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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ready to strengthen your English application?
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