History @ Brasenose, Oxford in 2018

Interview format

2x 20-30 min interviews, 2 days apart

Interview content

Interview 1: written work; Interview 2: personal statement

Best preparation

Remind yourself why you love your subject

Advice in hindsight

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Final thoughts

Enjoy the interviews!

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: 2

Skype interview: No

Time between each interview: 2 days

Length of interviews: 20-30 minutes

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

In my first interview, we discussed the content of the essay I submitted, which was really fun and not too stressful because it was something I had taken a personal interest in and had written myself as part of my A level studies. Where there were questions beyond the things I had covered at A level I stated that I didn't actually know this and then made some educated assumptions, which the interviewers appreciated.

In my second interview we talked about some of the things I included in my personal statement, which was also fun because I was interested in the things I included and because it gave me a chance to prove how I approached history in different ways.

How did you prepare?

I prepared by using practice papers and practising analysing primary sources. To prepare, just remind yourself of all the reasons why you love your subject!

What advice do you have for future applicants?

Looking back, what advice would you give to your past self?

Enjoy it! Get talking to everyone in the JCR and relax in the interviews.