Preparing for History at University: Reading, Oxbridge Interview Questions 2024 and More
In this article, U2 mentor, Blanca (1st Class History & Politics graduate, University of Oxford), leads you through her top recommendations for successful preparation for a history degree at a top Russell Group UK university or Oxbridge. If you want to know about extracurricular activities to make your application stand-out, current trends and ‘must-knows’ in history, history book recommendations, an overview of the Oxbridge history interview structure, and examples of past history interview questions, this blog is for you! Also find a video covering all elements of the Oxbridge History application process at the end of the blog by U2 mentor, Maxim.
Thinking of Applying to Study a History degree?
Whilst your interest in History might have originated in the classroom, those who are going to review your personal statement for university admissions, or interview you if applying to Oxbridge, live the subject. They have decided to dedicate their lives to studying this discipline. Therefore, showing that your involvement with the subject also goes beyond the classroom could really impress them. How to do this?
Write, write, write! Is there a history magazine at your school? Can you contribute? If not, why not start one!?
Volunteer at history festivals - This is a great chance to meet famous historians and pick up interesting information (i.e.: Chalk Valley History Festival)
Are there any interesting schemes or programmes history-related you could join?
Look around you - does your school have history archives? Have you visited them?
Organise talks - Email historians and ask them to come to speak at your school or host an online lecture. This could be easier than it sounds. (i.e.: look at your school alumni, maybe one of them became a historian)
Set up displays in your school - is it the anniversary of some big event? Why not make it a big deal? (i.e.: 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the US)
History Essay Writing Competitions
Why do it?
o Shows you are keen to learn more about history, demonstrating interest
o Very good practice to see if you actually would enjoy a History degree
How to go about it?
o Think carefully before doing it – can be very time consuming on top of your work
o Plan in advance – the deadline for these is normally March-August of L6 (Year 12)
Examples of competitions include the following:
(1) Peterhouse’s Vellacott History Prize (Peterhouse, Cambridge)
(2) Robson History Prize (Trinity College, Cambridge)
(3) The Julia Wood Prize (St Hugh’s College, Oxford)
Even if you don’t win it means you will have something to talk about during interviews!
U2’s co-curricular online platform, Minds Underground, has a page dedicated to both their own essay competitions & their top external competition choices.
Looking for other co-curricular opportunities?
We have built out an entire co-curricular platform, Minds Underground, for university applicants to use as evidence for their wider subject exploration. A few ideas:
Our History Summer School: You’ll uncover current trends and ‘must-knows’ in history, look at a huge variety of periods in history with relation to gender, the economy, anthropology, politics and more, with top historians in each field, all educated at Oxford or Cambridge.
Research Projects: E.g. ““Emotional history' with an Oxford University Casberd Scholar”: A great insight into an aspect of historiography that is rarely considered by A-Level classes. (Sessions are 1 month typically, with 5 project tutorial sessions).
Current trends and ‘must-knows’ in history
‘Approaches to History’ – this means looking at a period in history with relation to gender, the economy, anthropology, etc.
o This is a huge aspect of History today. Scholars are demanding their peers to reassess their work and take into account circumstances they had not previously considered.
o Currently, gender is particularly ‘trendy’. Ideas like masculinity and gender roles and the way these have played into the behaviour of big nations are fascinating scholars.
o In sum, it can be interesting to approach history from these novel perspectives!
Historiography – it encompasses the debate going on between historians who might have different perspectives on what happened.
o Tutors love to talk about this, it is basically their work.
o Talking about the historiography of a period of time is the same as discussing what different people have said about that period (i.e.: X historian says PM Chamberlain eased the path for Hitler to come to power but Y historian argues Hitler was always going to come to power)
o Bringing this insight into your interview can set you apart – it shows you have the right approach to studying History
How to choose your reading for History
There are no specific books you must include in your personal statement or read for your interview. However, choosing certain books above others could give you an advantage. For instance:
(1) Reading general history – you might have chosen to read around a period you are particularly interested in, and that’s great. You do need to keep in mind, however, that a lot of history interviews are source-based. This means that your interviewers might ask questions related to a history extract you either have to examine on the spot or have been asked to read 30 mins before your interview. So it is quite useful to have a grasp, even if it is quite loose, of different historical epochs. This is not expected, but it could potentially set you apart! Ideas include:
a. E. H. Gombrich, A Little History of the World (2008)
(2) Understanding the study of history – for you, history at school might have mainly encompassed learning for the textbook. However, the study of history is about a lot more. It includes things such as understanding the aims and methods of historians themselves. An awareness of this could prove particularly useful when reading a source. For example:
a. John Tosh, The Pursuit of History
(3) Reading on the approaches to history – most of this reading can get quite technical and specific, so you might struggle. The overall point, however, is to get another perspective of history. By looking at the change surrounding the discipline you get a different perspective. You might want to look at:
a. David Cannadine (ed.), What is History Now?
