History And Politics @ Brasenose, Oxford in 2021

Interview format

History Aptitude Test; 1x interview.

Interview content

Interview: interpreting a quote, voting behaviour, and concepts such as democracy.

Best preparation

Mock interviews, read up on current affairs, personal statement and personal written work.

Test preparation

Practice papers, extracurricular reading, talking to teachers.

Final thoughts

It sounds easy to say but try not to obsess over it - do the best you can and put in the work for the admissions test and interviews but you might not be right for them (the university) and that's okay!

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: HAT
Number of interviews: 1
Online interview: yes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

My tutors were actually very friendly and I enjoyed my interviews as so much prep and anticipation had led up to them. We talked about how I might interpret a philosophy quote, voting behaviour, democracy etc. The questions were varied and super interesting and I never felt like they were trying to trip me up.

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I did as many mock interviews as I could with a range of people and practised thinking out loud. I also kept up to date with current news for my subject and made sure I knew my personal statement and all written work inside out!

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Practice papers, read a book called 'Thinking about History', asked my history teacher for help, tutor.

What advice would you give to future applicants?

It sounds easy to say but try not to obsess over it - do the best you can and put in the work for the admissions test and interviews but you might not be right for them (the university) and that's okay! I never even thought I would even get an interview but I was clearly right for them so trust yourself and give it your best shot. Even if you don't get an offer, it's an incredibly valuable and interesting experience.