CAT Course

What is the CAT?

The CAT is separated into three different papers: the Latin Translation Test, the Greek Translation Test, and the Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT). Which of these papers an applicant sits depends on what they are currently studying at school, as well as which classics degree course they are applying to. At Oxford, applicants can apply to either Classics Course I (a degree course designed for students who are studying Latin and/or Greek to A-level or equivalent) or Classics Course II (for applicants who have studied neither Latin nor Greek to A-Level or equivalent. Applicants for Classics Course I (either alone or as part of a joint degree) must sit either one or both of the Latin and Greek Translation Test (depending on which one(s) they study), whilst applicants for Classics Course II (either alone or as part of a joint degree) must sit the Classics Language Aptitude test.

The Greek and Latin Translation Tests each consist of a short passage each in prose and verse in the language in question. The applicant must translate the passage into English. This test does not allow dictionaries, grammar books, or any other kind of notes into the test.

The Classics Language Aptitude Test (CLAT) is designed to test the ability of a student to analyse how new languages work in a way that doesn’t depend on pre-existing knowledge of any language in particular.

What courses require the CAT?

The CAT is set by Oxford University as a mandatory requirement for students applying for Classics (Course I and Course II), Classics and English, Classics and Modern Languages, or Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

How is the CAT used?

Oxford University uses the CAT as a standardised format for assessing and benchmarking their applicants. The exam rewards either the ability to accurately translate classical texts in either Latin or Greek, or the ability to adapt to new languages and learn quickly as part of their potential degree course.

Oxford uses students’ marks in the CAT to make decisions about which applicants they should invite to interview, giving them a further indicator in addition to predicted and achieved grades. Whilst the CAT is important in their selection processes, it is always used as part of a matrix and considered alongside other factors submitted with the application, such as predicted grades and personal statement.