Statistics (2012-2023)
Number of students - 150
Number of students gaining an interview - 82
Number of students gaining an offer - 43
The success rate for my students gaining an offer is 28.7% from 2012-2022, compared to 19.6% among all Physics, Physics and Philosophy, Engineering and Materials Science candidates 2012-2018 (source: public.tableau.com).
The success rate for my students passing the PAT is 54.7%, compared to around 37.4% among all Physics candidates 2012-2019 (source: PAT reports). Note that my students are not limited to Physics and include applicants for Engineering and Materials Science. I have not been able to find any data on Engineering and Materials Science PAT pass rates - please contact me if you are aware of any.
Testimonials (from 2012 to 2015 the full course in person was taught jointly by David and his wife Kate; from 2016 onwards all tuition was/will be delivered by David)
David is by far the most professional tutor/teacher I have come across, and has not only helped me gain an offer from Oxford but has trained me into a more logical and efficient thinker. He is always exactly on time to every lesson (to within 10 seconds); and replies to emails regarding queries within a few hours. David explains physical and mathematical concepts very well, always in a very clear and efficient manner; and this is due to his experience and very deep understanding in the specific topics. I would happily recommend David to anyone I know.
David's tutorials are highly focused and efficient. Seemingly each minute I gained an insight that I likely would not have realised alone. David also helped me understand the mindset of the tutors writing the PAT questions/asking the interview questions which was invaluable in finding the best path toward the answer each time. However I found observing his thought process behind answering questions in the most efficient manner most valuable and also very applicable to my school work as well as the Oxford application process.
David is amazing. His tutorials were very thorough, helping me with every stage of the application, with personal statement advice and interview problems to work through. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of PAT past papers to practise from. David's mock paper course provided 8 more challenging papers to do and were covered thoroughly in the sessions, which undoubtedly helped me perform better in the PAT. David is always encouraging and helped build my confidence throughout the application, as well as always being available to answer any queries. His tuition has not only helped secure an offer but has made me a better physicist overall. I thoroughly enjoyed the tuition and certainly recommend him to anyone considering applying to Oxford.
I was delighted to have received an offer of a place to study at Oxbridge. I was assisted greatly by David in ensuring that I kept my feet on the ground, but also in ensuring that I continued to work hard.
David pushed me when he needed to and I now understand why that was necessary. Getting assistance from someone who has actually been to Oxbridge was very useful for me. I have no hesitation in recommending David to other prospective students who are prepared to work hard. I would recommend as well his free problems on the website - they required much more inspiration than most of the admissions test papers. My thanks to David.
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the help you gave me. You were very good at helping me understand things and provided an extremely useful resource bank, and our sessions made me feel far more confident and prepared. And the thing I liked the best about your tutoring was that it wasn't just spoon-feeding for an exam, but allowed me to improve overall as a physicist and appreciate some physics outside of the constraints of exam syllabi. If I come across anyone in the future applying for Oxbridge Physics/Engineering, I will be sure to recommend you.
David’s tuition was just what was needed to give my son confidence to tackle his PAT. David effectively helped identify areas of strength and weakness to enable him, in just a few tutorials, to target his efforts more efficiently. The fact that the PAT exam was particularly tough that year did not faze him as he was well prepared for the test and the college interviews by David’s excellent resources and challenging but friendly tutorials. He has since gone on to secure his A* in Physics A level and a place at Oxford to read Physics. David was very flexible and tailored the number and content of tutorials to suit and he impressed us throughout with his outstanding service and expertise. He clearly cares deeply about his tutees and their success and this shines through in every interaction with him. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending his services.
David was always kind and patient both with me and the other students in group sessions. He has the mark of a true teacher: ensuring understanding of concepts and mathematics rather than merely a particular solution. i.e. it’s great to understand the solution to one question, but even more important is to understand what thinking will be helpful in future problem solving, not just in the PAT, but in all of physics. Not only did David help me study for the aptitude test, showing me how the seemingly somewhat daunting exam could be approached and reasoned through by intuition and logic, but his preparation also helped me earn a Gold in the BPhO Round 1, evidence that his teachings go beyond the surface of one exam.
Around seven months prior to the PAT exam my son set his heart on studying physics at Oxford. He realised straight away that A level maths and physics alone would leave him ill-prepared for the rigour of the Oxford admissions process. He had big gaps in his knowledge to fill and desperately needed someone to give structure to his study. It was at this time we discovered David via a recommendation on an online forum. David gave us a very favourable impression from the start; from corresponding very promptly to enquiries to explaining in detail how he prepares students. He has a wealth of great materials to draw on, many of which are bespoke. Right away, my son loved his style of teaching and it wasn’t very long before we could see that David’s guidance was building up his confidence to think through problems. David is very organised and provided a week-by-week plan to cover all the materials in advance of the exam. We really felt he was looking out for our son’s interests all the way through the process right down to interview preparation which was invaluable. In the end, our son gained a place at Oxford. That is due in no short measure to David’s support.
My son secured a place to read engineering science at Oxford . He scored 79 in the PAT which would appear to put him in the top 50/60 ( looking at the graph of PAT results ) which he's delighted with. Many thanks to you for all the prep which came from undertaking your papers and discussing the solutions as that undoubtedly assisted in his interview giving him the confidence to explain his reasoning.
I was delighted to receive an offer from Oxford, and am sure that David played a huge role in my success in both the exam and interviews.
The Mock Papers provided by David were designed to be similar to the questions seen in the PAT, yet were often designed to be of a harder level questions than the PAT itself, making the actual paper much more manageable. David was extremely helpful in explaining new topics I had not yet covered in school, as well as improving the knowledge I already had, so that I was able to answer questions more accurately and quickly. The schedule that David created allowed me to cover all the available past papers and his own Mock Papers in good time for the exam, and allowed me time before the actual exam to relax and calm my nerves, instead of cramming at the last minute. David ensured that I was constantly keeping up with my exam preparation, refining previous answers and approaching new papers each week. This meant that I tried every question at least once, and would use hints that David gave during the sessions to go over questions I could not do, instead of just giving up and turning to the answers online. This definitely made me more confident when approaching similar questions in the exam and interviews.
David has undoubtedly played an important role in helping me get my Oxford offer, not only through the rigour and clarity with which he took me through the past papers, but due to his other services, such as the provision of mock papers, the checking of my personal statement and his mock interview practice. His tutoring was not only helpful in terms of furthering my understanding of the topics of the PAT, but in understanding the nuances of the exam, and how best to tackle it. All in all I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone who is looking for extra help or advice in preparing for the PAT or a similar exam.
We feel very fortunate to have found David tutoring my son for his PAT exam. David's tutoring is thorough and effective. He is great in teaching not only concepts, but also problem solving skills. Being an Oxford graduate himself, David also helped my son with his Oxford application and interview. If you are looking for a tutor helping you with Oxford entrance exams, I highly recommend David.
When preparing for the PAT, David would very quickly identify if I had well understood a question and tell me that I had the correct method and answer so we could move on. However, when I had failed to understand a question, David would discuss the question in great detail with me so he could recognise where I had gone wrong and give me a few hints to put me back on the correct track. These questions could then be redone for the next session. This allowed me to learn techniques and tricks for myself rather than just being told them which I found to be a much better way to learn. David also has written multiple excellent mock papers with questions relevant to the current PAT syllabus. These mock papers are more challenging than any of the past papers and this idea of doing more difficult questions is a great way to prepare for the questions on the actual PAT paper because you will find these questions easier than ones you have already attempted.
