Test taken: AHAA (Arts-Humanities Admissions Assessment), MML (Medieval and Modern Languages) assessment
Number of interviews: 2

The first interview, for Arabic, had more of a focus on my personal statement. We discussed the Arab Spring (something I had indirectly mentioned), and I was asked about the role of modern media formats such as Facebook in propagating that international movement. We then discussed a couple of texts in Arabic literature I had mentioned in my personal statement, and what I found interesting about them. I was also challenged on a historical error I had mentioned in my personal statement, so make sure to read over it carefully before sending it off! But overall the interview was really interesting, a little challenging at times but they are really friendly and encouraging. The second interview, for French, also initially involved a discussion on my personal statement, and questions about why I think Arabic and French work well together as languages. We then looked at an extract from La Princesse de Clèves that I had been given 15 minutes before to read over. When I first read through the text I was a bit lost to be honest but as we worked through it together everything started to fall in place and I actually found this part of the interview quite enjoyable. I was also asked to read aloud and translate individual sentences from the text. At the end of the interview I was given some French grammar questions to work through and we had a quick, simple discussion about what I did over the holidays in French. Apart from my initial stress about the text I was given, I found this interview really relaxing and enjoyable!

I made sure to summarise notes from the texts that I had mentioned in my personal statements. I revised French and Arabic grammar and vocab in case I was asked questions about them in the interview. I did three practice interviews, with my French teacher, a former student and an English teacher (as the interviews can have quite a literary focus). I would often spend 10-15 minutes reading over a short French extract (from a novel or poem), analysing the text in as much depth as I could, focusing not just on language but also structures, and relating the texts to what I knew about the historical context they’re situated in. I think this probably helped most with my French interview. I also looked into my interviewers a bit once I had found out who they were, just to see what they specialised in and so what angles they might ask questions from.

Looked at past papers, examiners' reports, and for the AHAA (Arts-Humanities Admissions Assessment) I bought a book containing practice tests.

I think I would recommend not seeing the interviews as a test too much. The interviewers really just want to hear your perspectives on issues, and understand your reasoning. If you worry too much about giving the ‘right’ answer, you might end up not giving your original point of view. I would also say that some level of preparation can help - I know there are some people who say the best approach is to do as little as possible, but I personally think that reading over things, and asking friends to practice interviewing with, can really help put you at ease with the process and allow for a more enjoyable experience. However, don’t overdo it. You need to be refreshed on the day of the interview so you should not cram yourself preparing for it. And also, the time of the interview can be a busy period for A Level exams, so don’t ignore that work to focus on the interview as it will be vital for your exams at the end of the year.