St John's College Cambridge Economics Interview

St John's College is one of Cambridge's largest and most academically distinguished colleges, with a strong tradition in Economics. Economics at Cambridge is taught through the supervision system, in which students are expected to engage rigorously with economic theory, quantitative analysis, and argument in one-to-one sessions with their supervisors. The interview previews exactly that experience: supervisors want to see students who can reason quantitatively, engage with graphs and data critically, and construct and defend economic arguments with precision.

A common misconception among Economics applicants is that prior knowledge of economics — A-level Economics, in particular — is the most important preparation. It is not. What matters much more is the quality of your mathematical and analytical reasoning and your ability to think clearly about unfamiliar economic problems. Many successful Cambridge Economics candidates come from a Mathematics background with limited formal economics study. What consistently distinguishes strong from average interview performances is not the breadth of economic knowledge but the rigour of the reasoning.

The St John's Economics Interview Format

Cambridge Economics applicants typically have two interviews, with St John's applicants interviewing at the college and at a second college through the pool. Each interview lasts approximately 25 to 35 minutes. St John's Economics interviews are problem-led and quantitatively rigorous. Supervisors present graphs, scenarios, or economic arguments and ask you to reason through them: explaining what a graph shows, identifying the conditions under which a conclusion holds, or thinking through the second-order effects of a policy change.

St John's Economics supervisors also ask conceptual and argumentative questions. You may be asked to explain the intuition behind an economic concept, evaluate a claim about how markets behave, or consider the implications of relaxing a standard assumption. The ability to reason clearly about economics — not just to apply formulas but to think about what is actually happening in economic terms — is what tutors are looking for.

How to Prepare for St John's Economics Interviews

Ensure your mathematical foundations are strong. Cambridge Economics is quantitatively demanding, and supervisors assess mathematical fluency at interview. Be comfortable with algebra, functions, basic calculus, and graph analysis. The Mathematics A-level skills you have developed are prerequisites for the interview, not optional extras.

Practise graph analysis. Economic graphs — supply and demand diagrams, indifference curves, production possibility frontiers, IS-LM models — are common in Cambridge Economics interviews. You should be able to read a graph, describe what it shows, identify the conditions it assumes, and reason about what happens when one variable changes.

Read about economics beyond the A-level specification. Accessible books such as Tim Harford’s The Undercover Economist or Diane Coyle’s GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History develop the habit of thinking economically about everyday phenomena, which is directly relevant to interview performance. You should also be able to discuss something economic from the news — a recent monetary policy decision, a trade dispute, a labour market trend — with analytical precision.

Our Cambridge Economics interview preparation service provides quantitative coaching, graph analysis practice, and mock interviews from Cambridge Economics graduates.

Example St John's Economics Interview Questions

• Draw a supply and demand diagram for the housing market. Use it to explain why rent controls might lead to housing shortages.
• If wages in one sector of the economy rise significantly, what would you expect to happen in other sectors?
• What is GDP and what are its main limitations as a measure of economic wellbeing?
• A government wants to reduce carbon emissions. Compare a carbon tax with a cap-and-trade scheme. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
• If a country runs a persistent current account deficit, what does this tell us about its economy?
• What is the difference between monetary and fiscal policy? When would you use each?

For free practice material, see our Cambridge Economics interview questions resource.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need A-level Economics to apply for Cambridge Economics?

No. Cambridge Economics does not require A-level Economics, and many successful applicants come from a Mathematics background without having studied economics formally. What matters is the quality of your quantitative and analytical reasoning. If you do have A-level Economics, you will have useful background knowledge, but you should not expect interviews to remain at A-level level — supervisors will quickly push into territory that goes beyond what you have studied.

How mathematically demanding are Cambridge Economics interviews?

Considerably so. Cambridge Economics is one of the most quantitatively rigorous Economics programmes in the world, and supervisors assess mathematical fluency at interview. You should be comfortable with A-level Mathematics at minimum, and Further Mathematics is an advantage. Supervisors will ask you to reason quantitatively, work with graphs algebraically, and draw mathematical conclusions from economic arguments.

What economic news should I be following before my interview?

Follow major economic stories with analytical attention: what is the Bank of England doing with interest rates and why, what is happening with inflation, what are the current debates about fiscal policy. You don't need to have comprehensive knowledge of current events, but being able to discuss one or two economic phenomena analytically — explaining what is happening in economic terms and what the effects might be — demonstrates the kind of engagement Cambridge Economics supervisors want to see.

How important is the ECON admissions assessment?

Cambridge Economics applicants sit the ECON (or equivalent admissions assessment) which is used for shortlisting. Strong performance is important for securing an interview invitation. The assessment tests quantitative reasoning and economic thinking in ways that are directly related to what supervisors assess at interview. Prepare for the admissions assessment seriously and treat it as an integral part of your Cambridge application preparation.