First and foremost, if you’re reading this, I assume you have secured an interview: huge congratulations on making it to this stage for Imperial College London’s Computing course! Getting this far is a testament to your genuine hard work and dedication, especially considering how challenging the selection process can be!
I would like to share some advice based on my experience, to ensure you have the greatest chance of success 🙂
The interview at Imperial is a unique experience, tailored to assess your logical thinking, problem-solving skills, and mathematical strengths which I’m sure you already have. While the exact questions will vary based on the interviewer, and this may not be the same each year, however, they generally involve logic, riddles, and math-based puzzles.
To help you prepare thoroughly, here are some key points and resources you can focus on. I’ve carefully gone through these resources since I think they are some of the best uses of your time when it comes close to the interview stage.
Interview Prep
- Stay on Top of Further Maths A-level: Keep your knowledge sharp and keep explore MAT and TMUA papers as you may have already done so.
- Deep Dive into Your Personal Statement: Analyse your personal statement thoroughly, and take each paragraph apart. Be confident and ready to answer questions about your extended research projects, your motivations, what you’ve learned, and why these topics fascinate you. Identify
- Your Interests at Imperial: Think about what specifically attracts you to Imperial’s Computing course. Be genuine, no need to script an answer, although thinking about how you would articulate why this university stands out for you, will be very helpful.
- Ask Thoughtful Questions: Consider preparing a question for your interviewer. While it’s not mandatory, it can help for you to calm down and feel more comfortable.
When it comes to interview preparation, practicing is key!
Very helpful resources
- Professor Povey’s Interview Problem Book – Hodder TMUA, STEP guide on Amazon
Both these books provide a wide array of problems to challenge your logical thinking. - iwanttostudyengineering.org: An exceptional website that encourages thinking outside the box and enhances your logical reasoning abilities.
- CSAT Foundation: Explore this platform for practical problem-solving exercises. https://openclimb.io/practice/#the-csat-question
- Brilliant.org: A brilliant (no pun intended :D) website for critical thinking exercises, possibly during your free time. for instance, this might be useful https://brilliant.org/courses/basic-number-theory/exploring-infinity-2/
- STEP Support Programme: Of course, an excellent resource to enrich your FM knowledge.
- Nrich Website: Explore various math problems, like the one at this link, to enhance your problem-solving abilities: Nrich Problem: https://nrich.maths.org/14806
- Oxbridge Interview Questions Website: This site offers a plethora of computer science-related questions for practice.https://sites.google.com/site/oxbridgeinterviewquestions/computer-science
- Dr Frost Maths’ Problem Solving Booklet: Visit Dr Frost Maths’ website for an additional problem-solving resource.https://www.drfrostmaths.com/downloadables.php?rid=261
- https://undergroundmathematics.org/how-to-guide this website is great for more questions
- Oxford, too, have useful problems to use: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study/practice-problems
- https://meikleriggs.org.uk/index.php?r=1&width=1920&Height=1080
- And of course, YouTube is your friend too – consider graph sketching questions for example
A Few Tips:
- Avoid Looking at the Answer: The process of figuring out the solution is just as important as the solution itself. Resist the temptation to peek at the answers for these questions, since you don’t want to spoil it. Keep trying, trying, trying – come back to it the next day and if you still are stuck, look for a hint and then continue.
- Perseverance is Key: Don’t get disheartened by challenging problems. Keep practicing, and you’ll improve over time.
- Speak Out Loud: During practice sessions, vocalise your thought process to an imaginary interviewer. This helps you organise your ideas and showcases your problem-solving approach. Find a rubber duck or a friend who’s interested, and speak out these answers
Conclusion
Lastly, remember to stay calm, collected, and confident during your interview. You’ve got this! I genuinely hope you perform at your best and secure your spot at Imperial College London, or your dream university.
As a note, I occasionally offer tutoring services for interview preparation, depending on my university schedule. Thought I would provide all my resources that I really hope will help you feel a bit more comfortable 🙂
Wishing you the very best and hoping to possibly see you at Imperial soon! 🚀
