Oxford History Interview - Unseen source

From experience it can be as long as an entire book chapter-took 40 mins to read through and get 20 left to revise some of the points.

Thanks! Could I ask, was the extract similar in anyway to any themes that you talked about in your written work or personal statement? Also, would you advise skimming parts of the text or trying to take the whole thing in?

Thanks! Could I ask, was the extract similar in anyway to any themes that you talked about in your written work or personal statement? Also, would you advise skimming parts of the text or trying to take the whole thing in?

The interview and any pre-reading materials are not tailored to your PS. Your PS may even be lying unread somewhere.
Do not skim. You have enough time to read the document. If you cannot read at speed and be ready to discuss what you have read immediately after reading, History at Oxford is not for you.
Good luck!

it was on an entirely unrelated topic, field and time period (which I assume is by design). I read with understanding the overall argument as my goal throughout, try to take in as much as you can manage and think of whether you agree with the evidence/argument they put forward.

I see, thanks for letting me know! The uncertainty about the length of the reading material made me worry that it might be a ridiculous amount!

If you were to disagree, would it be rooted in how the author expresses a point, rather than any knowledge you have relating to similar themes but not extract related? Or, perhaps you can do this in response to more broad questions about History that they ask you

History at Oxford is all about reading a large amount of material, but you won't be given as much to read for an interview as you would be for a tutorial
You may find the attached helpful as an insight into the culture of the historical scholarship at Oxford. Best of luck!
https://academic.oup.com/past/article/261/1/259/7246025
https://pastandpresent.org.uk/video-recording-of-50-years-of-keith-thomass-religion-and-the-decline-of-magic/

Thanks so much! Ironically, RDM was something ive written and referenced in my application!
Thanks for the help!

Say what you think. The interview is not a trick or a trap. The interviewers will be interested in how you reason. There is no way that you can guess in advance what sort of questions you might be asked. Don't over think things. Listen actively, pause for thought, answer. By yourself. Don't put on a show.