THE HISTORY APTITUDE TEST: INTRODUCTION

IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the University of Oxfords History Aptitude Test The Faculty of History is working in partnership with Cambridge Assessment to administer the History Aptitude Test from November 2011. The most important change is in the candidate registration process for the above test. Candidates will now need to be registered for the History Aptitude Test (HAT) by 5pm BST on Friday 14th October 2011 via Cambridge Assessments secure Entries Extranet. Please read this FAQs document for details of how and when to register candidates. Further information will be available on Cambridge Assessments admissions tests website - www.hatoxford.org.uk - from August 2011. The Colleges of Oxford University have introduced a History Aptitude Test (HAT) for use in the selection of candidates for all degree courses involving History. This test, which aims to examine the skills and potentialities required for the study of History at university, gives us an objective basis for comparing candidates 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. What is the nature of the test? The HAT is a two-hour test, which requires candidates to read two extracts and answer a total of four questions about them. One of the extracts will be from a work of History; candidates will be asked questions to test their comprehension of 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 judgements about the extract as a piece of historical writing. The other extract will be from a primary source, and candidates 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 candidates should find it equally challenging, regardless of what period(s) they have studied or what school examinations they are taking. A specimen paper plus sample answers with tutors comments as well as helpful general guidance are available. The following HAT papers and marking schemes are also available: 2004 HAT paper and 2004 marking scheme 2005 HAT paper and 2005 marking scheme 2006 HAT paper and 2006 marking scheme 2007 HAT paper and 2007 marking scheme 2008 HAT paper and 2008 marking scheme 2009 HAT paper and 2009 marking scheme 2010 HAT paper and 2010 marking scheme When and where will the test take place? The test will be sat on the morning of Wednesday 2 November 2011, by all candidates applying to Oxford for History and its joint schools (Ancient and Modern History, History and Economics, History and English, History and Modern Languages, and History and Politics). Most UK candidates in full-time education will be able to take the test at their own schools or colleges. Mature candidates may take the test in Oxford or at a regional test centre of their own choosing. International candidates will normally be able to take the test in their own schools or similar institutions, but may need to contact a local test centre. The tests will be marked anonymously in Oxford and successful candidates will receive invitations to interview within three to four weeks. How do candidates prepare for the HAT? Since the HAT is aiming to test skills that candidates will be developing anyway, the best form of preparation is to advise students to get on with their normal work. One question in the paper will ask candidates to apply ideas or propositions from the texts to a historical situation that they know about, and they may therefore find it helpful to refresh their memory of the various topics they have studied in the last year or so. Even so, in answering this question, candidates will not be judged on the depth or detail of their knowledge, but on the skills listed in the formal specification. The test will not look easy indeed, it will not be easy but candidates are given plenty of time to read and re-read the texts, to think about them, and to plan their answers. Candidates should not worry, therefore, if the specimen paper looks difficult. It probably looks difficult to everyone else too. We hope that candidates will find the test interesting as well as tough.

Purpose of the Test The purpose of the Oxford Colleges History Aptitude Test (HAT) is to provide a predictive assessment of candidates potential in an academically demanding History degree. The test results are intended to be used as a significant component of the selection decision in conjunction with past examination performance, evidence from the UCAS form, performance at interview and, in the case of candidates invited for interview, an item of written work completed in the normal course of study during Year 13 or equivalent. The test draws on generic academic skills appropriate to intending historians, and requires the limited deployment of knowledge acquired in the course of study for an A Level or equivalent. It provides an objective basis for comparing candidates from different backgrounds, including mature applicants and those from different countries. The HAT is designed to be challenging. Its aim is to help to differentiate effectively between able applicants for university courses, including those who may have achieved, or who are expected to achieve, the highest possible grades in school examinations. Qualities to be assessed The HAT tests the following skills and attributes:

the ability to read carefully and critically the adoption of an analytical approach the ability to answer a question relevantly the ability to offer a coherent argument precision, in the handling of concepts and in the selection of evidence presented to support points historical imagination originality precision, clarity and facility of writing

In order to test some of these, the HAT requires candidates to deploy a small amount of their own historical knowledge to illustrate and develop concepts or hypotheses contained within the first part of the test paper. Depth of knowledge will not be tested, and no special preparation is required. As History is a subject that often requires the deployment of several abilities at once, each question will test a range of skills and attributes, as described below. Structure of the test The test has two elements: a series of questions, including a short essay, based on a short piece of historical writing; a single question, based on a primary source. The duration of the test is two hours. Candidates are advised to spend about 40 minutes on reading the texts, thinking about them and planning their answers. The rest of the time they should spend on writing. Guidance is given about the form and length of each answer. A specimen test paper, and examples of candidate answers, will be made available. HAT papers from 2005 onwards have one less question than the specimen paper and the 2004 paper, to allow candidates more reading and thinking time. Section One (7580 minutes, including reading, thinking and planning time)

This section comprises three questions and is worth 70/100 marks: 1. Definition exercise. Understanding and defining terms drawn from the text. Relates to: careful and critical reading; precision in the handling of concepts; precision, clarity and facility of writing. (10/100 marks) 2. Explanation exercise. Analysing and explaining terms drawn from the text. Relates to: careful and critical reading; analytical approach; precision in the handling of concepts; precision, clarity and facility of writing. (20/100 marks) 3. Essay exercise Applying a concept/hypothesis from the text to a historical situation; writing cogently at length. Relates to: analytical approach; coherent argument; precision in the handling of concepts and selection of evidence; relevance to the question; historical imagination; originality; precision, clarity and facility of writing. (40/100 marks)
Section Two (4045 minutes, including reading, thinking and planning time)

This section comprises one question and is worth 30/100 marks: 4. Interpretation exercise. Interpretative response to primary source. Relates to: careful and critical reading; historical imagination; originality; precision, clarity and facility of writing.

I assume this is referring to the second question? Plan: * Make a note of the provenance of the source. Who wrote it? When? Is it firsthand evidence? * Read the question and write it down. * Read the passage very carefully bearing the question in mind at all times. As relevant ideas occur to you jot them down. You might do this as a Mind Map or a Spider diagram if this is a good way of working for you. * Go through your notes and organize them according to the points you now wish to make. i.e. In effect make an essay plan. * Write your essay paying careful attention to clarity of expression and grammatical accuracy. In making assertions be very careful to provide supporting evidence from the passage, Note: If the Specimen is anything to go by you are not going to be asked to evaluate the source's reliability or utility ... and indeed it is specifically stated that you are not required to have any previous knowledge of the topic so the sort of 'plan for tacking the paper' that you will have previously used is unlikely to be relevant here. Do not think that writing at length is a criterion for success. As I keep emphasizing, the vital thing will be to plan your answers carefully and to focus HARD on being analytical and logical.