Oxford & Cambridge English
English Admissions Tutoring & PreparationWritten work · Interview · Personal statement
There's no longer a written admissions test for English — which means your submitted work, interview and personal statement carry the whole application. Get specialist one-to-one support from Oxbridge English tutors who've been through it themselves.
Find an English tutorHow English is assessed
No admissions test — your work speaks for you
English at Oxford and Cambridge no longer uses a written admissions test — the ELAT has been discontinued. Your application is assessed on three things instead, which means each one carries more weight, not less.
Submitted written work
You send in marked school essays as examples of your critical writing. Tutors read these closely, and they often form the basis of interview discussion.
Interview
Expect close reading of an unseen poem or passage, plus discussion of your submitted work and wider reading. They want to see how you think, not what you already know.
Statement & wider reading
With no test to fall back on, your personal statement and the depth and independence of your reading are decisive in showing genuine engagement.
Exact requirements — number of essays, deadlines, any college-set written task — vary by university and year. Always confirm on the official Oxford and Cambridge course pages.
Your Tutors
Meet our English tutors
Oxbridge English graduates who came through the application themselves — and have guided students through written work, interviews and personal statements.
Jessica
Oxford English — First Class, 2nd of 201
Hello! I'm Jess, a recent graduate from Oxford with a First-Class degree in English Language and Literature. I ranked 2nd of all 201 students in my cohort, scoring 80+ in two papers and receiving a number of University and College prizes. I specialised in medieval English — Oxford's 'Course II' — as an undergraduate, but my interests are broad and not strictly literary: seventeenth-century dictionaries, medieval manuscripts, and even statistical approaches to poetry are all topics I've pursued.
I believe that genuine, demonstrable passion for your subject is the driving force behind a successful Oxbridge English application, and I'm excited to mentor students through the process. There is no set 'reading list' or 'canonical text' you have to know — instead, I encourage students to curate a strong, individual profile of interests. I give regular talks to Oxbridge humanities candidates at my school on the application process: super-curricular reading, what makes a strong personal statement, and — after conversations with my tutors at Oxford — what admissions panels are really looking for. I've given mock interviews for an applicant who went on to get a place for Cambridge English in 2025, and I privately mentored a student onto the Cambridge English degree. I sat Oxford's English admissions test before it was discontinued, scoring 52 out of 60.
Daisy
Oxford English PhD candidate · Cambridge BA & MPhil
Oxford English PhD candidate researching seventeenth-century poetry, after a Cambridge BA and MPhil. I came through a state school with three A*s, and I specialise in essay-writing strategy and close reading — the heart of an English application.
I've mentored several successful Oxbridge applicants, both independently and through a widening-participation mentoring programme, supporting disadvantaged students one-to-one through intensive personal-statement drafting, essay feedback and multiple mock interviews. I've taught internationally in Beijing and will be a subject lead in English Literature at an Oxford residential school this summer. Outside academia I run a bi-weekly poetry group at my college.
Daniel
Oxford English — First Class & Gibbs Prize
Hello! I'm Daniel, a First-Class English Language & Literature graduate from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. After local comprehensive schools, I achieved three A*s, an A* (48/50) in my EPQ and full marks (50/50) in my English Literature coursework, then graduated 6th of 201 across the university with a First and a Gibbs Prize from the English Faculty. I held an Academic Scholarship throughout my degree. I'm especially well-suited to personal statement polishing and written-work submissions — I earned a top-of-cohort 80 in my dissertation — and I love close reading, which sits at the very heart of the Oxbridge English interview.
My literary interests run right across 1350–present, from Chaucer to Austen, Milton to Ishiguro and Sally Rooney, with a particular passion for Shakespeare. As one of the final cohort to sit the ELAT I scored 52/60, and in my two Oxford interviews I was my college's top-choice English candidate. I was also awarded a Full Collections Prize for achieving First-Class marks in every mock exam I've sat at Oxford. I've mentored several sixth-form students to Oxbridge offers in English and joint courses, through a tutoring company and my old sixth form, delivering mock interviews and written guides. I'm now a future trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance — so if you're weighing up where a humanities degree can lead, I'm happy to talk through life beyond university too.
Rivkah
Cambridge English — Double First, 7th in her year
I studied English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, graduating with a Double First and ranking 7th in my year, before completing an MSt in World Literatures in English at Oxford with Distinction as an Ertegun Scholar. Since graduating I've worked as a professional editor and journalist, commissioning and shaping writing for national newsrooms and independent publishers, and contributing to titles including the Financial Times, the Guardian and the New Statesman.
I like to work with students by breaking arguments down to their foundations, then building them back up until they're clear, confident and genuinely their own. Editing professionally means I read the way an admissions tutor reads — for argument, precision and voice — and that's what I bring to written work and personal statements. My teaching experience began in rural Namibia, where I volunteered as an English teacher and debate coach, often working across language barriers with resourcefulness and enthusiasm. I'm patient, encouraging, and particularly enjoy helping students find their voice in essay writing, English and university admissions.
Beninio
Oxford DPhil · UCL First · Humboldt MA (Distinction)
I am currently working towards a DPhil at the University of Oxford, having graduated with a first-class BA from UCL and an MA with distinction from Humboldt University Berlin. I teach English Literature, History and other humanities subjects, with particular expertise in modern European cultural and intellectual history. I can support students with essay writing, exam preparation, coursework and open-ended exploration of specific topics — exactly the close critical work an English application rests on.
