History @ St Anne's, Oxford in 2017

Interview format

2x 25min interviews, 2 days apart

Interview content

Interview 1: A-Level topic discussion; Interview 2: source discussion

Best preparation

Watched videos, went through personal statement, revised A-Levels

Final thoughts

Be yourself!

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
Time between interviews: 2 days
Length of interviews: 25 mins with 5 mins prep
Online interview: No

What happened in your interview? How did you feel?

I did not have a personal statement interview even though I had spent a good amount of time practising for one, so I really recommend not focusing all of your preparation time on it. One interview was on a topic I had studied at A-Level, another involved being questioned about my thoughts on an extract I was given five minutes before interview

How did you prepare for your interviews?

I watched videos about Oxford interviews on YouTube, made sure I knew my personal statement and revised what I had learned in my A-Levels so far. I had practice interviews with two teachers which was the biggest help! I would recommend practicing just so you can build your confidence in explaining your thought process.

If you took a test, how did you prepare?

Looking through practice papers, revising what I had learned in my a levels so far so that I had enough knowledge to answer the questions

What advice would you give to future applicants?

The best advice I was given is that the interview was as much for me to judge Oxford, the course and tutors as it was about me being judged! I felt really empowered knowing that it was also a chance to see if everything was right for me. It's cliche but really do be yourself, don't worry about being right or wrong so long as you explain your thought process and you are able to stand up for your answers and beliefs!