Free Interview Resources
Free practice questions, preparation advice, and expert insights for Classical Archaeology and Ancient History interviews at Oxford.
Real Classical Archaeology and Ancient History interview questions in the style Oxford asks. Try answering each one aloud before you reveal the hint.
Why do you think Dido kills herself in Aeneid 4, and could she have gone back to her old life?
Interpretive Questions
Why is so much of the Odyssey about Odysseus' return to Ithaca rather than the adventures at sea that everyone remembers?
Interpretive Questions
Is Achilles or Hector the real hero of the Iliad?
Interpretive Questions
Is violence always political, and does 'political' mean something different in different contexts?
Interpretive Questions
Why do you think ancient history is important?
Interpretive Questions
Tutorial-style interviews with subject-specific problems, often involving unfamiliar material.
Oxford interviews typically take place at the college you applied to. You will usually have two or three interviews of around 20-30 minutes each, sometimes at different colleges if you are pooled. The atmosphere is meant to resemble a tutorial: the interviewer gives you a problem and watches how you reason through it.
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Can archaeology prove or disprove the Bible?
What can historians not find out about the past?
Imagine we had no records about the past at all except everything to do with sport: how much of the past could we find out about?
When would you start a book about the history of England?
What would a historian find interesting about the place where you live?
Which person, or sort of person, in the past would you most like to interview, and why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of removing artefacts?
8-10
6-7
4-5
2-3
Final week
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Practice with a Oxford Classical Archaeology and Ancient History graduate who's been through it.
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Embedded on the Faculty course page and useful for understanding the course's identity.
A course-specific open day resource for applicants considering CAAH.
Useful context on the Oxford Classics and Ancient History environment.
Student perspective only; use for expectations and reassurance, not as official admissions policy.
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Further Reading
by Herodotus, translated by Robin Waterfield, edited by Carolyn Dewald
Balliol's CAAH reading list specifically recommends reading Herodotus for Greek History 550-450 BC.
by Robin Osborne
A strong bridge from archaeology to early Greek history and a useful model of evidence-led argument.
by Ronald Syme
Balliol describes it as a classic account; useful for thinking about elite politics, narrative and interpretation.
by Mary Beard
Especially relevant for linking urban archaeology, material culture and social history.
by University of Oxford
Primary source for entry requirements, course structure, admissions statistics and application details.
by Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford
Explains what tutors look for in written work and interviews.
by University of Oxford
Provides tutor-authored examples of the reasoning Oxford interviews are designed to test.
by Balliol College, University of Oxford
Practical reading and enrichment suggestions for CAAH applicants.
by Ashmolean Museum
A local Oxford resource for practising object-based thinking about classical material culture.
by Keble College, University of Oxford
Annual detailed feedback on admissions process and interview style; valuable for understanding college-specific practices.