If anyone wants some help with the PAT I can really recommend a tutor if you are thinking of applying or reapplying. His name is David Lewis (an Oxford physics graduate, 1st class hons). He is totally committed to each of his students and can do tutorials and practice interviews face to face or via skype. He also helps with Cambridge applications. For overseas applicants having his help is particularly invaluable as their teachers may not be familiar with the oxbridge admission exams. I cannot recommend David highly enough.
I thoroughly recommend David Lewis’ tutorials to prepare for the Oxford entrance exam. David’s tuition was essential for bridging gaps in knowledge and his Mock papers were especially helpful in providing difficult and stretching questions which really helped with understanding
David’s help in preparing for the PAT and interview was crucial to me receiving my offer. His resources are more than worth the money as his solutions are far more efficient and clear than solutions online (which were often incorrect). His specially-written papers were great in getting me to focus more on timing and accuracy and his insight on getting around difficult problems and interview questions cleverly and clearly provided me with an invaluable attitude and structure to solving problems on the PAT and at interview. I would definitely recommend David to anyone who is serious about getting into Oxford or Cambridge for physics or engineering.
The knowledge of Oxbridge admissions that David has is invaluable was very apparent throughout the whole process of his support of my application. David's years of teaching experience have clearly allowed him to optimise the balance of pushing students in the right direction
while still ensuring that they are working through the problems themselves.
My son decided to apply to Oxford with little knowledge of the application process. At his school there was little specific support for him in terms of advice or preparation for Oxford so we were very grateful that David managed to find time to support him. David was extremely well organised in his approach and clearly knew exactly what needed to be covered. David’s own Mock papers were particularly useful for gaining additional practice before the test and providing insight into the mindset of an examiner. The tutorials, and practice papers helped build confidence in dealing the with PAT examination but also encouraged broader problem solving, mathematical reasoning and skills in communicating complex ideas and concepts. Besides the tutorials, David provided prompt responses to email queries, and provided helpful feedback on the personal statement. This was appreciated. Owing to David’s help my son felt well prepared for the PAT and would certainly recommend him to others. My son was successful and passed the PAT and interview and was offered a place at Oxford.
I’m very grateful for all the help I received from David during every step of the Oxford admissions process - from my personal statement and university choices to the days following my interviews. David’s solutions to past PAT papers were enormously helpful to me because they are correct, clearly explained, and often presented me with a different way to think about a problem; without access to them I’m not sure I would have felt prepared enough to apply. I also found David’s mock papers very useful, and the tutorials - which are one-to-one discussions about your subject, like at Oxford - convinced me that Oxford was worth the effort. During my mock interviews, David was incredibly encouraging and this allowed me to approach the Oxford interviews with confidence and enthusiasm that I would not have otherwise had. As an international student it was hugely reassuring to know my questions would be answered accurately in a matter of hours, and I’m grateful to have been taught and supported during the admissions process.
I would like to thank you so much for the tutoring you gave me in preparation for the PAT. Your tuition is definitely worth every single penny and the way it taught me to approach problems didn’t only help me in the PAT, but the interview & physics A-Level as well. I would definitely recommend you and will do if anyone is looking for a tutor for the PAT!
I can’t thank you enough for all of your help in preparing my son for the PAT test and Oxford interview. He found the sessions with you very stimulating and was buzzing on the way home. He was already doing very well at physics in school but your tutorials showed him a different way of thinking and new and efficient ways to approach problems. It increased his confidence greatly. My husband and I agreed that the tutorials would have been good value even if he hadn’t received the offer for the impact it will have on his A Level results. For any parents reading this that are considering using David as a tutor I urge you to do so. David’s tutorials are tailored to each individual’s specific needs and there is no wasted time. He is very focused and efficient so every tutorial is great value for money.
David is an incredibly dedicated, invested and hard working tutor who always tries his best to do everything he can to help his students. I felt absolutely supported by him throughout the entire admissions process; his insightful and detailed feedback on my personal statement and problems I had done during tutorials were very valuable. In particular, his mock papers were fantastic revision tools that contained challenging problems that prepared me for the most difficult questions the PAT could contain. I highly recommend them. Overall, preparing for the PAT with David allowed me to be as well prepared as I possibly could have been. After the PAT I had several mock interviews with David which made me feel prepared and confident in my ability ahead of the interviews. His deep knowledge of and insights into the interview process allow me say with confidence that his mock interviews are the best way to prepare for the real thing. To any hard working individual who wants to do all they can to get into Oxford, hiring David as a tutor is an excellent choice.
I wholeheartedly recommend David as a Physics tutor to anyone who is applying to Oxford or Cambridge because he certainly helped me to get my Oxford offer (Physics). David has a fantastic work ethic, always responding to emails quickly and is willing to give advice on anything. David has prepared some very relevant and helpful resources. For example, the mock papers effectively provided me with five extra PAT papers that I could do in exam conditions, giving me the extra practice I needed to become proficient. David has extensive knowledge of the PAT and in his tutorials he explains every little trick you can use to help you save time and helps you to understand what the examiner wants, in terms of format of working and the most valid methods to use. Moreover, he has the knack of being able to explain the most difficult questions in a way which you can thoroughly understand. I was able to perform well in my Oxford interviews, because of what I learnt in David's thorough mock interviews, which were of a helpfully similar style to the real thing.
David gave my son a huge amount of help during the process of applying to Oxford post A-level. We contacted David first at the start of the summer holidays, when my son was considering about turning down his place to study physics at St Andrews, and making a gap year application to Oxford. To help him with this decision, David set and marked a couple of PATs, and was able to advise my son that he was definitely good enough to apply. This advice counted for a lot, coming from someone who had himself recently studied physics at Oxford and achieved a first.
David then provided a high level of support, in the form of resources, tutorial sessions, personal statement advice, and interview preparation. My son really enjoyed the sessions and grew in confidence. He was invited to Oxford for interview, and just last week was offered a place to study Materials Science at his first choice college. It was lovely having David there throughout this process, pushing my son to do even better, setting him on the straight and narrow when he went wrong, and encouraging him.
I would definitely recommend David's PAT preparation help if your son or daughter is applying to Oxford. With private schools doing so much to give their pupils an advantage, it is lovely that David is out there providing an even better service (in my opinion) which anyone can access.
David played a key role in my son's success in securing a place to study physics at Oxford, and we feel very lucky to have found him. My son visited David for a couple of in-person sessions and then had several more by Skype, first preparing for the PAT and then doing interview practice. David's first-hand, in-depth knowledge of the Oxford physics admissions process and his large bank of practice questions were key to my son's preparations. Perhaps most valuable was David's ability to give my son confidence based on an informed assessment of his chances. His flexibility in scheduling tutoring sessions and his careful help with the personal statement were also much appreciated. Difficult to think of money more well spent.
I hired David to prepare my daughter for the PAT exam and for her interview at Oxford. I have no doubt she would never have received an interview or been successful at obtaining her Physics offer from Oxford if she hadn't been tutored by David. My daughter thought he explained the PAT in a way she easily understood. I would not hesitate to recommend David to anyone as I have always found him to be professional, punctual and an expert in his subject matter.
I really enjoyed the lessons I had with David, and I have no doubt that they significantly boosted my performance in both the PAT and the interview. David is great at explaining tricky concepts in a way which makes them easy to understand. I would definitely recommend his tuition services to anyone who will be required to sit the PAT as part of their Oxford application.
