Test taken: History Admissions Test (HAT)
Number of interviews: 1
Length of interviews: 30mins
Online interview: Yes

The first half of my interview was about my personal statement, the second half was about a source I was given at the interview. There was no discussion about my written work but it varies from college to college so make sure you’re still prepared for that. There were some set questions at the beginning but most of them were based on my responses, so if I said something my tutors were interested in they would springboard off that. I can't lie, I was quite nervous initially but you do kind of relax a bit once you get into it. On the whole, the tutors are nice and try not to make the whole thing seem intimidating. I did my interview online in school and I think interviews are going to stay online for the next 5 years. The benefit is you can do them in an environment you feel comfortable in whether that’s at school or at home. Don’t feel nervous about the internet connection. I’m sure I disconnected from the call at one point but I was able to get back in. If bad wifi does mess up your interview significantly then it can definitely be rescheduled. I was only interviewed once but most people are interviewed twice or more by different colleges so don’t feel bad if you get another interview, it’s just another chance to prove yourself. If you feel that you can’t answer a question or that the questions are really hard don’t worry, the interviews are supposed to be challenging. Really, the tutors are trying to assess how you approach difficult situations. It is almost meant to emulate the Oxford tutorial which can also be challenging at times so don’t feel disheartened if you think it’s getting really hard.

I annotated my personal statement with questions they could ask me. I did mock interviews with my teachers and mock interviews with my mentor covering sources, my personal statement, and my written work. The best thing I did was probably still reading academic texts that interested me/listening to podcasts. When you mention things that you’ve read or listened to in the interview (not just for the sake of it but because it’s actually linked to the discussion) you’re showing your interviewers that you’ve got a passion for your subject and that you still read widely outside the books in your personal statement. All the advice I got from my teachers and my mentor was basically just to think out loud, taking time to process what I’m going to say but also thinking quickly on the spot.

I was able to get a mentor on Zero Gravity to help me prepare for the admissions test. If you fit the criteria (state school background, low income) then I definitely recommend applying and getting a mentor (it is free). They are soooo helpful for every part of the application process and really give you insight into admissions. My mentor went through HAT past papers with me and I used to write out answers in timed conditions, then give them to her to mark. If you don’t have a mentor then I recommend doing the same thing but with your history teacher instead. I would say not to go into answering past papers straight away, start with reading through the texts and annotating them first to get used to the texts and style of question. Resources I would recommend are Dr Matt Williams’ YouTube video on the HAT, the past papers, and The Ultimate Oxford Hat Guide 2021. These are all free resources.

One thing I have to stress about history admissions is that while it is holistic, my tutors have told me that they care about the interview the most. This is basically to say that the admissions test is not everything. It’s true that they use it to differentiate between candidates before the interview but if tutors are intrigued by your application and you are above the cut-off point then there’s no reason why they wouldn’t interview you. Tutors also know that some people may have been way more prepared than others and take this into account when looking at scores. I know a lot of people (including myself) that didn’t get the highest scores on the admissions test and still got in. Similarly, there are people who score really high in the admissions test and don’t get a place. Obviously, try your hardest in preparation and in the test itself but remember that it’s not the be-all and end-all. The interviewers are genuinely looking for intellectual curiosity and academic potential. I’m literally regurgitating what’s on the website but it’s true. You don’t have to be a finished product, that’s not the point. They’re looking for people who would be able to thrive in the Oxford environment which would enable them to succeed.