提升獲牛津、劍橋及G5大學錄取機會的關鍵

以下是Oxbridge過往的面試問題，您知道答案嗎？

“Why do many animals have stripes?”

“Do bankers deserve the pay they receive?”
“How important is social interaction in language acquisition?”

“Is it ever morally right to kill someone?”

沒有額外的學術課堂加以鍛鍊，一般都很難回答牛劍的面試問題。

要獲得牛津、劍橋及其他英國G5大學的錄取，發展獨特的思維模式至關重要。如果沒有事先接觸這些充滿挑戰性的面試問題，您可能會感到困惑。在這種情況下，Knowledge Building便能派上用場，這種方法能夠加深和擴充與學科相關的知識，為有志之士提供競爭優勢。

Ascent Prep 的 Knowledge Building 三大優勢

1. 訓練學生牛津、劍橋的思維模式

牛劍的面試問題艱深，不會問學生已理解的知識，而是需要學生利用既有知識推敲答案。牛劍重視學生的思路軌跡和思考過程，而並非具體答案。Knowledge Building 所學就是超越中學程度的super-curricular，將會在牛津、劍橋，或是其他G5大學的面試中大派用場。

2. 協助學生選擇合適學科

大學開辦的學科如法律系、物理治療、醫科、工程學等等，大多數學生都未曾在中學階段時有所接觸，因此未必真的了解這些科目到底是學什麼、會否適合自己。

舉例，如果數學成績出眾，應該報讀牛劍的數學系還是物理系呢？Knowledge Building 可協助您深入了解各個學科的知識層面，助您精準確立大學選科目標。

3. 協助學生撰寫深入探討學術議題的Personal Statement

一般學生會在 Personal Statement 解釋為什麼喜歡所選的學科、有什麼過人之處等，但牛劍或其他G5大學不僅僅要求這些，而是期望學生能帶出與學科相關、強烈深入、並具個人見解的學術探討，需要閱讀學術書籍及資料搜集配合完成，而這些正正能從Knowledge Building中，掌握相關主題與學術概念。

Knowledge Building 如何提升面試質素？

以下挑選了兩條過往牛劍的面試問題，由Ascent Prep牛劍背景的導師示範建議答案，以供參考。

Question 1: Do bankers deserve the pay they receive?

Suggested Answer Approach: A simple answer might be that since banks are generally private firms and workers are free to work where they wish, then the pay they receive is just the outcome of a competitive labour market. In this story, bankers earn a lot because they are very skilled and have rare talents. It is hard to see a reason for government intervention in this case – though on equity grounds one may want to have a progressive income tax system that redistributes some of this income.

Note: A good candidate would wonder why it is that seemingly equivalently talented people can get paid so much more in banking than in other occupations. Do we really believe that bankers are so much better than other workers in terms of skill?

Question 2: What does it mean for someone to ‘take' another's car?

Suggested Answer Approach: There is no right answer to this question. For example, can you take a car without driving it, or even without moving it? Our focus is on the candidate's reasoning – how he or she formulates an initial definition, and how he or she then applies and refines that initial definition in response to hypothetical examples provided by the interviewers.

Note: One example might be: 'I am walking along the street when it starts to rain. I open the door of an unlocked car and sit there for 15 minutes until the rain passes. Have I ‘taken' the car?' The aim of the interview is to give the candidate a chance to show his or her application, reasoning ability, and communication skills.

從導師建議的示範答案可見，當中要求學生展示批判性思考的能力，平日需閲讀課外學術文獻，對報讀的大學學科有深入的學術理解，從而探究學生有沒有學術潛質並培育成學者。

Knowledge Building 的導師會就着學生感興趣的學科，提供並建議數個主題進行學術研究和探討，以培養答題思路和知識。即使不知道面試的問題，學生依然能在答題時例舉相關的學術理論支持，言之有物，進而跟面試官展開有質素的學術交流。

Knowledge Building 如何令 Personal Statement 更具競爭力？

以下為優質的 Personal Statement 示範。

背景：該學生報讀法律系，在文中提出與人權法相關的研讀，並引用並解釋時事 the ‘Windrush’ scandal 的關聯性。這相比起只描述聽過某個 online lecture 或看過某本人權法書籍，更能令大學面試官留下深刻印象。

“ Attending a lecture on human rights law, I learnt about the government's policy of creating a hostile environment for illegal immigrants and the reduced rights they may suffer, such as not having the right to vote. I also became aware of the circumstances where deportation may be challenged, for example, having a child or being a refugee. This encouraged me to apply this information to current events such as the ‘Windrush’ scandal. The hostile environment led them to be stripped of their privileges of being a UK citizen, leading to wrongful deportation. From this, I aspire to continue the study of human rights law at university. “

要提升入讀牛津、劍橋及其他英國G5大學的機會，Knowledge Building非常重要。透過Ascent Prep的Knowledge Building，學生將獲得牛津、劍橋及G5大學等的思維模式訓練，增加成功入讀牛津、劍橋及其他英國G5大學的機會。

Ascent Prep 可提供針對任何大學學科的 Knowledge Building 課程，熱門選擇如醫科、法律系、工程學、數學系等等，適合 Year 10 或 中四及以上程度的學生修讀，如有興趣了解更多資訊，可向 Ascent Prep 顧問查詢。

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