David is extremely experienced with the PAT, and from my first tutorial he strove to help me do as well as possible. David's tuition was invaluable to my application, and I was overjoyed when I received an offer.
I’d thoroughly recommend David for PAT tuition. Doing well on the PAT increases your application’s strength and the tuition meant I did significantly better than I would have done otherwise. I became much more confident and familiar with the PAT and David was always very good at helping me when I didn’t understand something. David knows the exam very well and has many useful tricks that saved me a lot of time when I took it. Furthermore, the extra resources that you get (particularly the additional mock papers and ‘things to remember’ booklet) are fantastic. I also had David for interview practice. The questions we went through in these sessions were of a very similar style to the questions I was asked in my Oxford interviews and so I was extremely well-prepared as a result. It’s also worth noting that David responds quickly to e-mails outside of your sessions: having someone to answer your questions during the application process is incredibly helpful (I was still receiving advice the night before both the PAT and my first interview). I ended up receiving an offer for Physics & Philosophy and a large part of this was due to the improvements in ability and confidence I made because of my tuition.
My daughter decided that she wanted to apply to read Physics at Oxford University but although her A Levels were progressing well, she felt unprepared for the PAT.
That led to us searching the web for suitable tutors to help and we couldn't believe our luck when we came across David and Kate's website which seemed to offer exactly what we were looking for and also within our locality.
We have been incredibly pleased with the tuition that both David and Kate gave to her. It was worth every penny, as the progress she made was massive. It really did move her on to another level. She really enjoyed the one to one service and this also gave her the confidence that applying to Oxford was the right thing to do.
The resources that David and Kate provided were excellent and she felt prepared and quite confident going into the PAT.
When she got the news she was through to the interview stage, the extra interview preparation sessions that she attended were also fantastic and gave her another boost. She was very happy when she received an offer.
We can totally recommend the tuition provided by David and Kate and feel this was money well spent.
David is an extremely professional tutor for PAT and interviews. He was very good at explaining all the questions and solutions.
David and Kate offered excellent supportive tuition throughout the lead up to the PAT test. The mock papers David had written pushed my ability further making the test more accessible. Both David and Kate offered clear explanations of any problem questions. This course and the mock interview with David were a huge factor in me gaining an offer and I would recommend this course to anyone who is taking the PAT test
I imagine that with David's help, I have managed to add about 15 marks to the PAT score that I would have got on my own. As anyone who has read the PAT reports can see, this is an invaluable amount and I definitely owe a large part of receiving my offer to David. His teaching style is very thorough and he is very meticulous in the type of answers he wants applicants to give, and indeed the way in which they write them down. As well as being able to explain difficult concepts exceedingly well, he has many little tips that when implemented make a big difference.
We would like to thank David for providing our son excellent tuition via Skype, in preparation for his PAT. David’s tutorials boosted his confidence and enhanced his understanding of Physics and Maths subjects and improved his problem solving skills to a very high standard, which helped him to obtain a good score in the PAT, which resulted in an interview from Oxford. David also helped him prepare for his interviews, and we are very pleased to say that due to David’s excellent tutorials and interview preparation, he has now been offered a place at Oxford to study Engineering. I have no hesitation in saying that David played a good role in our son’s success and we would recommend him to anyone planning to sit the PAT exam.
Participation in this course was definitely a major factor in me gaining an offer at Oxford. David and Kate are both brilliant teachers who cleared up a lot of misconceptions I might have had. The mock papers written by David were absolutely brilliant as they challenged me to think in the same way I had to for the PAT and they developed the necessary skills very well. I fully recommend the in person course to anyone who is planning on sitting the PAT. I do not believe there is anyone who could prepare you better than David and Kate did.
David’s tutorials on PAT and mock interview are critical for me to get a place at Magdalen College. The 4 mock papers are extraordinarily helpful for PAT. They are fantastic extra resources for PAT preparation which are definitely worth doing and having a good understanding of. David’s patience and wisdom have helped me greatly throughout this challenging selection process. I gained at least 15 extra marks in PAT. Each single mark means a lot to me.
David provided exceptional support to our daughter in her application for Engineering at Oxford. His materials and schedule were clearly designed and delivered in a very methodical fashion, covering all bases and increasing in difficulty, so that by the end of the course with David our daughter had a very good idea of how to approach the sorts of questions covered in the Physics Aptitude Test and the interviews. Bolstered by the confidence given by David’s materials and lessons, our daughter went into both the Test and the interviews very calmly and seemed to take all aspects of them both well in her stride. In fact, she found many of the questions significantly easier than those that David had set. She was clearly very very well prepared.
We can’t recommend David more highly for his fantastic guidance and teaching, which was clearly a major factor in our daughter’s success.
When our son decided to apply to study physics at Oxford as parents we wanted to do everything possible to help him to achieve his goals. That seemed to be a huge challenge because it is not enough to be one of the best physicists in your school you also need to compete with other excellent students from all over the world to get the place. The key thing to get a place is to sit Physics Aptitude Test and perform exceptionally well at the interview. We found a PAT Tutor in Darwen on the internet. Their site was nice with helpful reviews. Even though Darwen was far from our place we decided to travel and have lessons face to face. From the very first meeting our son was impressed with the level of teaching and thought the course would be extremely helpful. And indeed that was the case, he did very well in the PAT and his interview was successful, which resulted with an offer from one of the Oxford colleges to read physics. I would definitely recommend David and Kate to everyone who would like to help their children in achieving their goals.
We are sure that your work with him as well as all your help with advising was crucial for his success. Also, the costs were very reasonable. Before my son started working with you he had a few Skype lessons with other Oxbridge tutoring companies in UK. Your lessons were the best and your help was invaluable. Your willingness to accommodate the difference in time zones was amazing too.
I believe the course was invaluable in helping me to secure a high mark in the PAT. David was always friendly, helpful and adaptable in his teaching style. In particular, the four mock papers were incredibly useful as the format was almost identical to that of the PAT but was more challenging and therefore made a lot of the PAT questions seem easy in comparison. I can't think of anyone that would be better suited to preparing you for the PAT. The combination of great enthusiasm, willingness to help outside of lessons, adaptability and access to resources is unmatched by anyone else.
It was an absolute pleasure interacting with you as my son's Skype tutor - extremely professional, committed and efficient. You always replied promptly to all my emails and queries and managed to resolve any anxieties I had about my son's ability to excel. He thoroughly enjoyed his teaching sessions with you and gained valuable knowledge throughout. This was my first experience of tutoring via Skype and I was quite reluctant at first however after the first session and my son's feedback, I was convinced we had made the right decision. I would recommend you to friends and family without hesitation. Thank you for all your support - my son is extremely grateful
Helped me as best as could be done over Skype.
There was excellent use of previous papers and mock papers and a wide variety of extra resources available.
My son wanted to apply for an Engineering course at Oxford. He had to sit the PAT exam before he could be called for an interview. After a brief internet search, we found about David and Kate and the tuition they provide for the PAT test. Since it was a long drive from Sheffield to Darwen for us, there was a slight scepticism. "Will it be worth it?" was a big question. The question was answered in our first meeting. David and Kate were not only very professional but extremely kind. My son soon found out that their teaching methods were superlative and the teaching environment very friendly and stress-free. The drills in Physics and Maths definitely enhanced his understanding of the subjects and improved his problem solving to a very high standard. Part of the teaching time was spent on some "interview training" as well. They were just a click away for any help needed until the exam and interview process.
