University of Cambridge Phd Student Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 64 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at University of Cambridge.
University of Cambridge
PhD Student
Intern Easy Positive experience Accept offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The interview is about 30 minutes long and covers typical questions like your motivation and future aspirations. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some academic papers related to your area, and also some that aren't. You should be ready to talk about them.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- What is your motivation for pursuing a PhD?
- Tell me about your future plans.
- Discuss relevant academic papers.
University of Cambridge
PhD Student
Entry Average Neutral experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Presentation Technical screen
Interview formats
Presentation Technical
The interview involved a 30-minute session with two professors. It included some technical questions about my past research and a 10-minute presentation of my previous research.
Confirmed questions1 question
- What is your motivation for pursuing a PhD?
University of Cambridge
PhD Student
Entry Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Presentation Onsite Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation Other
The interview process involved a CV review, a Skype call, and then an in-person interview. I had to present my master's thesis and then we had a scientific discussion about it. They also asked me some basic questions about my motivation, like why I want to pursue a PhD and why I'm interested in this specific research group. It's a good idea to read papers from the research group beforehand to prepare. They also contacted a referee, who was my master's thesis professor, and they knew him well, so having a good reference letter really helps. On top of the interviews with the research group, the University also conducted some tests, such as an English test, which were pretty straightforward.
Confirmed questions8 questions
- Could you list the papers from this research group that you've read?
- What's your motivation for pursuing a PhD?
- Given that this PhD position requires collaboration with other researchers and industry partners, and presenting to them, why do you believe you'd be effective in these aspects?
University of Cambridge Phd Student Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from University of Cambridge interview reports.
“Could you explain how you would quantify the number of detector molecules situated beneath the laser beam?”
Read reports →“Can you describe a possible disease development mechanism that has not yet been established?”
Read reports →“Could you list the papers from this research group that you've read?”
Read reports →“Could you tell me about a scientific paper you've read recently that falls outside your area of expertise?”
Read reports →“What led you to select the University of Cambridge for your doctoral studies?”
Read report →“What are your approaches to identifying and characterizing all components in an extracellular ligand-dependent signaling pathway?”
Read report →“Can you tell me about a recent paper that you found interesting?”
Read report →“What do you want to do in the next 3 years of your PhD?”
Read report →“How would you handle it if your PhD project doesn't yield the expected outcomes?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 64 University of Cambridge interview reports.