Preliminary Examination in History and Politics

Differences from 2017/18 to 2022/23

A

  • 1. The Preliminary Examination in History and Politics shall be under the joint supervision of the Board of the Faculty of History and the Social Sciences Board and shall consist of such subjects as they shall jointly prescribe.

  • 2. The Chair of the Examiners for the Preliminary Examination in History and the Chair of the Examiners for the Preliminary Examination in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics shall consult together and designate such of their number as may be required for the examination for the Preliminary Examination in History and Politics, whereupon the number of examiners shall be deemed to be complete.

  • 3. The lists of specific papers available will be published by the two Boards at the dates defined in the regulations for the Preliminary Examinations in History and in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.  Certain combinations of papers in History and in Politics will be illegal, or subject to advice about duplication of material; these will be specified in the Handbook for this examination.

B

Every candidate shall offer four papers as follows:

  • 1. One paper in the History of the British Isles or European & World History as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History. For the First or Second Public Examination in History and Politics candidates are required to choose at least one paper in the History of the British Isles or European & World History covering a period before the nineteenth century. The list of papers satisfying this provision is given in the Handbook for History and Politics.

  • 2. An Introduction to the Theory of Politics, as specified in section (a) of Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Politics for the Preliminary Examination for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

  • OR candidates may substitute Optional Subject 1, ‘Theories of the State (Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx)’ as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History.

  • 3. Any one of the following, as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History: (a) Quantification in History or (b) any of the Optional Subjects except No. 1 (Theories of the State), or (c) Approaches to History, or (d) Historiography: Tacitus to Weber, or (e) any one of the seven Foreign Texts.

  • 4. Introduction to the Practice of Politics, as specified in the Handbook for History and Politics.

Candidates who fail one or more of papers 1, 2, 3, or 4 above may resit that paper or papers at a subsequent examination.