Map Oxbridge Applications, 58 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ

CAT Course

 

The CAT (Classics Admissions Test) is an admissions exam designed to rank the applicants to Classics courses at the University of Oxford to help admissions tutors separate excellent candidates from one another as part of the admissions process. We here at Oxbridge Applications are specialists in all-things Admissions Test, and offer a range of options to help you prepare for the CAT, including bespoke CAT preparation courses, CAT past papers and mock test packages, and various free e-resources and guides to help promising applicants showcase the best of their abilities when it comes to sitting the real CAT test.

Our packages, aimed at helping students prepare for the Oxford CAT include one-to-one admissions test tuition sessions with a test specialist using our own, bespoke mock test papers as supplementary resources. Sessions are arranged according to your schedule and are completely flexible to fit in with your school, work, or other commitments. Our team of CAT test tutors, all of whom have studied Classics at Oxford, have an intimate understanding of the CAT and what it takes to prepare well for what is, to many, a daunting admissions test.

 

Need strategic guidance?

Our Private Consultations provide in-depth evaluation, strategy and next steps to achieve results. Suitable for those aged 14 upwards.

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.

 

Full preparation for the CAT

Expert Tuition

CAT tuition is conducted by Oxbridge-graduate tutors who specialise exclusively in the CAT

Sit a Full Mock

Full-length exam-conditions CAT mock test sat to mimic intensity of the real exam

Up-to-date mock papers

Original CAT test mock papers updated regularly to reflect changes in content and difficulty


Track record

The course is run by experienced CAT tutors who have a consistent record of helping students to score higher in their test

Content and Timing

Skills development and analysis technique session to improve content & time-management strategy covered

Detailed Answers

Detailed feedback showing the best approaches in your mock CAT test papers


Individual Tuition

CAT course packages are held on a 1:1 basis for highly interactive and personal experience

Workbook

CAT workbook included for time-management techniques, tackling conceptual knowledge, analysis and extra practice

Feedback

Papers marked and returned to you in time to improve areas of weakness

CAT Admission Private Tuition x4

Available all year-round and includes 4 private admissions test tuition sessions and four test papers, which are marked by expert Oxbridge-graduate tutors.

CAT Admission Private Tuition x6

Available all year-round and includes 6 private admissions test tuition sessions and four test papers, which are marked by expert Oxbridge-graduate tutors.

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Our Oxbridge-graduate consultants are available between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday, with additional evening availability when requested.

Oxbridge Applications, 58 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ


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