Is there a way of preparing for the HAT?

Yes and no! Firstly, the new HAT test came into effect into 2018, and consists of one unseen source-based question. The idea is that it can't be prepared for, and in terms of learning facts or content, this is certainly the case. But, it is useful to prepare yourself for what you will face in the test, in general way, to give yourself the best possible start. I'll run through a few things that are good to think about before going into your exam.Looking at past papers and their mark schemes is a good way of practising the style you will use, and also to get you used to the timings of the exam. You can also work out a way of approaching the source. I would recommend reading it through once, then looking at the question, then reading, annotating and planning around the source again. You have one hour, so there is plenty of time for planning (even if the adrenaline makes you go quickly in the exam!)I also found it useful to have a few very general, base headings/themes to think about whilst reading the source. This provides good ways of looking at the source, to tease out different factors in it. For example, you might think about: author, audience, purpose, register of language (how formal it is), accessibility of the source (public or private), whether it is translated, the date (you DO NOT need to know specifics about the date, but there may be some use in thinking even as simply as the differences between modern and medieval etc). Or maybe you prefer a 'themes' list, taking into account class, culture, race, gender, society, economy...Let's go through some past papers and put these ideas into practice...