Archaeology @ Sidney Sussex, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

AHAA; 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: skills based; Interview 2: problem solving

Best preparation

Past papers

Advice in hindsight

-

Final thoughts

Read over personal statement & relevant news articles

Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.

Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.

Interview Format

Test taken: Arts-Humanities Admissions Assessment (AHAA)

Number of interviews: 2

Skype interview: no

Time between interviews: 1 hour

Length of first interview: 25 minutes; Length of second interview: 25 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In my first interview I was asked a lot of questions on my personal statement and especially the skills I gained through my work experience.I was also asked some general questions on basic concepts on my subject.In my second interview I was given certain theoretical problems and situations and was asked how I would approach them in order to find a solution.I was not given any written texts or problem sheets.My interviewers were friendly but I definitely felt pressure and the fact that they were assessing me especially in the second interview where I faced problems I couldn't figure out the solution to.However they were also encouraging me to talk and I never felt as though they were judging me for giving an incorrect answer.

How did you prepare?

For the test I used the past papers on the Cambridge website.There were only three but they were very similar to the test I wrote. In general I don't think you can do a whole lot of preparation for the Archaeology test beyond reading scientific articles or texts you enjoy.

What advice do you have for future applicants?

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

Read over your personal statement a lot and be ready to be asked questions on it. During the interview make sure you talk and 'think aloud' even if you don't really know how to answer a question.they want to see your way of thinking not your knowledge so don't panic if there is something you don't know. If you can have a mock interview with someone do it!Just talk about your subject and your personal statement.

Also biggest piece of advice I would give anyone is the day before your interview read a couple of articles on the most recent developments on your subject and keep yourself updated.Also make sure you highlight any points you actually want to discuss with them.And lastly, after the interview you might feel disheartened, but it might have gone better than you think!