I have four years' experience as a private tutor and have worked with a wide range of students. I organise sessions around each student's particular interests and immediate goals, whether that means developing an essay, preparing for an examination or exploring a topic in depth. I have considerable experience supporting university applications, working on all aspects of the process including personal statement reviews, mentoring and interview preparation — students I have tutored have received offers from Oxford, UCL, Göttingen, Heidelberg and Manchester. My academic work has been recognised with the Michael Sprinker Essay Prize, the Hamilton Prize from Victorian Review, the World History Association Graduate Essay Award and the Ebor Lectures Award, and I have published work in major academic journals.
Natalie
Oxford English graduate · MLitt Creative Writing
Oxford English Language & Literature graduate, now studying an MLitt in Creative Writing. Five years of professional tutoring, college and creative-writing prizes, and four Oxford interviews of my own — so I know exactly how the process feels from the inside.
I've tutored children aged 6–18 for 11+/13+ entrance exams, GCSEs, A-Levels and university applications, including interview prep. One recent GCSE student achieved full marks in Literature and two marks off full marks in Language. I've won creative-writing and academic prizes from Christ Church and received an Honourable Mention in the International Hippocrates Prize. Away from work I play competitive squash.
Flavius
Oxford English — First Class, MSt
First-Class Oxford English graduate starting a fully-funded MSt in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oxford. I focus on amplifying your individual voice at every step of the application, from PS to interview. Keen attention to detail, authenticity, and creativity.
I've tutored over 40 international students aged 6-21 for (i)GCSEs, A-Levels, and university applications at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As a queer immigrant from a state-school background, I am passionate about making higher education more accessible and highlighting your unique personality throughout the application. I'm a published poet whose undergraduate dissertation on Achilles won various prizes.
Alma
Cambridge English graduate (First Class)
Cambridge English graduate with First-Class results. I've mentored more than 15 students — several of whom secured Oxford and Cambridge offers — and I love drawing the best out of a student's writing while keeping a firm eye on what examiners reward.
I've tutored for tutored for two Oxbridge-admissions companies, encouraging wider reading, out-of-the-box thinking and creative approaches to literature while staying true to exam-board requirements. I originally applied for Philosophy before switching to English after a term at Cambridge, so I'm also well placed to help applicants considering Philosophy joint courses. Firsts in Cambridge English Parts IA and II; five A*s at A-Level.
Mei
Cambridge English graduate
Hello! I'm Mei, a Cambridge English graduate with a first-class dissertation. I specialise in helping students apply for English at Cambridge — interviews, personal statements and the close reading and practical criticism at the heart of the application. I achieved 3 A*s, but I know from experience how hard it is to apply to Oxbridge from a state school with limited support, so I pride myself on getting students in whatever their background — I truly believe everyone is capable with the right teaching.
I sat the ELAT myself, scoring 54/60, and I've supported applicants to English at both Cambridge and Oxford — with a specialism in postcolonial literature to help an application stand out from the canon. I'm well versed in every GCSE and A-Level exam board, experienced in supporting neurodivergent students and adapting preparation to their needs, and I bring plenty of mentoring experience with young adults. My teaching style is responsive, enthusiastic and always built around the student in front of me.
Alice
Cambridge BA & MPhil English
Cambridge BA and MPhil in English, with multiple college and faculty prizes — including the Donaldson Scholarship and an award for the top mark in my Shakespeare paper. I coach applicants through personal statements, written work and practice interviews, tailoring reading around each student's interests.
My MPhil dissertation explored the poetry of W.S. Graham and late modernism, fully funded by Christ's College's Hamied Scholarship (awarded to one student a year on merit). Alongside Oxbridge coaching I've taught GCSE English, Biology and Maths to UK and Hong Kong-based students, building lessons around each student's interests. I can also devise tailored reading and literary-theory programmes for applicants wanting to deepen a competitive application.
Leila
Cambridge — Double First Class BA
Double-first class BA graduate from the University of Cambridge. Passionate about humanities, including English, History, Politics, Economics, and Philosophy. Welcome all ages!
I have supported students in Oxbridge admissions through Access Cambridge, a widening-participation programme, a residential Oxbridge summer school and an international school. I have supported dozens of students in personal statement work and interview preparation, for English, History and related courses at Oxbridge and other leading universities.
Evie
Oxford English & French graduate
Oxford English & French graduate. I've tutored for four years and supported sixth-formers through their Oxbridge applications — recommending wider reading, shaping authentic personal statements and running mock interviews to build real confidence.
I've tutored part-time with a tutoring company for three years at GCSE English Language and Literature, planning lessons around set texts, essay writing and exam technique. As a Junior Dean at the Oxford Royale Academy I ran workshops helping students craft distinctive personal statements and refine their interview communication. I can also support applications to study Modern Languages. Outside work I rowed for my college and sang with the Oriel chapel choir.
Christiana
Oxford English Literature graduate
Hi, I'm Chrissie — an Oxford English Literature graduate. I help students across GCSE, A-Level, personal statements and Oxbridge interview prep, and I work hard to make every lesson genuinely interesting and personalised to the student in front of me.
I have experience with GCSE and A-Level tuition, personal-statement assistance and Oxbridge interview preparation, and I worked as a student mentor for an international education programme with a cohort of international students. I've also supported the literacy development of younger children aged 7–12. I'm always happy to help and do my best to keep lessons engaging and tailored to each student.
Priya
Cambridge English graduate · Fitzwilliam College
Cambridge English graduate (Fitzwilliam College). I guide students through the whole application — personal statements, analysing unseen material and mock interviews — setting clear goals together and adapting to how each student learns best.
I've supported several students applying to study English at Oxbridge across the full process — personal statements, written-work advice, entrance preparation and mock interviews. I'm passionate about English literature and focus on building students' confidence and critical thinking, which is essential to a strong Oxbridge application. Flexible, enthusiastic and patient, I really enjoy working with students to achieve academic excellence.
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