My son has got an offer from Oxford university to study M. Eng. I have no hesitation in saying that David and Kate played a massive role in his success. I think it was the best decision we made in 2013. I would recommend them to anyone aspiring to sit the PAT exam.
I encouraged my child to apply for Physics at Oxford. Because we did not have any information about the obligatory PAT, we researched the previous tests. However, there were no official model solutions
to the tests, nor were there any books available. We could not attend any preparation course in England because we live in Germany.
Then we discovered the online tutorials that David offers via Skype. We thought at first that we can at least obtain some useful materials for self-study including the answers to the previous PAT
tests. However, my son then decided to continue to take tutorials until the test; the lessons were instructive and motivating. The fact that they were held via Skype was no disadvantage at all; in fact it was beneficial for us. My son enjoyed the tutorials and thought they were ‘the best Physics lessons ever’. David had prepared the lessons and questions in advance but was also able to spontaneously question my son. The instruction was as though David had known my son for years. We decided to have 8 more sessions; David had suggested 6 but my son wanted further help. We were unsure as to our son’s ability but David was confident in him and we found this reassuring. After my son was invited to interview we then took advantage of David’s mock interview service.
Overall his lessons were extremely helpful to prepare students for the unfamiliar PAT and interview. David’s ability in preparing a student for the challenging PAT in just 9 sessions was amazing! He seemed to exactly assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses and knew what was needed to pass the test; I think this is because he himself graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Physics. David went beyond mere test preparation and I found my son’s love of Physics increased over time and his ability in both Maths and Physics improved greatly.
We are very thankful to David and hope that our son enjoys his time at Oxford University.
I could not imagine a better teacher for the PAT.
All model solutions were very thorough and showed that the two of you are purists in the subject. The two of you were also happy to give multiple solutions rather than the obvious one, which certainly would be given credit in the test.
Clearly you guys had a significant input in my Oxford application and I cannot thank you guys enough for all your help. I am pretty sure without your help the PAT and the interview wouldn’t have gone the way they did.
Overall I was extremely impressed with the course, the both of you clearly had an extremely good grasp of what was likely to be on the test and of the syllabus in general. I found very few surprises on the test and felt confident going into the test and also coming out.
We would like to thank David for providing our son with a series of excellent tutorials via Skype, in preparation for his PAT . He achieved a mark of over 80%, which led to him being invited to an interview at Oxford. David also helped him prepare for his interview, and we are very pleased to say, that he has now been offered a place at Oxford to study Physics. My son came through the state system, where not as much extra tuition and help with interview preparation is on offer compared to that which is available in the private sector. The extra tuition provided by David was therefore invaluable. I asked him for some feedback on David's input, he simply said "He made the difference".
The course was hugely beneficial in providing support for the PAT, in providing tuition for the topics and exam technique for the test itself.
I must give huge thanks to the tutors who have been incredibly helpful; going out of their way to give definitive answers promptly to very difficult questioning.
David’s approach to preparing students for the PAT test is dynamic and efficiently delivered.
David's Skype tutorial system meant we could access him, despite living too far away to meet in person and as a parent I found him an encouraging and focused tutor who was responsive to our son's needs. We can recommend him wholeheartedly.
The answers I received were very enlightening, often helping me to recognise solutions I would not have been able to think of before the course.
In my opinion the course required hard work on my part, but it was definitely worth it.
The course was very flexible, adapting extremely well to my needs.
David was friendly and committed to helping me to the utmost of his ability.
The tuition I received was very comprehensive, covering everything necessary to do well in the PAT.
David’s understanding of the exam/syllabus was evidently in depth, giving me confidence that I was as prepared as I could be.
The experienced gained was not only beneficial for the PAT but for my other A-Level studies in Physics and Mathematics.
I believe this was very important as often school teachers are unable to give specific PAT
preparation, particularly to the level provided by David.
Tuition via Skype didn’t prove difficult and was just as good as being in the room with the tutor.
The model answers were a fundamental resource.
The list of things to remember was very good and I used this resource as the foundation for my revision.
The tutorials helped me learn how tackle problems, which was very useful.
I’d recommend the course as it gives a great structure towards preparing for the PAT; given that they are similar to Olympiads, structured revision is essential!
David was very helpful and professional in answering any question that I had. Thank you!
Thank you for your tuition which proved invaluable.
My son has received an invitation to an interview at Oxford. I am sure your tuition helped to prepare him for the PAT and gave him more confidence. As a student living abroad it was very helpful for him to benefit from your personal experience of the exam system, and knowledge of the relevant material. I would certainly recommend it to other students.
I absolutely adored this experience, it allowed me to love physics again, it was something I looked forward to all week and I always came out happy. It allowed me scope for further thinking where there is very little room for it in my A Level courses.
I found simple things like my mental maths ability and the way I set out working improved massively which has increased my accuracy in all other subjects and has decreased the number of stupid mistakes I make.
The tutors were both friendly and kind.
David and Kate were very good teachers.
The past paper solutions were well set out and easy to follow.
I’m very grateful for my help from you both.
The course was overall excellent with extra help always being available via e-mail and in
person.
It was obvious that Kate and David spent a lot of time preparing for the course, not only for PAT revision but also interview questions.
They were very helpful especially when looking at my personal statement.
I would highly recommend their tuition course to anyone taking Oxford’s PAT.
Outstanding teaching and resources that will comprehensively prepare any student wishing to gain high marks on the PAT.
I found the time that I spent with Kate and David both informative and enjoyable; the support they offered was fantastic and always offered thorough answers to all questions (no matter how silly!) both
in and outside of lessons.
I have no hesitation in fully recommending them for either physics or maths tuition.
The course was very beneficial to me, it increased my knowledge of areas of maths and physics that I had not met at A-level, but were on the specification for the PAT.
The support by email and the knowledge of physics and maths of the tutors is excellent ultimately allowing me to complete difficult questions.
Thanks for all your help, you've been incredibly supportive and I don't think I could have even
attempted the test without your help.
Thank you for the sessions, they have been incredibly useful in my preparation for the
PAT.
David & Kate are fantastic tutors with invaluable expertise. They have provided our son with excellent support and exceptional resources which enabled him to sit the Oxford Physics Aptitude Test.
Your classes have really helped our daughter. She looks forward to them enormously.
I would like to thank you for the excellent tuition given regarding the Physics Aptitude Test, in both mathematics and physics - and also the on-going support up to the interview stage.
I feel certain that the fact that my son got an interview, therefore suggesting he did well in the aptitude test, was greatly enhanced by your teaching.
Thank you both for your inspirational teaching.
Thanks again – so glad to have found you both!
We wish that we had found you earlier.
The course made an enormous difference to our child.
She has really enjoyed the course, learnt a lot and benefited from the boost to her confidence.
We are genuinely impressed with our son's development especially how he has improved different methods to solve the challenging Maths and Physics problems.
This concept is not always easy to teach but the help of David and Kate and their excellent
academic skills have allowed our son to better utilise his potential.
The PAT is a very challenging test however, David and Kate’s well-organised and caring guidance has undoubtedly helped our son to be invited for an interview at Oxford University.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending David and Kate's tutoring services.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the tuition provided by David and Kate, whether you are applying to Oxford or not.
The between session support provided by email goes above and beyond that which is provided by many tutors.
