Examinations

The main Tripos examinations

The Part I and Part II examinations are in late May and early June. Each examination paper has equal weighting in the assessment. Each paper is of three hours' duration. For each Part I option and Part II Specified Subject, candidates take one paper and answer three questions. For Special Subjects, they sit two papers. For the Historical Argument and Practice examination, candidates sit one paper and answer only one question.

The compulsory Themes and Sources Long Essay constitutes an examination paper, submitted in the January before Part I. Optional Part II Dissertations are submitted at the beginning of the Easter Term. The compulsory Part II Special Subject Long Essay is submitted at the beginning of the Easter Term. Candidates are therefore examined in both parts of the Tripos partly on work done outside the examination room.

• Tripos exams explained (updated April 2012)

• How to revise for Part I (link to CARET skills website - Cambridge University only)

• Parts I and II Marking Criteria and Classing Conventions

• Past papers (Cambridge University only)

• Examiners' Reports (Cambridge University only)

• The Faculty's policy on the retention of examinations data (Cambridge University only)

Examination Timetables 2012:

Part I

Prelim to Part II

Part II

The Preliminary Examination

There is a Preliminary Examination to Part I, held at the beginning of the Easter Term of the first year. This is not classed, and does not count towards Part I. It is intended to provide candidates with informal guidance about their progress to date. Candidates sit an examination in the first two of the Part I outline papers that they have studied, together with Historical Argument and Practice (HAP), if they wish to appear on the list of successful candidates. Most colleges enter candidates for the Preliminary Examination, but not all do so, preferring to set their own 'mock' examinations at other times.

Prelim to Part I Marking Criteria

Preliminary Examination to Part II is taken by students who need to take Part II over two years (usually those transferring from another Tripos). They will offer seven papers in total, as follows:

• Year One (Prelim to Part II): Paper 1 (HAP) and two papers from Sections C-D;
• Year Two (Part II): They are re-examined in Paper 1 and the two papers offered at Prelim; plus a Special Subject (Papers 2i & 2ii) and either two more papers from Sections C-D, or a dissertation and one more.

The three papers examined at the end of the first year (Prelim to Part II) are for practice only; no marks are carried over into the Part II classification.