Classics Admission Test (CAT)

The Basics

Any student applying for Classics, Classics and English, Classics and Modern Languages, or Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford needs to take the CAT.

The registration deadline is the 29th of September 2023, and the test date is the 19th of October 2023. registration must either be done with your school or through a registered test centre. This is done separately to UCAS. Please check the details and dates here 🔗 on the 'How do I register?' tab.

The Classics Admissions Test consists of three computer-based tests: the Latin Translation Test, the Greek Translation Test and the Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT). Each test lasts 1 hour and is sat under timed exam conditions. Which of the sections you take depends on which course you're applying for - more information about this can be found here 🔗 under 'Which tests do I need to take?'. In general, if you have studied Latin or Greek to A Level or equivalent (Classics I), you must take the Translation Test(s) in whichever of those languages you are studying. If you are not studying Latin or Greek to A Level or equivalent (Classics II), you must take the CLAT.

Greek and Latin Translation Tests The two translation papers each consist of a short passage in the prose or verse of the classical language, to be translated into English. The passages are carefully chosen to be of a difficulty suitable to students at A Level or equivalent. You are not allowed to take dictionaries, grammar books or notes into the test, so if you are not used to translating without these aids, you should get lots of practice doing so, and try to learn vocabulary before sitting the test.

Classics Language Aptitude Test The CLAT is designed to assess your ability to analyse how languages work, in a way which doesn't depend on your knowledge of any particular language. Instead they are looking to gauge your aptitude for learning a new language rapidly.

(Source: Oxford CAT webpage 🔗 Accessed: 23/07/2023)

Getting Started

CAT Oxford: Introduction and Past Papers 🔗 🌟 This is the link to the CAT page. Past papers (and solutions for the CLAT) can be found under the "How do I prepare?" tab.

Preparing for the Test

Here is some advice from previous Classics students about the CAT:

"For the Latin and Greek portions of the test, I'd recommend people complete the relevant past papers and ask a teacher to mark them. The texts are intended to be hard but approachable for an A-Level student, but can be daunting at first."

"They are often drawn from a handful of common authors, so I'd recommend reading those authors in the original to improve their relevant grammar and vocab (and memorise all their A Level vocab!)."

"All of the texts below can be found on Perseus 🔗 🌟, a free online library of texts that gives originals and translations. I'd advise jumping between texts: I found that to be a better use of time than completely finishing any individual works."

Greek Verse

Euripides (non-choral sections) 🔗
Bacchae
Children of Heracles
Medea
Orestes
Trojan Women
Iphigenia at Aulis

Greek Prose

Xenophon 🔗
Anabasis
Hellenica

Lysias 🔗 On the Murder of Eratosthenes (Lysias 1)

Latin Verse

Ovid
Metamorphoses Book 8 🔗
Amores Book 1 🔗

Catullus 🔗 Poems 1-11 and Poem 64.

Cicero 🔗 Pro Caelio and
Epistulae ad Familiares

Nepos
Life of Atticus 🔗

Classics 🔗

English 🔗

Modern Languages 🔗