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Help, I cannot take the OLAT test, even though I need to

Hey, I wanna aply for Oriental Studies - Arabic, and for that, I would need to take the OLAT. The problem, though, is that on the 2nd of November I will not be home, I will be in Minsk untill the 7th of November. I cannot cancel the trip, and I have no idea what to do. I don't feel like taking the test in Minsk, cause I have never been there, and I don't think I could apply to do it there, since I do not live there or am from there. Do you know if there is a way to have my application considered without the OLAT, or to take the test earlier or later?

(The tickets were expensive, I have my visa, and I have been waiting for this trip for like 1 year. Not gonna cancel it for the world.)
Thanks for the help, everyone :smile:
Original post by Annie881
Hey, I wanna aply for Oriental Studies - Arabic, and for that, I would need to take the OLAT. The problem, though, is that on the 2nd of November I will not be home, I will be in Minsk untill the 7th of November. I cannot cancel the trip, and I have no idea what to do. I don't feel like taking the test in Minsk, cause I have never been there, and I don't think I could apply to do it there, since I do not live there or am from there. Do you know if there is a way to have my application considered without the OLAT, or to take the test earlier or later?

(The tickets were expensive, I have my visa, and I have been waiting for this trip for like 1 year. Not gonna cancel it for the world.)
Thanks for the help, everyone :smile:


Realistically, I think you're either going to have to forego/ postpone your Minsk trip, or give up applying to Oxford this year since there isn't a single test centre in Belarus. I haven't heard of a situation where Oxford agreed to waive the test or allowed candidates to take it on a different date, but you can always email the Oriental Studies faculty to confirm this.

When does your trip start? Would it be possible to depart late, or do a quick turnaround (ie fly back evening of 1st Nov, fly out to Minsk again immediately after the test)?
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Annie881
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Original post by mishieru07
Realistically, I think you're either going to have to forego/ postpone your Minsk trip, or give up applying to Oxford this year since there isn't a single test centre in Belarus. I haven't heard of a situation where Oxford agreed to waive the test or allowed candidates to take it on a different date, but you can always email the Oriental Studies faculty to confirm this.

When does your trip start? Would it be possible to depart late, or do a quick turnaround (ie fly back evening of 1st Nov, fly out to Minsk again immediately after the test)?


It starts on the 31st of October and ends on the 7th of November. I cannot do anything about it, as it is already fixed, and it is a school trip for a conference. But, what I did consider, and I am fairly certain I am going to do this, I will apply to Oriental Studies - Chinese, as I was torn between that and Arabic anyways. And for Chinese, for some reason, I don't need the OLAT, I think... But I will e-mail them anyway, to ask if maybe there is the possibility of doing something...

Do you think that they would consider my application for Arabic even without the OLAT? Cause on the website it says: " It is very important to make arrangements in good time, as your application may not be as competitive - or may not be considered at all - if you do not take any test or tests required for your course. " So it implies that I might still be considered even without the OLAT.
I'm confused :biggrin:.
Original post by Annie881
It starts on the 31st of October and ends on the 7th of November. I cannot do anything about it, as it is already fixed, and it is a school trip for a conference. But, what I did consider, and I am fairly certain I am going to do this, I will apply to Oriental Studies - Chinese, as I was torn between that and Arabic anyways. And for Chinese, for some reason, I don't need the OLAT, I think... But I will e-mail them anyway, to ask if maybe there is the possibility of doing something...

Do you think that they would consider my application for Arabic even without the OLAT? Cause on the website it says: " It is very important to make arrangements in good time, as your application may not be as competitive - or may not be considered at all - if you do not take any test or tests required for your course. " So it implies that I might still be considered even without the OLAT.
I'm confused :biggrin:.


Agree with the above poster. You probably would not be considered at all.*
Original post by Annie881
Hey, I wanna aply for Oriental Studies - Arabic, and for that, I would need to take the OLAT. The problem, though, is that on the 2nd of November I will not be home, I will be in Minsk untill the 7th of November. I cannot cancel the trip, and I have no idea what to do. I don't feel like taking the test in Minsk, cause I have never been there, and I don't think I could apply to do it there, since I do not live there or am from there. Do you know if there is a way to have my application considered without the OLAT, or to take the test earlier or later?

(The tickets were expensive, I have my visa, and I have been waiting for this trip for like 1 year. Not gonna cancel it for the world.)
Thanks for the help, everyone :smile:


Email them. I do not know if they will be able to give you any alternatives (as others have said, it's very possible that they won't) but they're really the only people who are going to be able to answer your question!
Original post by Annie881
Hey, I wanna aply for Oriental Studies - Arabic, and for that, I would need to take the OLAT. The problem, though, is that on the 2nd of November I will not be home, I will be in Minsk untill the 7th of November. I cannot cancel the trip, and I have no idea what to do. I don't feel like taking the test in Minsk, cause I have never been there, and I don't think I could apply to do it there, since I do not live there or am from there. Do you know if there is a way to have my application considered without the OLAT, or to take the test earlier or later?

(The tickets were expensive, I have my visa, and I have been waiting for this trip for like 1 year. Not gonna cancel it for the world.)
Thanks for the help, everyone :smile:



Based on what you have posted, if you cannot present yourself for testing at a registered test centre on the specified date the selectors will not have the benefit of a test score. In practical terms, this means that it will not be possible to proceed further with your application.

We would advise seeking confirmation of this from Oxford Undergraduate Admissions.
Original post by Annie881
It starts on the 31st of October and ends on the 7th of November. I cannot do anything about it, as it is already fixed, and it is a school trip for a conference. But, what I did consider, and I am fairly certain I am going to do this, I will apply to Oriental Studies - Chinese, as I was torn between that and Arabic anyways. And for Chinese, for some reason, I don't need the OLAT, I think... But I will e-mail them anyway, to ask if maybe there is the possibility of doing something...

Do you think that they would consider my application for Arabic even without the OLAT? Cause on the website it says: " It is very important to make arrangements in good time, as your application may not be as competitive - or may not be considered at all - if you do not take any test or tests required for your course. " So it implies that I might still be considered even without the OLAT.
I'm confused :biggrin:.


If you do apply to read Chinese, please apply because you genuinely want to study it for 4 years, and not because OLAT clashes with your trip.

Chinese and Arabic are incredibly different languages, and as a native Chinese speaker, I can honestly tell you that learning Chinese can be a real slog. 4 years is also a rather long time to study something, and you really don't want to choose a subject for the wrong reasons.

As has been recommended by different people, you should email the Oriental Studies faculty directly and seek advice from them.

I would also seriously consider joining the trip late (ie fly out after 2 November). You'd only really miss out on 2-3 days, and I would consider that a worthy trade-off to make a competitive Oxford application, but your mileage may vary.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Annie881


The tickets were expensive, I have my visa, and I have been waiting for this trip for like 1 year. Not gonna cancel it for the world.


If the trip is more important to you than your application, then you're making the right decision by missing the OLAT. No offence meant to you, but to study a subject intensely for 4 years it needs to be your first priority.

I understand that this trip is important to you and you understandably don't want to miss it. But an incomplete application is basically useless. It's insincere and makes it look like you don't care about the subject. These applications are super competitive anyway, so missing the OLAT means you may as well not apply at all.

ALSO, it's not a good idea to apply for Chinese as a back-up. This isn't just a language course, it's based on elements of society, politics, and culture. If you aren't interested in China on the whole, it will be obvious to the interviewers and they're unlikely to make you an offer.

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