2x interviews (30 mins each + 2 hr 15 mins prep for academic interview)
First interview (academic): source discussion; Second interview (general): A-Level subjects, submitted work
Old HAT papers; source practice; historiography reading
No
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.
I stayed over night before my interview in college accomodation. On the day I turned up, gave my name and was told where to go. There were students in the
The sources were all 17th century writings. 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. We discussed differences between terms on a subject about which I had no prior knowledge, only what I gathered from the sources. We compared and contrasted some wider issues raised by the sources and also covered assumptions made in 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 History Aptitude Test (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.
No