2018 Cambridge History Applicants thread

But how do you evaluate the provenance without knowing any historical context?? 😳

Ah Ruth back at it again ❤️

I see what you mean about inferences, thanks for that.

Did you bother evaluating whether the source was reliable? Like essentially its limitations as a primary source for understanding that particular period/issue in question. Think AS History when we had to use our own knowledge to basically roast the source for “failing to mention this/that” etc.

Ah Ruth back at it again ❤️

I see what you mean about inferences, thanks for that.

Did you bother evaluating whether the source was reliable? Like essentially its limitations as a primary source for understanding that particular period/issue in question. Think AS History when we had to use our own knowledge to basically roast the source for “failing to mention this/that” etc.

@SteamboatMickey @Ruthie2267


Did you do any revision or practice for the test other than the specimen? I know you're not expected to know anything in advance, but what sorts of things did you do to prepare yourself for the test.

And @Ruthie2267, I've applied to Selwyn.

I personally did yeah, like if I thought something might be bias and therefore not saying something I said so.

I personally did yeah, like if I thought something might be bias and therefore not saying something I said so.

@SteamboatMickey @Ruthie2267


Did you do any revision or practice for the test other than the specimen? I know you're not expected to know anything in advance, but what sorts of things did you do to prepare yourself for the test.

And @Ruthie2267, I've applied to Selwyn.

hahaaaa back at it again doing no work ur right - ur message earlier called me out so much haha i was literally reading it so i didn't have to do my essay lmao

Any discussion of the provenance will probably relate to reliability tbh because it's the aspect of the source where you can discuss the reliability of its author(s) (and thus the source itself). Because you don't know context it's obviously harder to be able to discuss its limitations in failing to address certain topics etc BUT that is definitely something that should be addressed if gaps are highlighted by the other source and there's potential bias. So if they're both from the same period, and one source discusses the appalling conditions in a city that led to urban revolt, then the other source also discusses motives behind said revolt but doesn't even mention living standards, then that is obvs something you can pick up on in affecting the utility and value of the source. But stuff like that is limited bc you literally don't have your own knowledge, so don't worry too much if you can't comment in that way

It is always possible to comment on reliability of the source itself if it's obvious it's dramatised or underemphasised - so if there's tonnes of emotive language in there, it's fair to comment that this could suggest an inaccurate representation of the topic (and then u can discuss why the source might want to use such language etc)

does that even answer the question haha

Thanks for that! Did you have an entire separate paragraph for it or did you interweave it with your thematic analysis? Sorry for the questions, I can be a bit pedantic 😂

I borrowed my friend's bmat book which has like the comprehension type tasks in them (part 1 of the HAA), and you can find loads of them on LNAT/BMAT past papers . Also there are source exercises on the cambridge history faculty website that I looked through; they're designed to help you ask questions and try and find answers from sources you have no knowledge of which is p useful for HAA

apart from that nah - I asked my history teacher to set me some source analysis questions but she never got round to doing it, but if you want more practice you can always just practice source comparisons from your own studies

good luck!! newnham is literally round the corner - it's such a lovely college!

I did the LNAT and I found that pretty useful for section one, and for the sources, I went through these basic exercises just to get me thinking a bit more widely. I have to say Ruth and I are friends (in real life now we're both at Cambridge together) and helped each other a bit with preparation

Bias detected

aka u helped me with prep whilst i cried (and then we both cried together for the next year)

damn you caught me before i edited my message :'(

I couldn't have gotten through Year 13 without you tbh I need to buy you a drink sometime

BTW how pretty is the sky over Cambridge this evening?

<3 a diet coke for me from spoons would be brill

it's so lovely!! red sky at night and all that (pity i'll be in the library all day tomorrow if it's a lovely day......)

Aw, that's sad! I have archery at 8 am but I'll be studying the rest of the day too

Hi all,
The HAA claims to be split into two, 1-hour sections. Does anyone know if these times are just what Cambridge recommends or do the invigilators actively tell you to stop writing in the first section and move on?

Have you guys tried the 2016 paper?? Am I the only one who struggled to structure a response to the extracts on duelling? :/ I found so little to talk about..

I’m starting to panic for Thursday...