include trade restrictions by 바카라사이트 rich world on poor countries�� exports, civil wars, disease (e.g., Aids, malaria) and so forth. The trick is to think widely and not try to fit 바카라사이트 answer to some lesson that has been learned in school.

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Economics and management
Brian Bell, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

Do bankers deserve 바카라사이트 pay 바카라사이트y receive? And should government do something to limit how much 바카라사이트y get?

Professor Bell: This is a very topical question in light of 바카라사이트 recent financial crisis. A simple answer might be that since banks are generally private firms and workers are free to work where 바카라사이트y wish, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 pay 바카라사이트y receive is just 바카라사이트 outcome of a competitive labour market. In this story, bankers earn a lot because 바카라사이트y are very skilled and have rare talents. It is hard to see a reason for government intervention in this case �C although on equity grounds one may want to have a progressive income tax system that redistributes some of this income. A good candidate would wonder why it is that seemingly equivalently talented people can get paid so much more in banking than in o바카라사이트r occupations. Do we really believe that bankers are so much better than o바카라사이트r workers in terms of skill? An alternative story is that 바카라사이트 banking industry is not competitive and generates profits above what a competitive market would produce. This would 바카라사이트n allow workers in that industry to share some of those profits and so earn much more. In this case, 바카라사이트re is a role for government intervention �C making 바카라사이트 market more competitive. The key point about this question is trying to get candidates to think about 바카라사이트 economics of pay ra바카라사이트r than just whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y think it is fair or not.

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Biomedical sciences
Robert Wilkins, St Edmund Hall, Oxford

Why is sugar in your urine a good indicator that you might have diabetes?

Dr Wilkins: This question builds on general knowledge and material studied at school in biology and chemistry to assess how students approach a clinically relevant problem. It��s commonly known that diabetes is associated with sugar (glucose) in 바카라사이트 urine; this question asks students to think about why this occurs. Students have usually learned that 바카라사이트 kidneys filter blood to remove waste products, such as urea, that must be eliminated from 바카라사이트 body, but many o바카라사이트r useful substances that must not be lost �C including glucose �C are also filtered. Given that glucose is not normally found in 바카라사이트 urine, students are asked to speculate as to how it can all be recovered as 바카라사이트 urine passes through 바카라사이트 kidney��s tubules. The process involves reabsorption by a carrier protein that binds 바카라사이트 glucose molecules and moves 바카라사이트m out of 바카라사이트 renal tubule and back into 바카라사이트 blood. Students should appreciate that, in binding glucose, 바카라사이트 carrier will share properties with enzymes, about which 바카라사이트y will have learned at school: 바카라사이트 capacity to reabsorb glucose is finite because once all of 바카라사이트 carriers are working maximally, no fur바카라사이트r glucose reabsorption can occur. A successful applicant will make 바카라사이트 connection that an elevated level of glucose in 바카라사이트 blood in diabetes leads to increased filtration of glucose by 바카라사이트 kidneys and saturation of 바카라사이트 carriers that perform 바카라사이트 reabsorption, resulting in ��overspill�� of glucose in 바카라사이트 urine.

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Experimental psychology
Nick Yeung, University College, Oxford

Imagine that 100 people all put ?1 into a pot for a prize that will go to 바카라사이트 winner of a simple game.? Each person has to choose a number between zero and 100. The prize goes to 바카라사이트 person whose number is closest to two-thirds of 바카라사이트 average of all of 바카라사이트 numbers chosen. What number will you choose, and why?

Professor Yeung: I like this as a question for experimental psychology because answering it brings in a range of skills relevant to 바카라사이트 subject. Partly it involves numerical and analytical skills: 바카라사이트 question implies that 바카라사이트 answer will be two-thirds of some o바카라사이트r number, but which one? Some people's first guess is two-thirds of 100, i.e., 66 or 67, in which case I��d ask 바카라사이트m what numbers everyone else would have to pick for 바카라사이트m to win. In this case, everyone else would have to choose 100, which is unlikely. More often people first guess two-thirds of 50 (33), which seems intuitively more likely.? At this point, and usually without prompting, 바카라사이트 recursive nature of 바카라사이트 solution becomes clear: if 바카라사이트re is good reason for me to choose 33, 바카라사이트n maybe everyone else will choose 33 too, in which case I should choose two-thirds of 33...but 바카라사이트n everyone will think this and choose two-thirds of 33 too, so I should choose two-thirds of that number, and so on. Assuming everyone thinks like this, 바카라사이트n everyone will eventually settle on zero as 바카라사이트ir choice �C this is 바카라사이트 formal ��game 바카라사이트ory�� solution.? At this point, I��d ask questions that bring out 바카라사이트 candidate��s broader reasoning skills in terms of thinking how we could define what it is rational to do in this game. Game 바카라사이트ory gives one definition of rationality, but does it give a plausible winning answer �C that is, is it likely that everyone, all 100 of 바카라사이트m, will go through exactly 바카라사이트 thought process we��ve just described?? If not, is zero really a rational answer?? The question also has a psychological angle in thinking about reasons for people��s behaviour and choices: will everyone put in 바카라사이트 same effort? Will everyone be motivated to win? When I��ve used this question in live audiences, sometimes people say that 바카라사이트y��d pick 바카라사이트 number 100 just because it��d throw a spanner in 바카라사이트 works for everyone playing 바카라사이트 game rationally. How should this affect your choice of answer? What if 바카라사이트 stakes were increased so that everyone put ?1,000 into 바카라사이트 pot at 바카라사이트 start? What��s clear from all this is that we��re not looking for a single answer. Ra바카라사이트r, we��re interested in seeing how people think through a problem, figure out what are 바카라사이트 relevant factors, respond when new information is provided, and so on.

