History @ Newnham, Cambridge in 2022

Interview format

History Admissions Assessment (HAA), 2x interviews

Interview content

Interview 1: questions about a drawing Interview 2: questions about a written source, then discussion on Contemporary History

Best preparation

Practice interview, looking at online advice, trying to stay calm

Test preparation

Past papers, then finding sources to use as extra practice papers

Final thoughts

Try to enjoy it

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
Length of interviews: c.30 minutes 
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In the first interview, I was shown a weird drawing of a Renaissance curiosity room and asked questions about it.

In the second interview, I was given an excerpt from a history book beforehand, then asked about it during the interview and asked questions on the theme of Contemporary History.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

My teacher organised a practice interview for me, which I apparently aced, but that was it for practice. I looked up some advice online but the most helpful thing I learned was to not stress too much when preparing and taking it. Also, it's okay to ask for a moment to think about a question.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

A teacher helped me go through some of the past papers, then I did some by myself. Eventually, I ran out of past papers so I started making my own papers by finding sources on JStor. It was tricky to find good sources but I got a good 2-3 extra practice papers out of it.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Try to enjoy it