Access to Oxford for all
We are committed to attracting applications from all students with the potential to benefit from study in the Department of Physics and we have a programme of activities and events designed to support and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Our events are aimed at students in Years 10-13 and aim to increase interest in pursuing physics at university and raise awareness of what to expect when applying to Oxford.
Access events
We run a series of events across the year to provide support for anyone interested in applying to study Physics at Oxford and for their teachers and adult supporters.
Taster mornings
These are short, online events for Y12 students who are wondering about studying physics at Oxford. These typically run in November and February. Please visit our Masterclasses and Taster Mornings page to find out more.
Oxford Physics Y12 Masterclasses
These are full day, online events to dig into the details of studying Physics at Oxford, and how to prepare yourself to make a strong application. These typically run in March and June. Please visit our Masterclasses and Taster Mornings page to find out more.
'Preparing for the PAT' online course
This is an online course to build problem-solving skills in physics and maths which runs each year from June to October. The course consists of eight webinars as well as problem solving sets and summer assignments and can be joined at any time during the course. Please visit our Preparing for the PAT Course page to find out more.
Adult Supporter Event
This 1.5 hour, online session is for the adult supporters of prospective applicants to physics at Oxford; whether they are parents, guardians, grandparents, youth group leaders, or play any other role in a young person's life.
This session aims to provide information about the application process for physics and the physics course and department, as well as more general information about university applications, admissions and life.
This year's event is being held on Wednesday the 12th March 2025 at 7pm. Please visit the adult supporter event page to register to attend.
All dates are subject to change.
The PAT
The Physics Aptitude Test is part of the Oxford admissions process. You can find all the latest information at www.physics.ox.ac.uk/pat.
Here's a quick introduction to the PAT from our Access Officer:
Interviews
As part of the admissions process, we interview shortlisted candidates.
You can find the department's official information about interviews here.
A demonstration interview is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLz3a8NYtik
In December, we run Remote Interview Workshops. These are for shortlisted candidates who meet the university's eligibility criteria for this programme, and all eligible students will be contacted individually.
We have created a pack for teachers who would like to run a mock interview for their students.