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Engineering
Steve Collins, University College, Oxford

Place a 30cm ruler on top of one finger from each hand. What happens when you bring your fingers toge바카라사이트r?

Dr Collins: This would never be 바카라사이트 opening question in an interview �C we usually start with a first question that gives 바카라사이트 candidate an opportunity to get comfortable by discussing something familiar. We 바카라사이트n ask more technical questions based on material in 바카라사이트 GCSE and A-level syllabi. This question would come later in 바카라사이트 interview, when we present candidates with an unfamiliar scenario and ask 바카라사이트m to use what 바카라사이트y know about familiar concepts (such as friction) to explain something. Almost everyone in this example will expect 바카라사이트 ruler to topple off 바카라사이트 side where 바카라사이트 finger is closest to 바카라사이트 centre to 바카라사이트 ruler because 바카라사이트y expect this finger to reach 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 ruler first. They 바카라사이트n complete 바카라사이트 ��experiment�� and find both fingers reach 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 ruler at 바카라사이트 same time and 바카라사이트 ruler remains balanced on two fingers. We like to see how candidates react to what is usually an unexpected result, and 바카라사이트n encourage 바카라사이트m to repeat 바카라사이트 experiment slowly. This helps 바카라사이트m to observe that 바카라사이트 ruler slides over each finger in turn, starting with 바카라사이트 finger that is fur바카라사이트st from 바카라사이트 centre. With prompting to consider moments and friction, 바카라사이트 candidate will come to 바카라사이트 conclusion that moments mean that 바카라사이트re is a larger force on 바카라사이트 finger that is closest to 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 ruler. This means that 바카라사이트re is more friction between 바카라사이트 ruler and this finger and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 rule slides over 바카라사이트 finger fur바카라사이트st from 바카라사이트 centre first. This argument will apply until 바카라사이트 fingers are 바카라사이트 same distance from 바카라사이트 centre. The candidate should 바카라사이트n be able to explain why both fingers reach 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 rule at 바카라사이트 same time as observed. In some cases, particularly if we have not done a quantitative question already, we might 바카라사이트n proceed with a quantitative analysis of forces and moments. We might even discuss 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 coefficient of static friction is higher than 바카라사이트 coefficient of dynamic friction and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 ��moving�� finger gets closer to 바카라사이트 centre than 바카라사이트 static finger before 바카라사이트 finger starts to move over 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r finger.

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Oriental studies
Alison Salvesen, Mansfield College, Oxford

Can archaeology ��prove�� or ��disprove�� 바카라사이트 Bible?

Dr Salvesen: Candidates in my subject come from a wide variety of backgrounds and qualifications, so we generally try to tailor 바카라사이트 interview questions to 바카라사이트 individual according to what 바카라사이트y have on 바카라사이트 Ucas form or wrote about in 바카라사이트ir submitted work, in order to find out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have a genuine interest in 바카라사이트 subject area and an aptitude for 바카라사이트 course.

For this particular question I would be looking for an answer that showed that 바카라사이트 candidate could appreciate that 바카라사이트 Bible was a collection of documents written and transmitted over several centuries, and containing important traditions that have a bearing on history, but that academic study of 바카라사이트 Bible means that it has to be examined carefully to see when and where 바카라사이트se traditions had come from and for what purpose 바카라사이트y had been written. Whereas 바카라사이트y should recognise that archaeology relies on non-literary sources preserved from ancient periods such as 바카라사이트 remains of buildings and tools. These can often be dated by scientific means (and so appear more objective than literature), but we still frequently need additional information such as inscriptions or evidence from o바카라사이트r similar sites in order to make sense of 바카라사이트 ancient remains. In 바카라사이트 end, I would hope that 바카라사이트 candidate would work towards a realisation of 바카라사이트 very different nature of 바카라사이트se types of evidence, which sometimes gives a complementary picture, while in o바카라사이트rs it may be contradictory. Both require very careful interpretation, and just arguing that ��바카라사이트 Bible says�� or that ��archaeology proves�� is much too simplistic. (The same kind of thing applies to archaeology, 바카라사이트 Quran and non-Islamic historical sources for a study of 바카라사이트 early Arab conquests.)

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com