(4) Primary sources – this could set you apart. Historians normally base their research on primary sources so if you show that your ‘research’, like theirs, also includes this kind of reading it could play in your favour. This can sound way more complicated and boring than it actually is. It just means finding texts written by contemporaries – i.e.: soldiers’ diaries during WWII. The same applies to ‘older’ history. If you are interested in medieval history, it is not necessary for you to read correspondence in, say, Latin. You could choose to look at translated epic poems (i.e.: The Poem of the Cid).
These are just ideas of what to do on top of the most important: read around whatever it is that you are interested in. At the end of the day, your ‘passion’ will come through during an interview. If you have zero interest in what you have read, it will become quite clear. Conversely, if you can speak about topics you genuinely enjoy, your ideas and opinions will be far more interesting for both the interviewers and yourself!
Check out our blog on Historiography and engaging the Historical Imagination for HAT test and interview success over on our curricular division, Minds Underground: https://www.mindsunderground.com/muarticles/historiography-oxbridge.
Standard Oxbridge interview structure for History
Normally last around 30 mins
Interviewees might be asked to arrive 30 mins beforehand to read and prepare an extract
The following are overviews of 2 different history interviews:
1. Applicant for (BA) History (2 history interviews):
o Interview 1 – “I was given an extract with a collection of arguments to read before the interview. During the first section of the interview I was asked to summarise and differentiate the argument, then defend and attack some. This was followed by a discussion of the essay I had submitted. They asked me why I had argued what I had and challenged that argument.”
o Interview 2 – “I was given a primary source beforehand. During the interview, we discussed things like the nature of the source, what the source told us, different schools of thought and their use of the source. This was followed by general questions like the goal of History and my personal statement.”
2. Applicant for (BA) History and Politics (1 history interview):
o Interview – “I was given an extract on the intelligentsia in Eastern Europe during the 1930s to read for 30 mins before my interview. The first half of the interview involved very targeted questions such as who is the source talking about, is the source biased... I was then asked to provide some context on what else was going on during that period, meaning I needed some background knowledge. The second half involved a discussion of the essay I had sent in.”
General tips for your Oxbridge History interview
Think out loud – interviewers are interested in the way your mind works so walk them through your thinking process. Also, you might even say something they find super interesting yet you thought would be irrelevant.
When in doubt, ask – if you don’t understand a term it’s fine, just ask for clarification. You are still in school so there is no way you are expected to look at academic extracts and perfectly understand them.
There is no right or wrong – it is all about how you think!
Back yourself – if you do know something, say it.
Know your personal statement inside out – interviewers might not even touch on it or they might see something that catches their attention and challenge you on it or ask you to expand
Ultimately, there are two main things to focus on in an interview:
(1) Your approach to history – your interviewers will assess what you know and how you think!
(2) How you come across – the people who interview you might end up teaching you, meaning they are essentially assessing whether they want to teach you. For instance, being overconfident and rude won’t play in your favour.
Here are some more general past history interview questions
What is the value of history?
Why do you want to study history?
Can we know anything for a fact?
What role do historians play?
How do historians prove their arguments?
Tell me the history of this college.
Tell me something interesting about the history of the place where you live.
What do you think is an empire?
Source-specific questions
o what does this source tell us about the author?
o what are this source’s limitations?
Looking for a Personal Statement Writing Tutor or Support For Your Wider History Application?
Personal Statement
U2’s Oxbridge-educated mentors have a close insight into what admissions tutors like to see in a History personal statement, and can help students to convey their skills, motivations, and long term goals, in order to stand out from other applicants. The statement should be the candidates own work, but our mentors will provide direction and guide you through the process of content building and writing. We offer offline drafting as well as tuition sessions.
Oxbridge History Mentoring
U2 offers HAT admissions test preparation, as well as wider Oxbridge Mentoring programmes (book a free consultation to discuss options). We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated History mentors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates.
The Process:
1) We suggest an Oxbridge History graduate as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study History at the University of Oxford and Cambridge, and are well-placed to guide you through personal statement curation, the entrance exam and interview process. We may suggest a range of application tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.
2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour informal assessment/ taster session, where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for application, including test and interview. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.
3) U2’s approach for regular History application sessions: The main focus of tutorial sessions will be to explore material that can be discussed in the personal statement and at interview - this may sometimes stretch from A-Level standard to First Year Undergraduate. Mentors ensure each student refines their interests within History, and is exposed to a range of historical approaches and new concepts, guiding students in their reading and wider subject exploration. Together, we build a case for the student, solidifying the stance and direction they will take during interview and honing skills for the HAT if applicable.
Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Students can take either ad hoc sessions, or we structure a full programme for preparation, which may include further co-curricular opportunities such as our research projects, History summer school and Oxbridge mock interview days. Honing the skills necessary to succeed for Oxbridge ideally requires long-term preparation and mentoring presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best Oxbridge has produced. We also provide GCSE, A-Level or IB History support if needed.
Sessions from £70/h.