Number of students - 150
Number of students gaining an interview - 82
Number of students gaining an offer - 43
The success rate for my students gaining an offer is 28.7% from 2012-2022, compared to 19.6% among all Physics, Physics and Philosophy, Engineering and Materials Science candidates 2012-2018 (source: public.tableau.com).
The success rate for my students passing the PAT is 54.7%, compared to around 37.4% among all Physics candidates 2012-2019 (source: PAT reports). Note that my students are not limited to Physics and include applicants for Engineering and Materials Science. I have not been able to find any data on Engineering and Materials Science PAT pass rates - please contact me if you are aware of any.
Testimonials (from 2012 to 2015 the full course in person was taught jointly by David and his wife Kate; from 2016 onwards all tuition was/will be delivered by David)
David is by far the most professional tutor/teacher I have come across, and has not only helped me gain an offer from Oxford but has trained me into a more logical and efficient thinker. He is always exactly on time to every lesson (to within 10 seconds); and replies to emails regarding queries within a few hours. David explains physical and mathematical concepts very well, always in a very clear and efficient manner; and this is due to his experience and very deep understanding in the specific topics. I would happily recommend David to anyone I know.
David's tutorials are highly focused and efficient. Seemingly each minute I gained an insight that I likely would not have realised alone. David also helped me understand the mindset of the tutors writing the PAT questions/asking the interview questions which was invaluable in finding the best path toward the answer each time. However I found observing his thought process behind answering questions in the most efficient manner most valuable and also very applicable to my school work as well as the Oxford application process.
David is amazing. His tutorials were very thorough, helping me with every stage of the application, with personal statement advice and interview problems to work through. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of PAT past papers to practise from. David's mock paper course provided 8 more challenging papers to do and were covered thoroughly in the sessions, which undoubtedly helped me perform better in the PAT. David is always encouraging and helped build my confidence throughout the application, as well as always being available to answer any queries. His tuition has not only helped secure an offer but has made me a better physicist overall. I thoroughly enjoyed the tuition and certainly recommend him to anyone considering applying to Oxford.
I was delighted to have received an offer of a place to study at Oxbridge. I was assisted greatly by David in ensuring that I kept my feet on the ground, but also in ensuring that I continued to work hard.
David pushed me when he needed to and I now understand why that was necessary. Getting assistance from someone who has actually been to Oxbridge was very useful for me. I have no hesitation in recommending David to other prospective students who are prepared to work hard. I would recommend as well his free problems on the website - they required much more inspiration than most of the admissions test papers. My thanks to David.
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the help you gave me. You were very good at helping me understand things and provided an extremely useful resource bank, and our sessions made me feel far more confident and prepared. And the thing I liked the best about your tutoring was that it wasn't just spoon-feeding for an exam, but allowed me to improve overall as a physicist and appreciate some physics outside of the constraints of exam syllabi. If I come across anyone in the future applying for Oxbridge Physics/Engineering, I will be sure to recommend you.
David’s tuition was just what was needed to give my son confidence to tackle his PAT. David effectively helped identify areas of strength and weakness to enable him, in just a few tutorials, to target his efforts more efficiently. The fact that the PAT exam was particularly tough that year did not faze him as he was well prepared for the test and the college interviews by David’s excellent resources and challenging but friendly tutorials. He has since gone on to secure his A* in Physics A level and a place at Oxford to read Physics. David was very flexible and tailored the number and content of tutorials to suit and he impressed us throughout with his outstanding service and expertise. He clearly cares deeply about his tutees and their success and this shines through in every interaction with him. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending his services.
David was always kind and patient both with me and the other students in group sessions. He has the mark of a true teacher: ensuring understanding of concepts and mathematics rather than merely a particular solution. i.e. it’s great to understand the solution to one question, but even more important is to understand what thinking will be helpful in future problem solving, not just in the PAT, but in all of physics. Not only did David help me study for the aptitude test, showing me how the seemingly somewhat daunting exam could be approached and reasoned through by intuition and logic, but his preparation also helped me earn a Gold in the BPhO Round 1, evidence that his teachings go beyond the surface of one exam.
Around seven months prior to the PAT exam my son set his heart on studying physics at Oxford. He realised straight away that A level maths and physics alone would leave him ill-prepared for the rigour of the Oxford admissions process. He had big gaps in his knowledge to fill and desperately needed someone to give structure to his study. It was at this time we discovered David via a recommendation on an online forum. David gave us a very favourable impression from the start; from corresponding very promptly to enquiries to explaining in detail how he prepares students. He has a wealth of great materials to draw on, many of which are bespoke. Right away, my son loved his style of teaching and it wasn’t very long before we could see that David’s guidance was building up his confidence to think through problems. David is very organised and provided a week-by-week plan to cover all the materials in advance of the exam. We really felt he was looking out for our son’s interests all the way through the process right down to interview preparation which was invaluable. In the end, our son gained a place at Oxford. That is due in no short measure to David’s support.
My son secured a place to read engineering science at Oxford . He scored 79 in the PAT which would appear to put him in the top 50/60 ( looking at the graph of PAT results ) which he's delighted with. Many thanks to you for all the prep which came from undertaking your papers and discussing the solutions as that undoubtedly assisted in his interview giving him the confidence to explain his reasoning.
I was delighted to receive an offer from Oxford, and am sure that David played a huge role in my success in both the exam and interviews.
The Mock Papers provided by David were designed to be similar to the questions seen in the PAT, yet were often designed to be of a harder level questions than the PAT itself, making the actual paper much more manageable. David was extremely helpful in explaining new topics I had not yet covered in school, as well as improving the knowledge I already had, so that I was able to answer questions more accurately and quickly. The schedule that David created allowed me to cover all the available past papers and his own Mock Papers in good time for the exam, and allowed me time before the actual exam to relax and calm my nerves, instead of cramming at the last minute. David ensured that I was constantly keeping up with my exam preparation, refining previous answers and approaching new papers each week. This meant that I tried every question at least once, and would use hints that David gave during the sessions to go over questions I could not do, instead of just giving up and turning to the answers online. This definitely made me more confident when approaching similar questions in the exam and interviews.
David has undoubtedly played an important role in helping me get my Oxford offer, not only through the rigour and clarity with which he took me through the past papers, but due to his other services, such as the provision of mock papers, the checking of my personal statement and his mock interview practice. His tutoring was not only helpful in terms of furthering my understanding of the topics of the PAT, but in understanding the nuances of the exam, and how best to tackle it. All in all I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone who is looking for extra help or advice in preparing for the PAT or a similar exam.
We feel very fortunate to have found David tutoring my son for his PAT exam. David's tutoring is thorough and effective. He is great in teaching not only concepts, but also problem solving skills. Being an Oxford graduate himself, David also helped my son with his Oxford application and interview. If you are looking for a tutor helping you with Oxford entrance exams, I highly recommend David.
When preparing for the PAT, David would very quickly identify if I had well understood a question and tell me that I had the correct method and answer so we could move on. However, when I had failed to understand a question, David would discuss the question in great detail with me so he could recognise where I had gone wrong and give me a few hints to put me back on the correct track. These questions could then be redone for the next session. This allowed me to learn techniques and tricks for myself rather than just being told them which I found to be a much better way to learn. David also has written multiple excellent mock papers with questions relevant to the current PAT syllabus. These mock papers are more challenging than any of the past papers and this idea of doing more difficult questions is a great way to prepare for the questions on the actual PAT paper because you will find these questions easier than ones you have already attempted.
