Admissions criteria for Classics and Joint Schools

Applications for Classical subjects are usually very strong, and most candidates are invited to interview. All applications are carefully and sympathetically considered, but the grounds on which a decision may be made not to invite a candidate to interview include:

  • poor results in GCSE and/or equivalent examinations,
  • poor results predicted for A Level and/or other impending examinations,
  • poor results at A Level and/or equivalent examinations (if an application is made after A-Level or equivalent examinations),
  • a negative UCAS report,
  • insufficient indication of interest in the academic study of the subject in the candidate's application,
  • poor quality written work,
  • failure to submit the required written work.

It should also be noted that the standard offer made to candidates is AAA at A Level: if a candidate is predicted, or has been awarded, grades lower than AAA, that will under normal circumstances constitute grounds for not inviting a candidate to interview in itself. Candidates who have not achieved, or are not predicted to achieve, AAA (or equivalent in the IB or other qualifications) within two years will not normally unless there are strong mitigating circumstances. The college of preference (or allocated college in the case of open applicants) will consult other colleges and will only take the decision not to interview an applicant if all colleges agree.

In some cases a college other than the college of preference (or allocated college) may invite the candidate to interview.

 

Assessors shall take note of the declared circumstances under which the written work was done, and assess it accordingly. A very different standard of content and presentation should be expected from a piece of highly prepared course work than from a piece written for homework with a short dead-line, or written under exam conditions. Taking these differences into account, assessors will be looking for signs of good basic knowledge, powers of analysis, powers of expression, ability to construct a coherent train of thought, and to shape an argument. The quality of English expression and of presentation may also be part of the assessment, according to the circumstances under which the work was done.

 

Shortlisted candidates who are not studying either Latin or Greek to A-level or equivalent will have an interview designed to assess their aptitude for learning a classical language at Oxford. The interviewers will not expect candidates to know any language other than English, nor to be familiar with any grammatical terminology. Candidates will be invited to recognise nuances of meaning in English sentences and to identify patterns within familiar English usage.

Shortlisted candidates who are studying Latin and/or Greek to A-level or equivalent will have their ability and potential in the language(s) they are studying tested as part of their interviews. Candidates will be asked to translate written sentences from Latin and/or Greek into English and to discuss their grammar and syntax. Interviewers will be assessing linguistic potential in Latin and/or Greek, rather than simply the level already achieved. This means that the ability to grapple with constructions, and to recognize the idiomatic characteristics of the languages, is more important than knowledge of uncommon vocabulary. Candidates will be able to approach this interview exercise using the knowledge and skills they have learned in preparation for translating unseen passages at A-level or equivalent.

Interviews are aimed primarily at assessing a candidate’s analytical and reasoning ability, skill in communication, and aptitude for the methods used to teach Classics at Oxford, especially tutorials. They are not a test of knowledge in isolation from context, nor a test of verbal facility or social charm.

Interviewers will be looking for evidence of intellectual curiosity and the ability to respond in a thoughtful way to unpredictable questions and ideas. They will also be looking for enthusiasm and motivation to study the subject, with evidence that the candidate’s interest goes beyond a mere formal submission to their academic training, and that they are able to deploy their knowledge in ways that show initiative.

To conclude, those responsible for Classics admissions will be looking at all the available information - from past and predicted examination results, UCAS reference, personal statement, written work and interviews - with a view to assessing the individual candidate's potential to benefit from the academic courses provided by Oxford in Classics, to be a good tutorial student, and to attain good results in examinations. The weight given to the different criteria will vary according to the individual background and circumstances of each candidate.