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HAA test cambridge help pls

Hey guys,

If there is anyone applying to History or one of the joint History courses at Cambridge, tell me how you are preparing? I'm applying to Hist and Pol, and there only appears to be one/two sample papers. What do you suggest for me to do? Should I just try the Oxford HAT tests as well, just to hone my skillage? HELP PLS

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Reply 1
Original post by russianrainbows1
Hey guys,

If there is anyone applying to History or one of the joint History courses at Cambridge, tell me how you are preparing? I'm applying to Hist and Pol, and there only appears to be one/two sample papers. What do you suggest for me to do? Should I just try the Oxford HAT tests as well, just to hone my skillage? HELP PLS


I'm sure there's no harm in doing that :wink:

Just be aware the HAA is not a test, there's no "pass" mark. It just helps add extra information to your application.

Prep work is not expected or required.

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Reply 2
I'm applying for same course as you :smile: I've just done the sample paper a few times (in timed conditions getting used to the structure of the questions, especially the essay which I found a lot harder than anything I've did so far at AS) and then just continuing doing wider reading.

IMO this test basically just assesses if you're capable of writing coherent essays and tbh that isn't really a skill you can revise. The multi choice i found laughably easy.




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(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jneill
I'm sure there's no harm in doing that :wink:

Just be aware the HAA is not a test, there's no "pass" mark. It just helps add extra information to your application.

Prep work is not expected or required.

Posted from TSR Mobile



Ah, thank you. I read somewhere that you should just practice more source questions etc. Will def with it a go
Original post by Strimpy
I'm applying for same course as you :smile: I've just done the sample paper a few times (in timed conditions getting used to the structure of the questions, especially the essay which I found a lot harder than anything I've did so far at AS) and then just continuing doing wider reading.

IMO this test basically just assesses if you're capable of writing coherent essays and tbh that isn't really a skill you can revise. The multi choice i found laughably easy.


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YAY, but it's a bit scary because it's a brand new course so I literally don't even know what to expect tbh
Yeah, looking at the paper, I thought it was a bit straight forward, but I haven't tried it so it might screw me over.. eh I'll see

What college did you apply to?
Reply 5
Original post by russianrainbows1
YAY, but it's a bit scary because it's a brand new course so I literally don't even know what to expect tbh
Yeah, looking at the paper, I thought it was a bit straight forward, but I haven't tried it so it might screw me over.. eh I'll see

What college did you apply to?


yeah you have to remember everyones in the same boat though, with it being a new test/course and that

And did an open application (shocking i know lol) and got allocated on Wednesday to Homerton College. Tbh all the Cambridge colleges look amazing, i'd be happy anywhere!

What college did you apply to?
Original post by Strimpy
yeah you have to remember everyones in the same boat though, with it being a new test/course and that

And did an open application (shocking i know lol) and got allocated on Wednesday to Homerton College. Tbh all the Cambridge colleges look amazing, i'd be happy anywhere!

What college did you apply to?


Agreed, I literally panicked before applying. I was about to choose Oxford just because they have way more past papers for Hist and Pol, but ended up picking Cam..
Homerton is so cute, it is literally the homeliest college:h:
Whereas I decided on King's, but I'm not too concerned about which college either, because pooling is a thing and it's likely that I'll get relocated if I get a place ah :/
I've applied to Selwyn to do single honours History. I've been through Section 1 (I also found it easy) of the HAA in timed conditions, and I've planned a response to Section 2. I'm just working out how to approach it (to do it regimentally alike an A-Level response just with more riskier ideas, or not).

I've had a look at the HAT but I've not strictly been through it. Should I?

Also, how are other people approaching section 2, source criticism etc?


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(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by russianrainbows1
Agreed, I literally panicked before applying. I was about to choose Oxford just because they have way more past papers for Hist and Pol, but ended up picking Cam..
Homerton is so cute, it is literally the homeliest college:h:
Whereas I decided on King's, but I'm not too concerned about which college either, because pooling is a thing and it's likely that I'll get relocated if I get a place ah :/


ikr i looked it up on google maps and decided i really like it, the gardens look so nice :smile:

and yeh Kings is a pretty risky choice lol, probs the most competitive college at cambridge haha, but like you said if you're good enough you should still get in :biggrin:

whats your application like grade wise?
Reply 9
Original post by SteamboatMickey
I've applied to Selwyn to do single honours History. I've been through Section 1 (I also found it easy) of the HAA in timed conditions, and I've planned a response to Section 2. I'm just working out how to approach it (to do it regimentally alike an A-Level response just with more riskier ideas, or not).

I've had a look at the HAT but I've not strictly been through it. Should I?

Also, how are other people approaching section 2, source criticism etc?

Posted from TSR Mobile


i approached it slightly differently to an a level source question, so not as regimented, (tho i did do a conclusion just because it feels weird not doing one :biggrin:) and just trying to comment on the general themes/ideas of both. It is very different to how you actually write an a level essay tho because obvs you dont have any background knowledge of the context etc, but I tried to make up for this by commenting and comparing more directly what the sources were actually saying in relation to each other, if that makes any sense.

This is just my guess at how to approach it tho, the AT in the Murray Edwards thread said there's no 'right' way to approach it so i guess whatever you feel works best.
Original post by Strimpy
i approached it slightly differently to an a level source question, so not as regimented, (tho i did do a conclusion just because it feels weird not doing one :biggrin:) and just trying to comment on the general themes/ideas of both. It is very different to how you actually write an a level essay tho because obvs you dont have any background knowledge of the context etc, but I tried to make up for this by commenting and comparing more directly what the sources were actually saying in relation to each other, if that makes any sense.

