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Admissions Tests

Prepare for admissions tests with expert guidance

Admissions tests are one of the most underappreciated parts of a competitive university application. For many courses, test results are a major factor in deciding who is shortlisted for interview.

2027 entry

Current admissions tests

The following tests are in use for 2027 university entry. Select a test to learn more about what it covers and which courses require it. Most are sat between 12 and 16 October 2026, with results on 16 November 2026. A second sitting of the ESAT, TMUA and TARA runs from 4 to 8 January 2027 (booking opens 26 October and closes 21 December 2026; results 8 February 2027). The January sitting is for courses with a January deadline, such as those at UCL. Oxford and Cambridge applicants sit in October, apart from Oxford Foundation Year applicants and applicants to a Cambridge mature College with a January deadline. Always check the course page before booking. Last checked against university and test-provider pages on 5 October 2026. Sources: University of Oxford (ox.ac.uk), University of Cambridge (undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk), UAT-UK (esat-tmua.ac.uk), Imperial College London (imperial.ac.uk), UCL (ucl.ac.uk), LSE (lse.ac.uk), University of Warwick (warwick.ac.uk), UCAT (ucat.ac.uk) and LNAT (lnat.ac.uk).

Used by Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL. Cambridge: Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. Oxford: Physics, Physics and Philosophy, Engineering Science and Biomedical Sciences. Imperial: Aeronautics, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Design Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering and Physics. UCL: Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Oxford and Cambridge applicants sit in October; Imperial accepts the October or January sitting. The ESAT is made up of 40-minute multiple-choice modules in mathematics and the sciences; the course decides which modules you sit.

Relevant Courses

Engineering: Cambridge, Oxford (Engineering Science)Natural Sciences: CambridgePhysics: Oxford, ImperialChemical Engineering: Cambridge, ImperialBiomedical Sciences: OxfordBiological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, Microbiology: Imperial (Department of Life Sciences)Veterinary Medicine: CambridgePhysics and Philosophy: OxfordAeronautics, Civil, Mechanical, Design, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering: ImperialElectronic and Electrical Engineering: UCL

Set by the Italian Ministry of University and Research for English-taught Medicine and Dentistry courses at Italian public universities. Usually sat in September. The IMAT assesses reading and logical reasoning alongside biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Relevant Courses

Medicine (Italy)Dentistry (Italy)

Required for Law at Oxford, Cambridge and UCL, and at several other universities; check the course page. UCL applicants must sit it by 31 December 2026. The LNAT has a multiple-choice section on reading and reasoning, and an essay.

Relevant Courses

Law: Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and others

Used by Oxford and UCL. Oxford requires it for PPE, Economics and Management, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Experimental Psychology, and Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics. UCL requires it for Computer Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, and Mechanical Engineering. Oxford applicants sit in October; UCL accepts either the October or the January sitting. The TARA has three 40-minute sections: critical thinking, problem solving and a writing task.

Relevant Courses

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE): OxfordEconomics and Management: OxfordHistory and Economics; History and Politics: OxfordHuman Sciences: OxfordExperimental Psychology; Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics: OxfordComputer Science; Computer Science and Mathematics: UCLRobotics and Artificial Intelligence: UCLMechanical Engineering: UCL

Used by seven universities. Required at Cambridge (Computer Science, Economics, Mathematics), Oxford (Mathematics, Computer Science and their joint courses), Imperial (Computing, Mathematics, and Economics, Finance and Data Science), LSE (Economics; Econometrics and Mathematical Economics), UCL (Economics) and Warwick (Computer Science, Discrete Mathematics, and Mathematics, where STEP is also accepted). Encouraged but not required for several LSE mathematics and data science courses, Warwick Economics and Durham Mathematics. Oxford and Cambridge applicants sit in October; Imperial and Warwick accept the October or January sitting. The TMUA has two 75-minute multiple-choice papers on mathematical thinking and reasoning.

Relevant Courses

Mathematics: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, Warwick (required); Durham (encouraged)Economics: Cambridge, LSE, UCL (required); Warwick (encouraged)Computer Science: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, WarwickMathematics and Computer Science: Oxford, ImperialEconomics, Finance and Data Science: ImperialEconometrics and Mathematical Economics: LSE

Required by most UK medical and dental schools, including Medicine at Oxford and Cambridge. Sat between July and September in the year you apply. The UCAT assesses verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and situational judgement.

Relevant Courses

Medicine: most UK medical schools, including Oxford, Cambridge and UCLDentistry: most UK dental schools

Set by individual Cambridge Colleges, not by the University centrally. If you are shortlisted, the College that interviews you arranges the assessment and tells you when and how you will sit it. There is nothing to register for in advance. The assessment tests the skills and knowledge needed for your course and is considered alongside the rest of your application. The courses with a College assessment for 2027 entry are listed below. Computer Science applicants to Peterhouse or Trinity also sit the Computer Science Aptitude Test (CSAT). Oxford's admissions tests are set centrally by the University; some Oxford courses also ask for written work.

Relevant Courses

History; History and Politics; History and Modern Languages: CambridgeHuman, Social and Political Sciences: CambridgePsychological and Behavioural Sciences: CambridgeEnglish; Philosophy; Classics: CambridgeModern and Medieval Languages; Linguistics; Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic: CambridgeGeography; Architecture; Design; Music: CambridgeComputer Science (CSAT): Peterhouse and Trinity, Cambridge

UCL's own online test, used only for its European and International Social and Political Studies degrees. It is an internal UCL assessment, and applicants register through the department's online form. For 2027 entry it replaces the TARA, which these degrees used in the previous cycle. For the Dual Degree with Sciences Po, candidates who do well in the TST are invited to an online interview.

Relevant Courses

European Social and Political Studies: UCLInternational Social and Political Studies: UCLEuropean Social and Political Studies Dual Degree (with Sciences Po): UCL

From 2027 Entry

Discontinued / Legacy tests

Oxford replaced these tests with the ESAT, TMUA and TARA for 2027 entry. Students who sat them in previous years may still find this information useful for reference.

The BMSAT was previously used by some universities for Biomedical Sciences admissions. It assessed scientific knowledge and problem-solving ability across core science disciplines. Many institutions have since moved to alternative admissions assessments.

Relevant Courses

Biomedical Sciences

The MAT is used by Oxford and several other leading universities for Mathematics and related courses. It assesses advanced mathematical reasoning and problem-solving, requiring students to apply concepts creatively to unfamiliar questions.

Relevant Courses

MathematicsComputer Science

The MLAT was used by Oxford for Modern Languages applicants. It assessed language aptitude, grammar, translation, and analytical reading skills across a range of language-based exercises.

Relevant Courses

Modern Languages

The PAT was used by Oxford for Physics, Engineering, and related courses. It tested mathematical and physics problem-solving, requiring students to apply core scientific concepts to unfamiliar scenarios.

Relevant Courses

PhysicsEngineering

The TSA was used for courses such as PPE, Economics, and other social science programmes. It assessed critical thinking and problem-solving through multiple-choice reasoning questions and written argument analysis.

Relevant Courses

PPEEconomicsSocial Sciences

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