What’s “normal” for humans and why do a cat’s eyes appear to glow in the dark?

These are the types of questions that prospective Oxford University students have been asked at interview.

The prestigious institution has long been known for its unusual and inventive techniques for assessing applicants, and now it has released some sample interview questions to explain the reasoning behind them.

The questions have been gathered from the tutors who conduct the admissions interviews.

An English literature candidate could be asked: “Why do you think an English student might be interested in the fact that Coronation Street has been running for 50 years?”

A student hoping to study biological sciences could be handed a cactus and asked to tell the interviewer about it.

Mike Nicholson, Oxford's director of undergraduate admissions said: “The interviews are designed to assess academic ability and potential.

“These questions show the interviews are not designed to see how quickly students get the right answer or show off specialist knowledge, but to gauge how they respond to new ideas.”