Classics Admissions Test 5th November 2014

classicsgeek

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

Chlorophile

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Original post by classicsgeek

Hi, anyone here know anything about the CAT? I'm taking the Latin section and I don't really understand what the level of difficulty is going to be?

Whats the kind of mark/ percentage you need to be considered a competitive candidate?

Thanks so much

I'm not taking it but have you seen the specimen paper provided by Oxford's classics department? This would give an indication of the difficulty.

There's a bit more information here.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

classicsgeek

OP

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

BarbicanFTW

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How did everyone find it? I just did the Latin section and 1 hour was just not enough time to finish it in. Both the verse and prose passages were much longer than in previous years, particularly the prose. Did anyone else have problems with timing?

Reply 4

classicsgeek

OP

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 5

J_asper

Having done the process once before, most kids get an interview because the interview intake is so high.

CAT comes in when they examine you AFTER your interview. So it still means a fair bit holistically but it doesn't mean you won't get the chance for interview.

Compared to other CAT tests, that one was definitely one of the hardest. It doesn't help that Oxford don't like giving out specimen papers apart from one shoddy 2010 paper and an exceptionally easy 2011 one :frown:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 6

Puddles the Monkey

21

Hey everyone, just a heads up that there will still be people taking this exam tomorrow. :h:

So by discussing specific details of the test you willbe disadvantaging yourself. :h:

So pllease don't discuss exam specifics until 5pm tomorrow. :h:

Reply 7

BarbicanFTW

1

Original post by J_asper

Having done the process once before, most kids get an interview because the interview intake is so high.

CAT comes in when they examine you AFTER your interview. So it still means a fair bit holistically but it doesn't mean you won't get the chance for interview.

Compared to other CAT tests, that one was definitely one of the hardest. It doesn't help that Oxford don't like giving out specimen papers apart from one shoddy 2010 paper and an exceptionally easy 2011 one :frown:

That's cheered me up a bit. I didn't think it was a complete disaster and although the prose was more difficult than the verse I managed to get most of the prose correct, I think. I'm just annoyed because I didn't finish in time and left the last line of the prose. I have found the Latin text for the prose and the passage we had to translate today was around 150 words long. Last year the prose passage was 90 words long and 8 lines of verse instead of 14. Seems stupid to change the amount set by such a degree. Hopefully others found timing an issue as well.

Reply 8

Dabe

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The spec paper was a walk in the park compared to the actual paper. I managed in the end but it's just unfair. How bout the Greek part? Did anyone else sit that too?

Reply 9

classicsgeek

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

BarbicanFTW

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I think a lot of people will have struggled. I sat my A2 Latin last year and I can tell you that prose passage was harder than the Livy unseen in the exam. What colleges have you guys applied to btw? (I applied to Univ)

Reply 11

Dabe

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Original post by BarbicanFTW

I think a lot of people will have struggled. I sat my A2 Latin last year and I can tell you that prose passage was harder than the Livy unseen in the exam. What colleges have you guys applied to btw? (I applied to Univ)

Brasenose. I did A2/Pre U past papers in preparation for the exam and they were significantly easier than the prose passage. Did you take the exam early or are you in your gap year?
Poor Britannicus though, a death mid passage is exactly what I need to be encouraged to finish my exam. They could not have chosen something a little more cheery, could they. The Greek was even more sad.

Original post by classicsgeek

I didn't do the greek part. I'm just hoping everyone did poorly- apparently their aim is to see how you do with things you dont know, as its impossible to learn everything for the oxford exams

Same here, I truly do hope most people messed up really badly, for how awful it sounds.

Reply 12

BarbicanFTW

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Original post by Dabe

Brasenose. I did A2/Pre U past papers in preparation for the exam and they were significantly easier than the prose passage. Did you take the exam early or are you in your gap year?
Poor Britannicus though, a death mid passage is exactly what I need to be encouraged to finish my exam. They could not have chosen something a little more cheery, could they. The Greek was even more sad.

I'm on my gap year.

Reply 13

rosieserena

hey, i'm applying to wadham for classics and english. i've relieved that most of you found the general timing ridiculous, but i'm a bit worried that you all still managed to finish the prose - i left more than quarter of the prose out, i simply didn't have time to finish. and what makes matters worse is that my school told me to do the aptitude test too so i was trained only for aptitude, which i didn't need to bloody take. kind of fuming about it actually! but hey-ho... what do you reckon the minimum mark is for 'doing well'? a receptionist at admissions said sometimes even just 50% can be pretty decent to get, and can impress them... it's hard to know .

Reply 14

J_asper

I am applying to Merton for straight Classics. Also, on a gap year this year

Classics Admissions Test 5th November 2014

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