Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests: the complete 2027 guide
The map of UK admissions tests has been redrawn for 2027 entry. Oxford no longer lists the MAT, PAT, TSA, HAT or MLAT. Instead, the university now uses the UAT-UK tests, the shared framework of Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge: ESAT, TARA and TMUA. Law still uses the LNAT, and medicine the UCAT.
In practice, a student preparing for Oxbridge with resources published before 2026 is practising papers they can no longer sit. This page sets out which test applies to which course, when to book it and what it costs.
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Which test for which course in 2027?
University of Cambridge
| Course | Test |
|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology | ESAT |
| Engineering | ESAT |
| Natural Sciences | ESAT |
| Veterinary Medicine | ESAT |
| Computer Science | TMUA (+ CSAT at Peterhouse and Trinity) |
| Economics | TMUA |
| Mathematics | TMUA |
| Law | LNAT |
| Medicine (A100 and Graduate Course) | UCAT |
For every other Cambridge course, assessment takes place at college level after an interview invitation, and no advance registration is needed. This applies in particular to Architecture, English, History, HSPS, MML, Music and Philosophy. Archaeology, Education, Environment Law and Economics, History of Art and Theology have no written assessment at all.
University of Oxford
| Course | Test |
|---|---|
| Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science, Information Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Physics and Philosophy (and their Foundation Year versions) | ESAT |
| Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Philosophy and Linguistics, PPE (and PPE Foundation Year), Psychology and Linguistics, Psychology and Philosophy | TARA |
| Computer Science, Computer Science and Philosophy, Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Philosophy, Mathematics / Mathematics and Statistics | TMUA |
| Law and Law with Foundation Year | LNAT |
| Medicine and Graduate-entry Medicine | UCAT |
Beyond Oxbridge
These tests reach far beyond Oxford and Cambridge, which is good news: the same preparation serves several UCAS applications. Imperial College London requires the ESAT or the TMUA for all its science, engineering and computing courses. UCL uses the ESAT for electronic engineering, the TARA for computer science and mechanical engineering, and the TMUA for economics. LSE requires the TMUA for BSc Economics and for Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, and recommends it for about ten other quantitative courses. Warwick requires it for computer science and mathematics, except for contextual offers. Durham recommends it for mathematics.
You sit a UAT-UK test only once: your score is sent automatically to every university on your UCAS application that asks for that test.
Official UAT-UK 2027 Course List: the list by UCAS code, updated in April 2026.
MAT, PAT, TSA, HAT, MLAT: these tests are gone
If you are looking for preparation for the MAT (Mathematics Admissions Test), the PAT (Physics Aptitude Test), the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment), the HAT (History Aptitude Test) or the MLAT (Modern Languages Admissions Test) for 2027 entry, stop here. None of these tests appears on the official list of admissions tests published by the University of Oxford for this cycle.
Here is what replaces them:
- Mathematics and computer science, formerly assessed by the MAT, move to the TMUA.
- Physics and engineering, formerly assessed by the PAT, move to the ESAT.
- PPE, Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology and Human Sciences, formerly assessed by the TSA, move to the TARA.
- History and languages, formerly assessed by the HAT and the MLAT, move either to the TARA for the courses concerned or to an assessment run by the college.
A lot of online content, including test-prep websites, has not been updated. Always check when a resource was published before you use it, and cross-check it against the university’s official page.
Key dates for October 2026
| Step | Deadline (UK time) |
|---|---|
| UAT-UK accounts open | 1 June 2026, 3 pm |
| Booking opens | 20 July 2026, 3 pm |
| Access arrangements request | 14 September 2026, 6 pm |
| Test bursary request | 21 September 2026, 6 pm |
| ESAT, TARA, TMUA booking closes | 28 September 2026, 6 pm |
| ESAT, TARA, TMUA sitting | 12 to 16 October 2026 |
| UCAS application for Oxford and Cambridge | 15 October 2026 |
| Latest date to sit the LNAT (Oxbridge) | 15 October 2026 |
| UAT-UK results | 16 November 2026 |
| Oxford and Cambridge interviews | December 2026 |
A second UAT-UK sitting runs from 4 to 8 January 2027. It is not valid for an application to Oxford or Cambridge, except for the Cambridge mature colleges and Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year. The UAT-UK fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland, and £133 for candidates sitting the test elsewhere.
