Classical Archaeology And Ancient History @ Christ Church, Oxford in 2022

Interview format

3x interviews.

Interview content

Interviews: analysed sources, asked about interests in reading and writing, personal statement.

Best preparation

Read around subject, went over personal statement, thought of examples for claims made in personal statement, looked at websites with practice questions.

Final thoughts

Make sure you love your subject. Anyone could do your subject, what makes you special? How passionate are you and how much do you want to learn?

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: None
Number of interviews: 3
Time between interviews: 2hrs, and another interview 2 days later 
Length of interviews: 25-30 minutes
Online interview: Yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I was asked to analyse some sources  and was asked prompt questions. I related the sources to my knowledge and tried to make sense of them. I was also asked questions about my interests in reading and writing and I was asked about my personal statement.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I read around my subject - considered what the key names, dates and events are that I could drop in. I also went over my personal statement and ensured that I knew everything I had written about to a tee. I also ensured that any claims I made had examples for them and I visited a few websites with practice questions.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

Do not underestimate the power of character! If you don’t know - that’s okay! Tutors are looking for teachable students, not know-it-alls. Sometimes you just have to try your best - offer your answers and work with your tutor. Remember that the tutor is not there to catch you out, and if you relax and enjoy you’ll likely be able to think more clearly. Make sure you love your subject. Anyone could do your subject, what makes you special? How passionate are you and how much do you want to learn? You won’t have a degree level knowledge but what you know and research about is telling of how passionate you are and what sort of interests you have. Prepare questions! Show that you are excited - ask about the modules etc…