If anyone wants some help with the PAT I can really recommend a tutor if you are thinking of applying or reapplying. His name is David Lewis (an Oxford physics graduate, 1st class hons). He is totally committed to each of his students and can do tutorials and practice interviews face to face or via skype. He also helps with Cambridge applications. For overseas applicants having his help is particularly invaluable as their teachers may not be familiar with the oxbridge admission exams. I cannot recommend David highly enough.
I thoroughly recommend David Lewis’ tutorials to prepare for the Oxford entrance exam. David’s tuition was essential for bridging gaps in knowledge and his Mock papers were especially helpful in providing difficult and stretching questions which really helped with understanding
David’s help in preparing for the PAT and interview was crucial to me receiving my offer. His resources are more than worth the money as his solutions are far more efficient and clear than solutions online (which were often incorrect). His specially-written papers were great in getting me to focus more on timing and accuracy and his insight on getting around difficult problems and interview questions cleverly and clearly provided me with an invaluable attitude and structure to solving problems on the PAT and at interview. I would definitely recommend David to anyone who is serious about getting into Oxford or Cambridge for physics or engineering.
The knowledge of Oxbridge admissions that David has is invaluable was very apparent throughout the whole process of his support of my application. David's years of teaching experience have clearly allowed him to optimise the balance of pushing students in the right direction
while still ensuring that they are working through the problems themselves.
My son decided to apply to Oxford with little knowledge of the application process. At his school there was little specific support for him in terms of advice or preparation for Oxford so we were very grateful that David managed to find time to support him. David was extremely well organised in his approach and clearly knew exactly what needed to be covered. David’s own Mock papers were particularly useful for gaining additional practice before the test and providing insight into the mindset of an examiner. The tutorials, and practice papers helped build confidence in dealing the with PAT examination but also encouraged broader problem solving, mathematical reasoning and skills in communicating complex ideas and concepts. Besides the tutorials, David provided prompt responses to email queries, and provided helpful feedback on the personal statement. This was appreciated. Owing to David’s help my son felt well prepared for the PAT and would certainly recommend him to others. My son was successful and passed the PAT and interview and was offered a place at Oxford.
I’m very grateful for all the help I received from David during every step of the Oxford admissions process - from my personal statement and university choices to the days following my interviews. David’s solutions to past PAT papers were enormously helpful to me because they are correct, clearly explained, and often presented me with a different way to think about a problem; without access to them I’m not sure I would have felt prepared enough to apply. I also found David’s mock papers very useful, and the tutorials - which are one-to-one discussions about your subject, like at Oxford - convinced me that Oxford was worth the effort. During my mock interviews, David was incredibly encouraging and this allowed me to approach the Oxford interviews with confidence and enthusiasm that I would not have otherwise had. As an international student it was hugely reassuring to know my questions would be answered accurately in a matter of hours, and I’m grateful to have been taught and supported during the admissions process.
I would like to thank you so much for the tutoring you gave me in preparation for the PAT. Your tuition is definitely worth every single penny and the way it taught me to approach problems didn’t only help me in the PAT, but the interview & physics A-Level as well. I would definitely recommend you and will do if anyone is looking for a tutor for the PAT!
I can’t thank you enough for all of your help in preparing my son for the PAT test and Oxford interview. He found the sessions with you very stimulating and was buzzing on the way home. He was already doing very well at physics in school but your tutorials showed him a different way of thinking and new and efficient ways to approach problems. It increased his confidence greatly. My husband and I agreed that the tutorials would have been good value even if he hadn’t received the offer for the impact it will have on his A Level results. For any parents reading this that are considering using David as a tutor I urge you to do so. David’s tutorials are tailored to each individual’s specific needs and there is no wasted time. He is very focused and efficient so every tutorial is great value for money.
David is an incredibly dedicated, invested and hard working tutor who always tries his best to do everything he can to help his students. I felt absolutely supported by him throughout the entire admissions process; his insightful and detailed feedback on my personal statement and problems I had done during tutorials were very valuable. In particular, his mock papers were fantastic revision tools that contained challenging problems that prepared me for the most difficult questions the PAT could contain. I highly recommend them. Overall, preparing for the PAT with David allowed me to be as well prepared as I possibly could have been. After the PAT I had several mock interviews with David which made me feel prepared and confident in my ability ahead of the interviews. His deep knowledge of and insights into the interview process allow me say with confidence that his mock interviews are the best way to prepare for the real thing. To any hard working individual who wants to do all they can to get into Oxford, hiring David as a tutor is an excellent choice.
I wholeheartedly recommend David as a Physics tutor to anyone who is applying to Oxford or Cambridge because he certainly helped me to get my Oxford offer (Physics). David has a fantastic work ethic, always responding to emails quickly and is willing to give advice on anything. David has prepared some very relevant and helpful resources. For example, the mock papers effectively provided me with five extra PAT papers that I could do in exam conditions, giving me the extra practice I needed to become proficient. David has extensive knowledge of the PAT and in his tutorials he explains every little trick you can use to help you save time and helps you to understand what the examiner wants, in terms of format of working and the most valid methods to use. Moreover, he has the knack of being able to explain the most difficult questions in a way which you can thoroughly understand. I was able to perform well in my Oxford interviews, because of what I learnt in David's thorough mock interviews, which were of a helpfully similar style to the real thing.
David gave my son a huge amount of help during the process of applying to Oxford post A-level. We contacted David first at the start of the summer holidays, when my son was considering about turning down his place to study physics at St Andrews, and making a gap year application to Oxford. To help him with this decision, David set and marked a couple of PATs, and was able to advise my son that he was definitely good enough to apply. This advice counted for a lot, coming from someone who had himself recently studied physics at Oxford and achieved a first.
David then provided a high level of support, in the form of resources, tutorial sessions, personal statement advice, and interview preparation. My son really enjoyed the sessions and grew in confidence. He was invited to Oxford for interview, and just last week was offered a place to study Materials Science at his first choice college. It was lovely having David there throughout this process, pushing my son to do even better, setting him on the straight and narrow when he went wrong, and encouraging him.
I would definitely recommend David's PAT preparation help if your son or daughter is applying to Oxford. With private schools doing so much to give their pupils an advantage, it is lovely that David is out there providing an even better service (in my opinion) which anyone can access.
David played a key role in my son's success in securing a place to study physics at Oxford, and we feel very lucky to have found him. My son visited David for a couple of in-person sessions and then had several more by Skype, first preparing for the PAT and then doing interview practice. David's first-hand, in-depth knowledge of the Oxford physics admissions process and his large bank of practice questions were key to my son's preparations. Perhaps most valuable was David's ability to give my son confidence based on an informed assessment of his chances. His flexibility in scheduling tutoring sessions and his careful help with the personal statement were also much appreciated. Difficult to think of money more well spent.
I hired David to prepare my daughter for the PAT exam and for her interview at Oxford. I have no doubt she would never have received an interview or been successful at obtaining her Physics offer from Oxford if she hadn't been tutored by David. My daughter thought he explained the PAT in a way she easily understood. I would not hesitate to recommend David to anyone as I have always found him to be professional, punctual and an expert in his subject matter.
I really enjoyed the lessons I had with David, and I have no doubt that they significantly boosted my performance in both the PAT and the interview. David is great at explaining tricky concepts in a way which makes them easy to understand. I would definitely recommend his tuition services to anyone who will be required to sit the PAT as part of their Oxford application.
