History
History is a very popular discipline, allowing students to engage with and interrogate the events and accounts of the past.
Below you will find information about the specific degree courses offered by Oxford University and Cambridge University to study History, how to prepare, and how Oxbridge Interviews can help you with your application.
BOOK COURSECambridge offers a degree course in straight History, and is ranked as the top university in the UK to study History according to the Complete University Guide.
History is highly competitive with one in three applications successful. To be offered a place, you generally need to get A*AA at A Level (or equivalent). There are no A-level subjects required across the whole university, but some colleges require either History A-level or an essay-based subject equivalent.
Oxford University's History course is three years long. Oxford is ranked as the second-best university in the UK to study History according to the Complete University Guide.
The application process is highly competitive with only 21% of applications successful. To be offered a place, you generally need to get A*AA at A Level (or equivalent) and A-level History is recommended.
To prepare for your History application, you must demonstrate your motivation for the subject and specific interests. You can do this reading beyond your school curriculum. Our interviewers recommend:
- ‘A History of Britain in 21 Women’, by J. Murray
- ‘The History Book: Big Ideas Explained’, by DK
Practice interviews for History applications are critical. You wouldn’t sit an exam without doing a mock, so don’t place yourself in an interview without having experienced a practice interview first.
George (History Cambridge)
George completed his undergraduate degree in History at King's College, Cambridge. After graduating, George studied for a Master's Degree in European Politics and Economics in Warsaw, Poland, before joining the British Army as an Officer.
Q&A
George, why did you choose History?
"I chose to study history because of the sheer breadth of the subject. The course at Cambridge can take you from Ancient Rome all the way up to, say, political thought in the 20th Century (and beyond). You can also study history from all around the world"
What’s your advice to students applying to History?
"For History, it's best to take your best subject knowledge - perhaps your favourite topics at GCSE or A Level - and extend yourself further by reading challenging books that don't appear on the syllabus. Teachers can help with book recommendations, or else use the internet to research top History professors from the UK and see what they have written."
Applicants to History at Cambridge may be required to sit the at-interview History Admissions Assessment (HAA), if invited to interview, depending on which college they are applying to.
Applicants to History and its joint courses at Oxford are required to sit the History Aptitude Test (HAT).