Our page for each test
- ESAT: engineering and sciences at Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and UCL. Three modules, 120 minutes, no calculator.
- TMUA: mathematics, computer science and economics at seven universities. Two 75-minute papers.
- LNAT: law at Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE, KCL and six others. Multiple-choice questions plus an essay.
TARA
The TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) is the newest of the three UAT-UK tests. It is not tied to a subject syllabus: it assesses the reasoning skills expected in higher education. Oxford uses it for ten humanities, social science and economics courses, including PPE, Economics and Management and Experimental Psychology. UCL uses it for computer science, mechanical engineering and robotics. All modules are compulsory, so there is nothing to choose. We prepare students for the TARA at the same rates as the other UAT-UK tests: €1,500 incl. VAT for 10 hours, i.e. €150 per hour incl. VAT, then €130 and €110 per hour for each further block of ten hours.
UCAT
The UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) is the admissions test for medicine and dentistry in the UK, used by most British medical schools. Cambridge requires it for Medicine A100 and for the Graduate Course; Oxford for Medicine and Graduate-entry Medicine. It runs on its own calendar, separate from UAT-UK. We prepare students for the UCAT at the same rates: €1,500 incl. VAT for 10 hours, i.e. €150 per hour incl. VAT, then €130 and €110 per hour for each further block of ten hours.
Before you commit, the one-hour Oxbridge assessment tells you how realistic your plan is.
Our UK test preparation
Preparation for each test is one to one, by video call, with a tutor who has sat it and studied at one of the universities concerned. The standard format is a 10-hour pack at €1,500 incl. VAT, i.e. €150 per hour incl. VAT, for the ESAT, the TMUA or the LNAT. It covers a diagnostic assessment based on a timed mock paper, targeted work on the weaknesses it reveals, test-specific strategy, then two mocks under exam conditions.
Beyond ten hours, the hourly rate goes down: €150 per hour for the first ten hours, then €130 per hour, then €110 per hour for each further block of ten hours, i.e. €2,800 incl. VAT for 20 hours and €3,900 incl. VAT for 30 hours. Hours can be added at any time, depending on progress and the target score.
Test preparation never happens in isolation. An Oxbridge application also depends on the personal statement and on the December interviews, and our students work on all three together. See our full UCAS support and our Oxford and Cambridge page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests for 2027?
Five tests. The ESAT for engineering and sciences, the TMUA for mathematics, computer science and economics, the TARA for humanities and social sciences at Oxford, the LNAT for law and the UCAT for medicine. At Cambridge, every other course uses an assessment run by the college after an interview invitation, with no advance registration.
Do the MAT and the PAT still exist?
They no longer appear on the official list of admissions tests published by the University of Oxford for 2027 entry, and neither do the TSA, the HAT or the MLAT. The courses that used them now go through the ESAT, the TARA or the TMUA, depending on the subject.
When should I book my test for 2027 entry?
UAT-UK booking opened on 20 July 2026 and closes on 28 September 2026 at 6 pm UK time. The sitting runs from 12 to 16 October 2026. For the LNAT, you must book between 1 August and 15 September 2026 and sit the test by 15 October 2026 at the latest if you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge.
How much do these tests cost?
The ESAT, the TARA and the TMUA cost £78 in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and £133 everywhere else. The LNAT and UCAT fees are published by their respective consortia and change from one cycle to the next: check them on their official websites before booking.
Can I sit the test outside the UK?
Yes. The UAT-UK tests and the LNAT are taken on computer at Pearson VUE centres, which operate in more than 180 countries. The fee depends on the country of the centre you choose, not on your nationality.
How much does preparation with Your Dream School cost?
€1,500 incl. VAT for 10 hours, i.e. €150 per hour incl. VAT, for the ESAT, the TMUA, the TARA, the LNAT or the UCAT. Beyond that, €130 per hour, then €110 per hour for each further block of ten hours, i.e. €2,800 incl. VAT for 20 hours and €3,900 incl. VAT for 30 hours. Preparation is one to one, by video call, with a tutor who has sat the test.