August 25, 2025
Every year, between 80 to 150 Oxford graduates and graduate students sit for what is often called the hardest entrance exam in the world: the Examination Fellowship competition at All Souls College. The prize? A coveted fellowship that comes with prestige, financial support, and membership in one of Oxford’s most exclusive communities. Dukes Plus
- A Brutally Competitive Process
All Souls typically selects just two Examination Fellows annually from a pool of “around 80 to 150 candidates.” The success rate hovers under 2%, making it one of the most selective academic competitions anywhere.
- Who Can Apply?
Eligibility is limited to recent Oxford undergraduates or current Oxford postgraduate students, usually within a few years of graduation, primarily in the Humanities or Social Sciences.
- The Exam Format
The process is grueling:
- Four three-hour written papers over two days.
- Candidates must answer three essay questions per paper from a long list of options.
- Those who perform best are invited to an oral viva (interview) before fellows of the College.
- Sample Questions: General Papers
The exam’s General Papers test breadth, originality, and clarity of thought. Past questions include:
- Should we bring back woolly mammoths from the dead?
- What’s wrong with the Oscars?
- Is ignorance bliss?
- How should we prepare for the end of the world?
- Is online learning real learning?
- Where do the Benin Bronzes belong?
These questions span philosophy, ethics, culture, and policy — designed to provoke deep and unconventional thinking.
- Specialist Papers: Philosophy & Politics
Candidates also sit subject-specific papers.
Philosophy (2022):
- Is disability primarily a social phenomenon?
- Can there be vague objects?
- Am I the same person now that I was when I was a toddler?
Politics (2022):
- Why have political scientists failed to predict revolutions accurately?
- Is populism an ideology?
- Is the U.S. state a weak state?
These questions reflect the exam’s demand for both theoretical depth and original argumentation.
- Why the Exam Stands Out
The All Souls Fellowship exam isn’t just about knowledge; it’s about creativity under pressure. Candidates must:
- Craft elegant, original essays in limited time.
- Think innovatively across disciplines.
- Engage with abstract and complex questions that resist simple answers.
It’s not just an exam — it’s an intellectual rite of passage.
The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), was founded in 1994 and is based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. ACEI is a full-service company providing complete and integrated services in the areas of international education research, credential evaluation, training and consultancy. https://acei-global.org/
