The History Admissions Test (HAT) was supposed to take place at 9am on Monday, but technical difficulties meant that students could not begin the exam until 11am at the earliest, two hours after the test was expected to start.
An applicant told Cherwell that while experiencing delays at their testing centres, students received emails saying the HAT was cancelled. However, many students stayed and took the test after some time. She said: “It was very stressful for those of us who did take it as many of us were unsure if we would be able to until the very last minute.”
The exam itself is a 60-minute essay response to a source text and a vital part of the Oxford application process, serving as the primary selector for interviews.
This is the first year Pearson VUE has delivered Oxford admissions tests, and the first year it was delivered digitally. It comes after multiple issues with tests last year, including for geography, English and maths, where the results were not factored into admissions decisions.
Some admissions tests, such as the English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), have not run this year because of the new provider, Pearson VUE, which requires students to register at certain test centres to be examined in person. The English Faculty decided this was unfair and made the test inaccessible and are looking for alternative options for next year’s admissions cycle.
In light of the technical issues with the HAT today, the English Faculty is still unsure how to implement the ELAT again next year.
A University spokesperson told Cherwell that despite a “technical issue” in the test centres, “the large majority of candidates were able to sit their tests globally as expected.” They apologise for the disruption caused to affected candidates and “will ensure that no-one is disadvantaged by this morning’s events. We are working with Pearson VUE to ensure there is no repeat of this.”
More admissions tests are taking place today, including for classics, ancient history and classical archaeology, biomedical sciences, modern languages and philosophy.
