HAT
History Admissions Test (Oxford)
Test Information:
The Colleges of Oxford University use the History Aptitude Test (HAT) for selection of applicants for all degree courses involving History. This test aims to examine the skills and potentialities required for the study of History at university, giving an objective basis for comparing applicants from different backgrounds, including mature applicants and those from different countries. It is designed to be challenging, in order to differentiate effectively between the most able applicants for university courses, including those who may have achieved or can be expected to achieve the highest possible grades in their examinations.
The HAT is a two-hour test, which requires applicants to read two extracts and answer a total of four questions about them. One of the extracts will be from a work of History; applicants will be asked questions to test their comprehension or the arguments and ideas in it, their capacity to apply those ideas to historical situations they know about, and their ability to think and make judgments about the extract as a piece of historical writing. The other extract will be from a primary source, and applicants will be asked to offer thoughtful interpretations of its content without knowing anything about its context.
The HAT is a test of skills, not substantive historical knowledge. It is designed so that applicants should find it equally challenging, regardless of what period(s) they have studied or what school examinations they are taking.
Developed by University of Oxford
Validation/reliability research by University of Oxford
Taken at - assessment centres throughout the country (schools, colleges and Oxford)
When - pre-interview on 3 November 2010
Duration - 2 hours
How much - free to applicants
Fee reimbursement/bursary - N/A
Test required by - University of Oxford for History, Ancient and Modern History, History and Economics, History and English, History and Modern Languages, and History and Politics.
Website - University of Oxford History Admissions Test
to topWhere HAT is used:
History
History (Ancient and Modern)
History and Economics
History and English
History and Modern Languages
History and Politics
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Reviewed and updated: May 2010