What is the History Admissions Assessment (HAA)?
The History Admissions Assessment (HAA) is an admissions test for applicants who are interested in pursuing a History related undergraduate course at the University of Cambridge. The test is conducted pre-interview. It is one aspect of the application that admissions tutors use to decide if they would invite an applicant for an interview.
In this article, we will explain everything that you need to know about the HAA 2024. Such that you would have a comprehensive and full understanding of what the test is about. How do you register for the test, when do you take the test, how it is scored, and what the assessment is actually looking out for.
Who has to sit for the Cambridge HAA 2024?
Applicants who are interested in applying for History, or History-related courses such as History and Politics or History and Modern Languages at the University of Cambridge, would most likely be required to take the History Admissions Assessment. However, in 2020, the University of Cambridge decided to decentralise its admissions system. This means that their colleges decide how they would like to structure their individual admissions process. Hence, depending on the college you are applying to, you may or may not have to do the admissions test.
Most colleges (19 colleges to be exact, in 2022), require their applicants to sit the HAA test as well as requiring them to submit two pieces of written work, before inviting them to sit for two interviews.
Cambridge Colleges
For example, the following colleges require all of their applicants to take the HAA:
- Clare
- Christ’s
- Emmanuel
- Fitzwilliam
- Gonville & Caius
- Hughes Hall
- Jesus
- Lucy Cavendish
- Magdalene
- Murray Edwards
- Newnham
- Peterhouse
- Queens’
- Robinson
- St Catharine’s
- St John’s
- Sidney Sussex
- Trinity Hall.
There are ten exceptions to this requirement. Eight college:
- Churchill
- Corpus Christi
- Downing
- Girton
- Homerton
- Kings
- Selwyn
- Trinity
do not require their applicants to sit the HAA. Instead, their applicants are only required to go submit written work, and through the interview process.
Two colleges:
- St Edmunds
- Wolfson
would be asked to do a similar but different assessment test. “Candidates are asked to discuss a set of documents that they will have had a chance to study one or two hours before one of their interviews”, quoted from the Trinity Admissions Administrator. Do take note that these two colleges only admit mature students as undergraduates.
However, do remember to double-check the colleges that you are applying to if there are any changes to the requirement for the year you are applying. This is because the colleges can change this requirement every year, and have done so in the past. For example, Pembroke initially never required their candidates to sit the HAA but has been including it as a requirement recently. On the other hand, Trinity previously required candidates to sit the HAA. But in 2022, they removed that requirement and devised its own standalone written assessment.
Why do you have to sit for the HAA 2024?
Most of the applicants to the University of Cambridge have amazing personal statements, great references from their teachers and school, as well as stellar grades. Hence, with so many qualified applicants competing for the limited positions at Cambridge, it can be difficult for the admissions tutors to choose between well-qualified candidates. Furthermore, applicants would not only come from different schools. But they would also come from different education systems worldwide. Hence, the HAA is one way Cambridge uses to differentiate between candidates.
What is a good HAA score?
The HAA is considered alongside other aspects of the application. They are also looked at alongside the scores of other candidates who applied to the same course. There is no specific mark that will guarantee a shortlisted application.
What does the Cambridge HAA test in 2024?
The HAA aims to test candidates’ skills, instead of their substantive historical knowledge. It is designed to assess candidates’ ability to read closely and deploy arguments effectively. Hence, this means that no prior knowledge of any specialist texts or historical knowledge is required before taking the test. It is designed such that the applicants would find it equally challenging, regardless of their school syllabus or the level of examinations that they have been taking, so as to allow candidates to not have an unfair advantage depending on the texts that they have studied previously.
During the test, candidates would be given an unseen source and are required to provide thoughtful interpretations about it without being given any prior knowledge about its context. It aims to test the following attributes and skills:
- the ability to read carefully and critically;
- the adoption of an analytical approach;
- the ability to answer a question relevantly;
- ability to handle concepts and select evidence to support points;
- originality and independence;
- precision and clarity of writing.
When are the HAA test dates in 2024?
For Cambridge applicants, the HAA would be sat later than that of the Oxford HAT, which is at the end of October/beginning November.