David is extremely experienced with the PAT, and from my first tutorial he strove to help me do as well as possible. David's tuition was invaluable to my application, and I was overjoyed when I received an offer.
I’d thoroughly recommend David for PAT tuition. Doing well on the PAT increases your application’s strength and the tuition meant I did significantly better than I would have done otherwise. I became much more confident and familiar with the PAT and David was always very good at helping me when I didn’t understand something. David knows the exam very well and has many useful tricks that saved me a lot of time when I took it. Furthermore, the extra resources that you get (particularly the additional mock papers and ‘things to remember’ booklet) are fantastic. I also had David for interview practice. The questions we went through in these sessions were of a very similar style to the questions I was asked in my Oxford interviews and so I was extremely well-prepared as a result. It’s also worth noting that David responds quickly to e-mails outside of your sessions: having someone to answer your questions during the application process is incredibly helpful (I was still receiving advice the night before both the PAT and my first interview). I ended up receiving an offer for Physics & Philosophy and a large part of this was due to the improvements in ability and confidence I made because of my tuition.
My daughter decided that she wanted to apply to read Physics at Oxford University but although her A Levels were progressing well, she felt unprepared for the PAT.
That led to us searching the web for suitable tutors to help and we couldn't believe our luck when we came across David and Kate's website which seemed to offer exactly what we were looking for and also within our locality.
We have been incredibly pleased with the tuition that both David and Kate gave to her. It was worth every penny, as the progress she made was massive. It really did move her on to another level. She really enjoyed the one to one service and this also gave her the confidence that applying to Oxford was the right thing to do.
The resources that David and Kate provided were excellent and she felt prepared and quite confident going into the PAT.
When she got the news she was through to the interview stage, the extra interview preparation sessions that she attended were also fantastic and gave her another boost. She was very happy when she received an offer.
We can totally recommend the tuition provided by David and Kate and feel this was money well spent.
David is an extremely professional tutor for PAT and interviews. He was very good at explaining all the questions and solutions.
David and Kate offered excellent supportive tuition throughout the lead up to the PAT test. The mock papers David had written pushed my ability further making the test more accessible. Both David and Kate offered clear explanations of any problem questions. This course and the mock interview with David were a huge factor in me gaining an offer and I would recommend this course to anyone who is taking the PAT test
I imagine that with David's help, I have managed to add about 15 marks to the PAT score that I would have got on my own. As anyone who has read the PAT reports can see, this is an invaluable amount and I definitely owe a large part of receiving my offer to David. His teaching style is very thorough and he is very meticulous in the type of answers he wants applicants to give, and indeed the way in which they write them down. As well as being able to explain difficult concepts exceedingly well, he has many little tips that when implemented make a big difference.
We would like to thank David for providing our son excellent tuition via Skype, in preparation for his PAT. David’s tutorials boosted his confidence and enhanced his understanding of Physics and Maths subjects and improved his problem solving skills to a very high standard, which helped him to obtain a good score in the PAT, which resulted in an interview from Oxford. David also helped him prepare for his interviews, and we are very pleased to say that due to David’s excellent tutorials and interview preparation, he has now been offered a place at Oxford to study Engineering. I have no hesitation in saying that David played a good role in our son’s success and we would recommend him to anyone planning to sit the PAT exam.
Participation in this course was definitely a major factor in me gaining an offer at Oxford. David and Kate are both brilliant teachers who cleared up a lot of misconceptions I might have had. The mock papers written by David were absolutely brilliant as they challenged me to think in the same way I had to for the PAT and they developed the necessary skills very well. I fully recommend the in person course to anyone who is planning on sitting the PAT. I do not believe there is anyone who could prepare you better than David and Kate did.
David’s tutorials on PAT and mock interview are critical for me to get a place at Magdalen College. The 4 mock papers are extraordinarily helpful for PAT. They are fantastic extra resources for PAT preparation which are definitely worth doing and having a good understanding of. David’s patience and wisdom have helped me greatly throughout this challenging selection process. I gained at least 15 extra marks in PAT. Each single mark means a lot to me.
David provided exceptional support to our daughter in her application for Engineering at Oxford. His materials and schedule were clearly designed and delivered in a very methodical fashion, covering all bases and increasing in difficulty, so that by the end of the course with David our daughter had a very good idea of how to approach the sorts of questions covered in the Physics Aptitude Test and the interviews. Bolstered by the confidence given by David’s materials and lessons, our daughter went into both the Test and the interviews very calmly and seemed to take all aspects of them both well in her stride. In fact, she found many of the questions significantly easier than those that David had set. She was clearly very very well prepared.
We can’t recommend David more highly for his fantastic guidance and teaching, which was clearly a major factor in our daughter’s success.
When our son decided to apply to study physics at Oxford as parents we wanted to do everything possible to help him to achieve his goals. That seemed to be a huge challenge because it is not enough to be one of the best physicists in your school you also need to compete with other excellent students from all over the world to get the place. The key thing to get a place is to sit Physics Aptitude Test and perform exceptionally well at the interview. We found a PAT Tutor in Darwen on the internet. Their site was nice with helpful reviews. Even though Darwen was far from our place we decided to travel and have lessons face to face. From the very first meeting our son was impressed with the level of teaching and thought the course would be extremely helpful. And indeed that was the case, he did very well in the PAT and his interview was successful, which resulted with an offer from one of the Oxford colleges to read physics. I would definitely recommend David and Kate to everyone who would like to help their children in achieving their goals.
We are sure that your work with him as well as all your help with advising was crucial for his success. Also, the costs were very reasonable. Before my son started working with you he had a few Skype lessons with other Oxbridge tutoring companies in UK. Your lessons were the best and your help was invaluable. Your willingness to accommodate the difference in time zones was amazing too.
I believe the course was invaluable in helping me to secure a high mark in the PAT. David was always friendly, helpful and adaptable in his teaching style. In particular, the four mock papers were incredibly useful as the format was almost identical to that of the PAT but was more challenging and therefore made a lot of the PAT questions seem easy in comparison. I can't think of anyone that would be better suited to preparing you for the PAT. The combination of great enthusiasm, willingness to help outside of lessons, adaptability and access to resources is unmatched by anyone else.
It was an absolute pleasure interacting with you as my son's Skype tutor - extremely professional, committed and efficient. You always replied promptly to all my emails and queries and managed to resolve any anxieties I had about my son's ability to excel. He thoroughly enjoyed his teaching sessions with you and gained valuable knowledge throughout. This was my first experience of tutoring via Skype and I was quite reluctant at first however after the first session and my son's feedback, I was convinced we had made the right decision. I would recommend you to friends and family without hesitation. Thank you for all your support - my son is extremely grateful
Helped me as best as could be done over Skype.
There was excellent use of previous papers and mock papers and a wide variety of extra resources available.
My son wanted to apply for an Engineering course at Oxford. He had to sit the PAT exam before he could be called for an interview. After a brief internet search, we found about David and Kate and the tuition they provide for the PAT test. Since it was a long drive from Sheffield to Darwen for us, there was a slight scepticism. "Will it be worth it?" was a big question. The question was answered in our first meeting. David and Kate were not only very professional but extremely kind. My son soon found out that their teaching methods were superlative and the teaching environment very friendly and stress-free. The drills in Physics and Maths definitely enhanced his understanding of the subjects and improved his problem solving to a very high standard. Part of the teaching time was spent on some "interview training" as well. They were just a click away for any help needed until the exam and interview process.
