How to Prepare for the Philosophy Test
4 Ways to Study for a Philosophy Exam | Philosophy Admission Test Guide Oxford university
By Forest Delaney
Oxford University uses the Philosophy entrance test to see how well you understand and can reason about philosophical ideas. Although no prior subject knowledge or formal study of Philosophy is required for the Oxford Philosophy Test, there are many aspects of the test that you can - and should - prepare for. It is vital that you ace this test to qualify for Oxbridge interviews. online philosophy tutoring with an Admissions tutor is a sure fire way to take a hue step in the right direction (of course, A-level philosophy tutors online help you with your A-level results too!!)
Our trained and qualified Philosophy Test tutors can be of assistance here. Our tutors can assist you in performing well on the Philosophy Test and obtaining a place to study Philosophy and Theology at Oxford because they have first-hand experience with the exam material and outline, tried-and-true approaches to the questions, how to study for a philosophy exam, and an understanding of how it fits into the larger admissions process. We can help you do well in the philosophy test, and tell you what to expect on the day of the test.
What is the Oxford Philosophy Test?
Oxford’s Philosophy Test is a 1-hour admissions test for applicants to Oxford to study Philosophy and Theology at the undergraduate level. The test consists of two parts – one to assess your comprehension skills (part A) and one to test your philosophical and essay-writing skills (part B).
The Philosophy Test does not assume any prior philosophical knowledge and does not require you to have studied any particular subject at GCSE or A level. Instead, the test is designed to be a ‘level playing field’ for all Philosophy applicants and assess the raw skills necessary to succeed at the degree level.
Which courses require the Oxford Philosophy Test?
Oxford University requires the Philosophy Test for applicants to its philosophy and theology courses. Applicants to other Philosophy-related courses will be required to take different admissions tests. See the table below for details.
Course
Admissions test required
Philosophy and Theology
Philosophy Test
Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics (PPL)
Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
Philosophy and Modern Languages
Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT)
In addition to performing well on the required admissions test, all Philosophy courses at Oxford and Cambridge University also have extremely high admissions standards and demand a strong application and interview. Reach out to our admissions consultants to help secure a place on your chosen Philosophy course.
What is the Outline of the Philosophy Admissions Test? Do you write essays?
The Philosophy Test is a 1-hour, paper-based test consisting of 2 parts. Part A includes one question, and Oxford advises you to spend half the time (30 minutes) on this question. Part B includes three questions, but you must only answer one of them in the remaining 30 minutes.
The Philosophy Test is designed to test candidates’ philosophical reasoning skills and not any particular subject knowledge. Therefore, you will not be faced with any questions requiring information outside the data included in the questions.
Part A
Part A consists of one comprehension exercise. You will be asked to read a passage of text about a particular topic or opinion before being asked to answer questions about the contents of that passage. The questions might ask you to, for example, identify the key arguments of the text or extract the meaning of a particular word or phrase. All of these questions aim to gauge how well you understood the text and how you think about new information and arguments you may not have encountered before.
Part B
Part B consists of three questions, from which you choose one to answer. Each question will require you to write a short essay or a response to a structured question. The questions could be on any number of topics, and there is no way to predict which topics will come up. Instead, you must decide in the exam which questions most interest you or best suit your skills. The aim of this section is to assess how well you structure arguments and write essays that adequately answer the question at hand.
How is the Philosophy Test marked?
Oxford University does not publish the mark scheme for the Philosophy Test, and there is little information on how it is marked. However, we do know that both parts (A and B) are given equal weighting, so you are advised to spend the same amount of time (30 minutes) on each question.
The marking scheme for Part B is the same as that used for other admissions test essay questions. Examiners will specifically be looking for the use of precise and careful reasoning to answer the question. Oxford or Cambridge particularly looks for answers which anticipate alternative points of view and are able to answer objections to the reasoning provided. They are also looking for answers which support every opinion or claim with evidence from the question.
When is the Philosophy Test4?
The Philosophy Test takes place on Wednesday, 2nd November 2022.
How do you register for the Philosophy Test?
You must have an authorised test centre register you for the Philosophy Test on your behalf. Most candidates’ schools or colleges are authorised test sites, but you should double-check with your exams officer to be sure. If your college or school is not authorised, they may become a test centre at any time before September 16th. As an alternative, you can locate a testing facility and sign up there. The Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (CAAT) website allows you to locate the testing location closest to you.
