I stayed over night before my interview in college accomodation. On the day I turned up, I gave my name and was told where to go. There were students in the JCR to keep us company for any waiting around. I had 2 interviews, one formal, one informal, both 30 minutes long, and only one interviewer for each. For the formal interview I was given 2 hours 15 mins to study 10 previously unseen sources and take notes before being asked questions about the sources during the interview itself. The interviewer did not get to see my notes which were for my use.

The sources were all 17th century writings on education. They weren't that hard to understand as there was an accompanying glossary. Questions tested my understanding of the terms and ideas used in the sources and their wider context (I had no prior knowledge of anything on the subjects asked, only what I gathered from the sources). I was asked to discuss the wider political issues implicit in the sources and the assumptions made by the sources. The interviewer elaborated on many of the questions depending on what I gave as my answer.

In the informal interview I was asked about my science background (based on my A-Level choices) and a bit about one of the essays I'd written. The interview finished a few minutes early as she had no further questions.

Old HAT papers were really useful. Generally picking up any written or illustrated historical source you're unfamiliar with is helpful. I'd also recommend a general overview of historiography from a book like "A Very Short Introduction to History".

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