Test taken: History Admissions Assessment (HAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 4 hours
Length of interviews: 30 minutes
Online interview: No

In my first interview I tripped over and basically fell into my chair - yes, it was as awful as it sounds! But from then on I realised there was no way it could get worse and I relaxed into the questions and did my best to answer them without seeming too panicked (even though I really was!). The first interview consisted of questions originating from an article I had been given an hour before to take notes on - it was the most random historical event, I think to ensure no one had a clear advantage of having prior knowledge on the subject. After the interview was over they took my notes sheet to look over also.

The second interview was a lot more relaxed, with luckily no tripping this time. It was more of an organic conversation, and very much based on my personal statement, meaning I felt a lot more comfortable and in my depth - if anything, I wanted this one to go on longer!

I reread my personal statement over and over again - the most important thing in my opinion is knowing it basically off by heart! It's the one thing you can guarantee they will ask you about, so make sure you are prepared for whatever they might say (and don't put anything on there that isn't true, they will figure it out!). I was lucky enough to be given a mock interview at my college which helped immensely - other than that I tried my best not to practice too much, again, I wanted my answers to feel natural and conversation like, not as if I had been rehearsing them for weeks and weeks! Another tip is to look up who will be interviewing you if you can, find out a bit about what they teach, and if the opportunity to link it happens in your interview, you could do that.

I completed the practice paper that was on the Cambridge website in order to help me prepare - I didn't stress out too much over it as I wanted my ideas and responses to be as organic as possible, and I felt that if I couldn't handle the admissions test then Cambridge wasn't the right place for me and that was okay!

Do not stress yourself out, and I know that is the easiest thing to say, but honestly it's an added pressure on yourself that you just don't need! If you are applying to Oxbridge then you are clearly exceptionally capable, and the fact you've got that far is an achievement in itself. The only thing you can do is be yourself and show the study style that works best for you, the people interviewing you and reviewing your application will know if you're the right fit for the university.