This is just my guess at how to approach it tho, the AT in the Murray Edwards thread said there's no 'right' way to approach it so i guess whatever you feel works best.


Exactly! You get so used to being so restricted in how you approach a question, and to suddenly be let off the leash, it's quite daunting (and it is exhilarating).

That's what I was going to do. Comment on the similarities/differences but my History teacher suggested that if it were him he'd do it like this:

Intro
Similarities
Differences
Provenance
Conclusion

I'm thinking of scribbling that down somewhere on the paper, and making sure I cover each one, but I was also wondering if I should just regiment it. I usually don't, even in A-Level exams I don't. I probably won't - even if I intend to do so. I struggle writing in a regimented fashion such as that.
Original post by SteamboatMickey

I've had a look at the HAT but I've not strictly been through it. Should I?

Also, how are other people approaching section 2, source criticism etc?

Posted from TSR Mobile


imo the majority of the HAT is pretty different - if you do want to look over it then questions 1 and 3 are probably the most releveant to the HAA, but i don't think it's necessary

this might be of no help whatsoever, but there are some source exercises on the cambridge history website - might be useful just to look at what kind of sources there are I guess! could maybe use them for practice if you made up some questions :biggrin:
Original post by SteamboatMickey
Exactly! You get so used to being so restricted in how you approach a question, and to suddenly be let off the leash, it's quite daunting (and it is exhilarating).

That's what I was going to do. Comment on the similarities/differences but my History teacher suggested that if it were him he'd do it like this:

Intro
Similarities
Differences
Provenance
Conclusion

I'm thinking of scribbling that down somewhere on the paper, and making sure I cover each one, but I was also wondering if I should just regiment it. I usually don't, even in A-Level exams I don't. I probably won't - even if I intend to do so. I struggle writing in a regimented fashion such as that.


I get the feeling it'll really just depend on what comes up. If you immediately have some idea of what you can write, it might be best to just do it, otherwise writing it in that kind of order looks ideal. has your teacher given you any advice for the HAA?
sort of spamming this now - sorry guys! but does anyone have any idea how much they'd be able to write? taking into account we won't have much/any background knowledge on the topic ofc
Original post by SteamboatMickey
Exactly! You get so used to being so restricted in how you approach a question, and to suddenly be let off the leash, it's quite daunting (and it is exhilarating).

That's what I was going to do. Comment on the similarities/differences but my History teacher suggested that if it were him he'd do it like this:

Intro
Similarities
Differences
Provenance
Conclusion

I'm thinking of scribbling that down somewhere on the paper, and making sure I cover each one, but I was also wondering if I should just regiment it. I usually don't, even in A-Level exams I don't. I probably won't - even if I intend to do so. I struggle writing in a regimented fashion such as that.

That's the exact structure I used in my practice, and my history teacher said it covered all the bases so I think it's a good choice.
I love pre-decided structures just because I know that like 50% of A Level marks are basically coherent arguments which is mainly structure and I suck at doing my own structuring.
Original post by SteamboatMickey
Exactly! You get so used to being so restricted in how you approach a question, and to suddenly be let off the leash, it's quite daunting (and it is exhilarating).

That's what I was going to do. Comment on the similarities/differences but my History teacher suggested that if it were him he'd do it like this:

Intro
Similarities
Differences
Provenance
Conclusion

I'm thinking of scribbling that down somewhere on the paper, and making sure I cover each one, but I was also wondering if I should just regiment it. I usually don't, even in A-Level exams I don't. I probably won't - even if I intend to do so. I struggle writing in a regimented fashion such as that.


hmm not too sure i like the look of that structure your history teacher suggested, not too sure its a good idea to split similarities and differences into two distinct parts, imo this would surely just ruin the flow of the essay? i dont think they'll mark it like a-level history where they'll have a list of suggested agreeing/disagreeing indicative content

i think im just going to try and cover the main arguments/key themes of both sources and then just and make comparisons and link between the two, regimenting these answers dont seem the best choice to me (tho again that is just my own, uninformed, opinion lol)

and i'm the same as you lol, cannot stand writing in such a boring structured way, positives, negatives, agree, disagree, yawn, yawn
Original post by Ruthie2267
sort of spamming this now - sorry guys! but does anyone have any idea how much they'd be able to write? taking into account we won't have much/any background knowledge on the topic ofc

4 pages.
Original post by Ruthie2267
imo the majority of the HAT is pretty different - if you do want to look over it then questions 1 and 3 are probably the most releveant to the HAA, but i don't think it's necessary

this might be of no help whatsoever, but there are some source exercises on the cambridge history website - might be useful just to look at what kind of sources there are I guess! could maybe use them for practice if you made up some questions :biggrin:


thanks so much, this is very useful :smile:

Original post by Ruthie2267
sort of spamming this now - sorry guys! but does anyone have any idea how much they'd be able to write? taking into account we won't have much/any background knowledge on the topic ofc


The AT on the Murray Edwards thread said they expect about 4 pages (as this is what the average undergraduate manages in an hour in tripos)
Original post by Strimpy
thanks so much, this is very useful :smile:



The AT on the Murray Edwards thread said they expect about 4 pages (as this is what the average undergraduate manages in an hour in tripos)


here's the link if anybody wants it: http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-undergrads/virtual-classroom

thank you! how are you feeling for the HAA?
Reply 19
What percentage of correct answers are you getting in section 1?

I'm kind of struggling with section 2. Do you think an intro is necessary or are you just diving into the essay?

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