You do not need to register for Cambridge College registered assessments and our Colleges will provide details directly to you. The assessments are designed to supplement the information in your application and to assess skills, such as writing and language skills, and levels of knowledge and understanding relevant to your course. Your performance in the assessment will not be considered in isolation but will be taken into account alongside the other elements of your application.
Where can you take the HAA 2024?
You would be taking the HAA at an authorised test centre. Usually, if you were registered with your school or college, you would usually take your test in your school itself (However, this is not always the case, so double-check!) If your school is not an authorised test centre, it can apply to be one, and you can speak to your school’s Exams Officer or career guidance counsellor about this to register your school as one.
If taking the test centre with your school is not an option, there are open authorised test centres all over the world. You can find the one nearest to you via Admissions Testing, and you can register with them.
How much does it cost to take the HAA 2024?
Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing (The administrators of the admissions test), do not charge candidates for taking the HAA. However, some independent test centres would charge an administration fee to the candidates, and these details would be available when you contact them. These administration fees can vary as they would cover room hire, cost to invigilate the test, and so on.
What format will the HAA 2024 take?
It is a paper-based test of one hour and aims to test applicants’ reading ability– specifically, their ability to read critically, to understand the main ideas in texts, as well as analyse its detail and understand its implicit meaning. It also aims to assess an applicant’s ability to closely read texts and create effective arguments.
The test format includes giving the candidate two passages of text on historical themes, and the candidate would have to compare the two. The texts may either be from primary or secondary sources, and it involves reading around 1000 words.
How is the Cambridge HAA 2024 scored?
The University of Cambridge has never released any mark schemes for previous History Admissions Assessment papers. However, applicants can look towards HAA content specifications that were published and available online. Within these content specifications, candidates can understand that the main aim of the HAA is to “test comprehension and the ability to read closely and deploy arguments effectively.”
Further, they look favourably towards scripts that are able to demonstrate the following abilities. Not all answers will demonstrate these qualities equally but the best answers will show signs of all, or nearly all, of them:
- think analytically;
- produce a coherent argument;
- select and use evidence appropriately;
- address the question directly and clearly;
- make connections between sources and ideas;
- understand historical mentalities and comprehend differences;
- handle concepts precisely;
- write with clarity and precision under time pressure.
As the History Admissions Assessment is a relatively new admissions test, candidates who are interested in applying could also look towards Oxford’s History Aptitude Test (HAT) for desirable qualities in their scripts. This is because the University of Cambridge history tripos is extremely similar to the history honours course that is available at the University of Oxford. Furthermore, the HAT is similar to that of the HAA. Hence, this means that the mark schemes for both admissions tests are likely to closely resemble each other, and applicants could look towards them for an idea of what to expect.
How will you know your Cambridge HAA 2024 score?
Your test results for the HAA would not be automatically published to you. However, if you would like to know how you fared in your admissions test, you can request it as part of the usual feedback process.
You do not report your results to Cambridge separately or on your own as Cambridge admissions tutors would receive the tests of all tests directly in time to make their shortlisting decisions, on which candidates they would like to invite for an interview, in November.
Can you retake the Cambridge HAA 2024?
You are not allowed to retake the HAA within the admissions cycle that you are applying for. Cambridge would not be allowing resits and would not be accepting marks if you took the HAA more than once in the same application cycle.
However, if you were unsuccessful with your application and would like to reapply in the future, you would be able to retake the HAA in the next application cycle and use that for your next application. The HAA test results are only valid for one year, so you would have to resit it if you reapply.
Conclusion
The HAA is an extremely crucial part of your Cambridge application. Admissions tutors would be using it to determine if you have the necessary problem-solving and critical thinking skills to do well in your chosen subject at a University level.
The HAA may seem challenging and daunting at first, but with preparation, you would be able to rise to the challenge! You can check out our other HAA guide articles as well as our HAT top tips (such as our Top 10 tips for preparing for the HAA article!) to learn more. Oxbridge Mind also offers 1-1 HAA tutoring, and our expert HAA tutors can guide you to HAA success.
FAQs
What does HAA mean?
The HAA is the History Admissions Assessment (HAA), which is an aptitude test used in undergraduate admissions for some courses at Cambridge. It tests problem-solving, critical thinking, and essay writing ability.
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