Test taken: Arts-Humanities Admissions Assessment (AHAA)
Number of interviews: 2
Time between interviews: 1 hour
Length of interviews: 20 minutes
Online interview: No

I walked into the room where my first interview took place and it looked like a living room with sofas, armchairs, and a coffee table, which made the atmosphere quite relaxed from the start. I remember being really nervous but the interviewers set me at ease and explained the structure of the interview. I had to read a text on a topic related to political theory 15 minutes before my interview which was discussed with one interviewer (there were 2 in the room). The first interviewer asked me questions about the author's goal and my opinions on the theory. The questions were very open-ended, so I was able to put my own spin on them. I was also asked questions about my personal statement. In retrospect, the interview was a very friendly environment and all my interviewers were really encouraging, even when I took time to think about my answer and wasn't quite sure where I was going with it.

The second interview was in a similar setting to the first. I had a reading that was discussed during the interview about a topic which I knew nothing about, but that didn't matter because the interviews just asked me to summarise the text, draw out the main arguments, reflect on them etc. The interviewers asked me follow-up questions that I didn't really know how to answer and it still turned out okay! Another section of my personal statement was discussed, which became really interesting because it turned into a discussion with both interviewers also giving their points of view and trying to help me answer very open-ended questions . All in all, the interview was a really positive and enriching experience!

I went over notes I'd taken over the past two years that were relevant to politics or sociology (I didn't do any preparation at all for anthropology, but there is technically no prior knowledge). I did a mock interview with a family member; it could also be helpful to do one with a teacher in a more academic environment. I also practised answering potential interview questions with a friend to practice articulating my train of thought clearly. I kept up to date with current events and read the papers a lot more just before the interview. I went over every sentence of my personal statement and did extra research on what I could potentially be asked about. I'd say that a lot of extra reading did comfort me but it wasn't strictly necessary.

I tried to do all the practice papers that were available. I worked with the exam time limit to see how much time to spend on each section and planned out a couple of the essay questions, but there's not that much else you can do.

Looking back, I'd say try to enjoy the interviews because it's, at the most fundamental level, a discussion about a subject you love with experts in the field, which is quite a unique experience. Doing a mock interview beforehand makes you feel a bit more prepared, but even chatting about your subject and trying to explain concepts clearly to a friend will really help make you feel a bit more confident about the interview. Don't worry about not being able to answer a question, the interview is only a part of the application and the interviewers are just trying to see what your thought process is like. I was surprised at how much the interviewers want to see you succeed, and they make you feel like it's just a conversation.