This page is only relevant to students who have submitted an application for undergraduate study in October 2025. If this does not apply to you, please return to our home page.
Written work
We would like to see two pieces of marked school work in continuous English prose, of which one and, if possible, both will be on classical subjects, preferably work focused on a text or piece of text. Candidates applying without an A‑level or equivalent qualification in Ancient Greek or Latin may submit essays on non-classical subjects, but preferably on topics which are literary, historical, or more broadly based in the humanities. Please send your written work electronically to undergraduate@balliol.ox.ac.uk
Classics admissions test
Candidates should also have sat the Classics Admissions Test (CAT) designed to test linguistic competence by translation from the ancient language(s) you have studied into English, or, for students who have not studied Latin or Greek to A‑Level, your aptitude for ancient language. Translation into the ancient languages is not expected.
Please see the University website for information about the test and for sample papers.
Interviews
The interviews are intended to discover your interest and abilities in Classics; they will be conducted on the basis of texts you have read, but may extend outwards towards broader issues as they arise. There will also be a short language interview about your CAT test. All interviews in this admissions cycle will be conducted remotely.