History @ Peterhouse, Cambridge in 2018

Interview format

History Admissions Assessment (HAA); 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: personal statement; Interview 2: discussion of a source, submitted essays

Best preparation

Read books on historiography

Test preparation

Practise papers to time

Final thoughts

Try to get used to thinking out loud

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: History Admissions Assessment (HAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 5-6 hours
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

Both interviews were with two Fellows from the college. In the first one I was asked about my EPQ, which I'd mentioned in my personal statement, and we discussed that briefly, as well as the wider context of it. I was pushed to develop my answers and go out of my comfort zone. Most of the questions in my first interview were based on things I'd said in my personal statement, so there weren't many surprises.

Before my second interview I was given 30 minutes to look at a source and make notes on it. Then in the interview I was asked what I thought it was about, and some other questions about it. The source was quite challenging, and I felt like some of the answers I gave were wrong, but the interviewer was very reassuring and I soon relaxed. I was then asked a few questions about the essays I had sent in, and to develop my argument further.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I had a practice style interview with some friends about a week before, which was a lot more relaxing than doing it with a teacher and allowed me to talk pretty freely. I didn't do too much preparation (you don't want your responses to sound rehearsed in the interview), but I made sure I could defend what I'd said in my personal statement and that I was familiar with the books I had mentioned on it. I'd sent in two history essays, so I reread those and made sure I could defend the argument in those, and did a little bit of revision of the topics the essays were on. I also read a book on historiography that I didn't include in my personal statement - it got me thinking about big ideas but in hindsight probably wasn't necessary. The most useful thing was definitely making sure I was familiar with my personal statement.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

I did all the practice papers (probably about three) that were available on the university website, and had one marked by a teacher. I didn't stress too much about them, and did them in the set time (I think it was an hour?) so it was like would it would be in the exam.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Don't stress about the interview. There's no set 'right' or 'wrong' answer. The interviewers are looking to see how you think and if you can be taught and thrive in an atmosphere like Cambridge. Don't say what you think they want to hear, just say what you think. It's a good idea not to rush into speech - it's better to take a moment to compose yourself and then speak coherently, rather than trying to say something to avoid an awkward silence. Try to get used to thinking out loud - avoid working things out in your head, because then the interviewers won't be able to see how you think, and what phases you go through. It's good practice to talk about your subject, even to yourself in the mirror, so you can get better at saying things coherently.