My son has got an offer from Oxford university to study M. Eng. I have no hesitation in saying that David and Kate played a massive role in his success. I think it was the best decision we made in 2013. I would recommend them to anyone aspiring to sit the PAT exam.
I encouraged my child to apply for Physics at Oxford. Because we did not have any information about the obligatory PAT, we researched the previous tests. However, there were no official model solutions
to the tests, nor were there any books available. We could not attend any preparation course in England because we live in Germany.
Then we discovered the online tutorials that David offers via Skype. We thought at first that we can at least obtain some useful materials for self-study including the answers to the previous PAT
tests. However, my son then decided to continue to take tutorials until the test; the lessons were instructive and motivating. The fact that they were held via Skype was no disadvantage at all; in fact it was beneficial for us. My son enjoyed the tutorials and thought they were ‘the best Physics lessons ever’. David had prepared the lessons and questions in advance but was also able to spontaneously question my son. The instruction was as though David had known my son for years. We decided to have 8 more sessions; David had suggested 6 but my son wanted further help. We were unsure as to our son’s ability but David was confident in him and we found this reassuring. After my son was invited to interview we then took advantage of David’s mock interview service.
Overall his lessons were extremely helpful to prepare students for the unfamiliar PAT and interview. David’s ability in preparing a student for the challenging PAT in just 9 sessions was amazing! He seemed to exactly assess the student’s strengths and weaknesses and knew what was needed to pass the test; I think this is because he himself graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Physics. David went beyond mere test preparation and I found my son’s love of Physics increased over time and his ability in both Maths and Physics improved greatly.
We are very thankful to David and hope that our son enjoys his time at Oxford University.
I could not imagine a better teacher for the PAT.
All model solutions were very thorough and showed that the two of you are purists in the subject. The two of you were also happy to give multiple solutions rather than the obvious one, which certainly would be given credit in the test.
Clearly you guys had a significant input in my Oxford application and I cannot thank you guys enough for all your help. I am pretty sure without your help the PAT and the interview wouldn’t have gone the way they did.
Overall I was extremely impressed with the course, the both of you clearly had an extremely good grasp of what was likely to be on the test and of the syllabus in general. I found very few surprises on the test and felt confident going into the test and also coming out.
We would like to thank David for providing our son with a series of excellent tutorials via Skype, in preparation for his PAT . He achieved a mark of over 80%, which led to him being invited to an interview at Oxford. David also helped him prepare for his interview, and we are very pleased to say, that he has now been offered a place at Oxford to study Physics. My son came through the state system, where not as much extra tuition and help with interview preparation is on offer compared to that which is available in the private sector. The extra tuition provided by David was therefore invaluable. I asked him for some feedback on David's input, he simply said "He made the difference".
The course was hugely beneficial in providing support for the PAT, in providing tuition for the topics and exam technique for the test itself.
I must give huge thanks to the tutors who have been incredibly helpful; going out of their way to give definitive answers promptly to very difficult questioning.
David’s approach to preparing students for the PAT test is dynamic and efficiently delivered.
David's Skype tutorial system meant we could access him, despite living too far away to meet in person and as a parent I found him an encouraging and focused tutor who was responsive to our son's needs. We can recommend him wholeheartedly.
The answers I received were very enlightening, often helping me to recognise solutions I would not have been able to think of before the course.
In my opinion the course required hard work on my part, but it was definitely worth it.
The course was very flexible, adapting extremely well to my needs.
David was friendly and committed to helping me to the utmost of his ability.
The tuition I received was very comprehensive, covering everything necessary to do well in the PAT.
David’s understanding of the exam/syllabus was evidently in depth, giving me confidence that I was as prepared as I could be.
The experienced gained was not only beneficial for the PAT but for my other A-Level studies in Physics and Mathematics.
I believe this was very important as often school teachers are unable to give specific PAT
preparation, particularly to the level provided by David.
Tuition via Skype didn’t prove difficult and was just as good as being in the room with the tutor.
The model answers were a fundamental resource.
The list of things to remember was very good and I used this resource as the foundation for my revision.
The tutorials helped me learn how tackle problems, which was very useful.
I’d recommend the course as it gives a great structure towards preparing for the PAT; given that they are similar to Olympiads, structured revision is essential!
David was very helpful and professional in answering any question that I had. Thank you!
Thank you for your tuition which proved invaluable.
My son has received an invitation to an interview at Oxford. I am sure your tuition helped to prepare him for the PAT and gave him more confidence. As a student living abroad it was very helpful for him to benefit from your personal experience of the exam system, and knowledge of the relevant material. I would certainly recommend it to other students.
I absolutely adored this experience, it allowed me to love physics again, it was something I looked forward to all week and I always came out happy. It allowed me scope for further thinking where there is very little room for it in my A Level courses.
I found simple things like my mental maths ability and the way I set out working improved massively which has increased my accuracy in all other subjects and has decreased the number of stupid mistakes I make.
The tutors were both friendly and kind.
David and Kate were very good teachers.
The past paper solutions were well set out and easy to follow.
I’m very grateful for my help from you both.
The course was overall excellent with extra help always being available via e-mail and in
person.
It was obvious that Kate and David spent a lot of time preparing for the course, not only for PAT revision but also interview questions.
They were very helpful especially when looking at my personal statement.
I would highly recommend their tuition course to anyone taking Oxford’s PAT.
Outstanding teaching and resources that will comprehensively prepare any student wishing to gain high marks on the PAT.
I found the time that I spent with Kate and David both informative and enjoyable; the support they offered was fantastic and always offered thorough answers to all questions (no matter how silly!) both
in and outside of lessons.
I have no hesitation in fully recommending them for either physics or maths tuition.
The course was very beneficial to me, it increased my knowledge of areas of maths and physics that I had not met at A-level, but were on the specification for the PAT.
The support by email and the knowledge of physics and maths of the tutors is excellent ultimately allowing me to complete difficult questions.
Thanks for all your help, you've been incredibly supportive and I don't think I could have even
attempted the test without your help.
Thank you for the sessions, they have been incredibly useful in my preparation for the
PAT.
David & Kate are fantastic tutors with invaluable expertise. They have provided our son with excellent support and exceptional resources which enabled him to sit the Oxford Physics Aptitude Test.
Your classes have really helped our daughter. She looks forward to them enormously.
I would like to thank you for the excellent tuition given regarding the Physics Aptitude Test, in both mathematics and physics - and also the on-going support up to the interview stage.
I feel certain that the fact that my son got an interview, therefore suggesting he did well in the aptitude test, was greatly enhanced by your teaching.
Thank you both for your inspirational teaching.
Thanks again – so glad to have found you both!
We wish that we had found you earlier.
The course made an enormous difference to our child.
She has really enjoyed the course, learnt a lot and benefited from the boost to her confidence.
We are genuinely impressed with our son's development especially how he has improved different methods to solve the challenging Maths and Physics problems.
This concept is not always easy to teach but the help of David and Kate and their excellent
academic skills have allowed our son to better utilise his potential.
The PAT is a very challenging test however, David and Kate’s well-organised and caring guidance has undoubtedly helped our son to be invited for an interview at Oxford University.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending David and Kate's tutoring services.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the tuition provided by David and Kate, whether you are applying to Oxford or not.
The between session support provided by email goes above and beyond that which is provided by many tutors.