While applying for Philosophy test, you will need to provide your personal information, UCAS number, the name of the university (Oxford), course, and course code, all of which can be found on UCAS or the specific subject page for your course, in order to register. Registration will begin on September 1st, and by September 30th, you must have your candidate entry number on hand as proof of entry.
You must register through a test centre before the 30th September as registration is not automatic for any Oxford admissions tests, including the Philosophy Test.
How much does the Philosophy Test cost?
Remember that Oxford or Cambridge do not charge candidates to take the Philosophy Test. However, some independent test centres do charge an administration fee; for more information, get in touch with your nearby test centre for details about administration fees to candidates.
When can you find out your Philosophy Test results?
Your results from the philosophy test won’t be made public by default, but you can ask for them as part of the standard feedback procedure. You do not need to send your results to Oxford University separately because they will receive the results of all tests in time to make their shortlisting decisions in November.
4 tips for preparing for the Philosophy Test
1. Practice essay writing
Part B of the Philosophy Test relies on your ability to write an excellent essay above all else. You will be expected to write an answer to the question in a clear and concise way, using evidence from the question to support your arguments, and structuring your essay in a way that makes sense to both you and the examiner.
The key to performing well and developing your essay-writing skills is simply to write practice essays! You may have some experience writing essays in school coursework and exams, and this is great practise, but it’s also important to go beyond the bounds of school work to help improve your writing skills.
Work through the questions from past Philosophy Test papers to get familiar with the style of questions asked. Develop techniques that allow you to write better essays, such as spending 5 minutes highlighting key parts of the question and writing an essay plan to help you structure your response. All of these strategies will help you go from being a good essay writer to a great one.
Top tip: It can be incredibly hard to mark your own essays in an unbiased way. Asking a teacher, parent or professional Philosophy Test tutor to mark your practice essays is a great way to find areas that you can improve on. An experienced tutor can also give you advanced tips on how to write a quick and effective essay plan and how to structure your answer in a way that appeals to the examiner – both of which can help you stand out from the crowd. Use illustrative examples and avoid making abstract points.
2. Stay up to date with current affairs
While you’re preparing for the Philosophy Test, it is beneficial to stay up to date with what is going on in the news. Pay close, critical attention to developments in the world across a range of fields, from politics to religion. Make sure that you are intellectually engaged with any issues facing people, considering your own views and the viewpoints of others.
This will not only help you to develop the skills needed to understand issues in part A and write a great answer in part B of the Philosophy Test, but with purposeful studying, it may also prepare you for the specific questions that could come up. Make extensive notes; go back to your notes to help you memorise. When we look at the 2021 past paper, e.g., we see one essay question relating to a new vaccine, while in the 2020 paper, one question asks whether politicians should give control of health policy over to scientists in a global health crisis. As you can see, some questions tend to be topical, so staying up to date may give you an advantage in the exam.
3. Take practice tests under timed conditions
Taking practice tests under preferably timed conditions is a good way to prepare for the Philosophy test, as it gives you an understanding of the types of passages or questions you’ll be asked and the environment you’ll face in the actual exam. You can find past papers for the philosophy test from 2014 to 2021 on Oxford University’s Philosophy Test page, so make the most of them!
Completing practice tests under timed conditions will also help you to gauge how fast you need to work in the exam. You’ll only have a short time (1 hour) to complete both sections of the test, and time is one of the main factors students struggle with; you need to prepare well so that you are able to complete as much of the paper as possible in the time allowed. This will give you an advantage.
4. Get help from a professional Philosophy Test tutor
It is crucial that you are ready to perform as well as you can on the Philosophy Test because your performance will determine how likely it is that you will be offered a spot on the course of your choice. Unfortunately, due to a lack of a published marking scheme, knowledge, or resources, schools and colleges are frequently not prepared to offer specialised Philosophy Test preparation.
As a result of these difficulties, we advise seeking a professional Philosophy Test tutor and an admissions tutor to help you through the process. Many of our Philosophy Test tutors have prior experience working as university admissions officers in addition to having many years of experience helping students prepare for the Philosophy Test. They have accumulated a bank of previous questions over the years and have gained an in-depth understanding of what admissions examiners are seeking.
Working with us increases your chances of admission to Oxford, the top-ranked philosophy school in the UK, by more than three times. Along with developing crucial independent study skills that will help you succeed in higher education, you’ll also gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the subject.
Additionally, you can rely on us to help you at every step of the admissions process to make sure that you not only pass the philosophy test but also get top IB or A-level grades and do well in your interview. To begin, get in touch with our team right away.