Special Regulations for the Preliminary Examination in History and Modern Languages

A

1. 1. The Preliminary Examination in History and Modern Languages shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of History and Medieval and Modern Languages and shall consist of such subjects as they shall jointly by regulation prescribe.
2. 2. The chairmen of the examiners for the Preliminary Examination in History and for the Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages shall respectively designate such of their number as may be required for History and for Modern Languages in this examination.

B

Candidates are required to offer History and any one of the languages that may be offered in the Honour School of Modern Languages. The examination shall be in two parts, as follows:

Part 1

Each candidate shall offer the following two subjects in the language:

1. 1. Language papers (one paper of three hours and two papers each of one and a half hours including in French certification of attendance and participation in oral classes, as specified for the Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages). As specified for papers I, IIA, and IIB in the regulations for the Preliminary Examination for Modern Languages.
2. 2. Literature papers (two papers, each of three hours). As specified for papers III and IV in the regulations for the Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages.

Part 2

Each candidate shall offer subject 3 and any one of the subdivisions of subject 4.

1. 3. General History: any one of the periods specified for the Preliminary Examination in History.
2. 4.
   1. (a) A period of The History of the British Isles as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History;
   2. (b) An Optional Subject as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History;
   3. (c) Approaches to History or Historiography: Tacitus to Weber or Foreign Texts as specified for the Preliminary Examination in History.

The individual specifications and prescribed texts for (b) and (c) above will be published in the Handbook for the Preliminary Examination in History by Monday of noughth week of Michaelmas Term each year for the academic year ahead. Depending on the availability of teaching resources, with the exception of Optional Subject 1, not all the Optional Subjects listed in the Handbook will be available to candidates in any given year. Candidates may obtain details of the choice of options for that year by consulting the Definitive List of Optional Subjects posted at the beginning of the first week of Michaelmas Full Term in the History Faculty and circulated to tutors.

Candidates who have satisfied the Examiners in both parts shall be deemed to have passed the examination. The Examiners may award distinctions in either or both parts to candidates who have done work of special merit in the part or parts concerned.

Candidates who fail one or both subjects of part 1 may resit that subject or those subjects at a subsequent examination. Candidates who fail one or two subjects of part 2 may resit that subject or subjects at a subsequent examination.