Maybe your child has settled on a course at Oxford or Cambridge, and you are trying to work out which admissions test they need. This guide shows which courses need the TMUA, ESAT or TARA for 2027 entry, which need a different test, and the dates you cannot miss. For the main round, your child applies and sits these tests in autumn 2026, for a place starting in 2027.
Start here
- The test your child sits depends on their exact course and university, not just the subject. Oxford and Cambridge each list it course by course.
- For 2027 entry, these tests are booked and sat in autumn 2026 for the main round. Booking closes at 6pm UK time on 28 September 2026, and the tests run from 12 to 16 October 2026.
- Some courses need none of these three. Medicine uses the UCAT, Law uses the LNAT, and some Cambridge courses set their own assessment after they invite a student to interview.
- Booking a test and applying through UCAS are two separate deadlines. Book the test through the official system, and send the UCAS form by its own date.
- Check your child’s exact course page before you book, because the test and any modules are set there.
Start with your child’s exact course, not the subject
The test is tied to the exact course at the exact university, not to the subject on its own. So the same subject can need a different test in different places.
Economics is the clearest example. At Oxford, Economics and Management sits the TARA. At Cambridge, Economics sits the TMUA, which is a maths test.
History and Politics is another. Oxford lists it for the TARA. At Cambridge, History and Politics can have a college-set assessment at some colleges instead, so it depends on the college. The safe move is always the same: open your child’s course page on the Oxford or Cambridge website and read the admissions test line there. If you want a second pair of eyes, you can also read about our admissions consulting.
The rest of this guide sets out the lists for each university, so you can find your child’s course fast.
Which Oxford courses need TMUA, ESAT or TARA?
Oxford lists three main admissions tests through UAT-UK, plus a couple of others for specific subjects. Here is how they map for 2027 entry. You can see them on the Oxford admissions tests page, and you should still check your child’s exact course page to confirm.
Oxford courses that sit the TMUA
Computer Science; Computer Science and Philosophy; Mathematics, and Mathematics and Statistics; Mathematics and Computer Science; Mathematics and Philosophy.
Oxford courses that sit the ESAT
Biomedical Sciences; Engineering Science; Physics; Physics and Philosophy. Biomedical Sciences sits the ESAT, so it is worth checking the Biomedical Sciences page directly.
Oxford courses that sit the TARA
Economics and Management; History and Economics; History and Politics; Human Sciences; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Psychology (Experimental); Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.
Two big Oxford subjects sit outside these three. Medicine uses the UCAT, and Law uses the LNAT. Some courses also ask for written work, and its requirements and submission dates must be checked on the course page too.
Which Cambridge courses need which test?
Cambridge uses the same UAT-UK tests for its science, maths and economics courses, then handles a lot of its other subjects a different way. You can see the list on the Cambridge admissions tests page, and you should still check your child’s exact course page to confirm.
Cambridge courses that sit the ESAT
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology; Engineering; Natural Sciences; Veterinary Medicine.
Cambridge courses that sit the TMUA
Computer Science; Economics; Mathematics.
Cambridge does not use the TARA for any course. For a lot of arts and social science subjects, such as English, History and HSPS, the college sets a written assessment. Your child takes that after they are shortlisted and invited to interview, and there is no separate booking. The exact task can vary by college, so read the college assessments page.
Computer Science applicants to Peterhouse or Trinity also sit a college test called the CSAT. A handful of courses, such as History of Art and Theology, need no admissions test at all. Medicine uses the UCAT and Law uses the LNAT here too.
What if your child’s course needs none of these three?
Plenty of courses need none of the TMUA, ESAT or TARA. That does not mean there is nothing to prepare. It means the test is a different one, or the check happens at a different point.
- Medicine at both universities uses the UCAT.
- Law at both universities uses the LNAT.
- At Cambridge, a lot of arts and social science courses use a college-set assessment after a student is shortlisted and invited to interview, and it can vary by college.
- Some Oxford courses ask for written work your child has already done at school, sent in by a set date.
- A few courses ask for no admissions test at all.
So the honest answer to the title is that it depends on the course. Find the course page first, then you know which of these paths you are on.
What will your child do in each test?
You do not need to teach these to your child, but it helps to know what they are. All three are sat on screen, with no calculator.
TMUA
Two papers, 75 minutes each, with 20 multiple-choice questions per paper. One paper is about using maths in new situations, the other about reasoning and simple logic. It is built on higher GCSE and AS-level maths. See the official TMUA page.
ESAT
Built from short modules of 27 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes each. Everyone sits Mathematics 1. The other modules depend on the course. Engineering and the Oxford physics courses need Mathematics 2 and Physics on top. Biomedical Sciences and the Cambridge science courses let your child pick two from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2. Check the course page, then the official ESAT page.
TARA
Three parts of 40 minutes: critical thinking, problem solving, and a writing task of up to 750 words. UAT-UK does not mark the writing task. It sends your child’s answer to the universities they applied to. See the official TARA page.
For Cambridge Maths, the TMUA is the test your child books now. STEP is separate and comes into the conditional offer later, so the TMUA does not replace it. Check the Cambridge STEP page.
This clip shows a maths lesson recorded in Pencil Spaces, the online classroom used by Greenhill Academics.
Not sure which modules or paper your child needs?
Send us the exact course and the part you are unsure about, and we can talk through the next step.
Send an enquiryWhen must your child book and apply?
These are separate deadlines, not one long list to do in order. Two of them fall very close together, so it is worth writing all of them down now. All times are UK time, and the full timetable is on the UAT-UK deadlines page.
- Create a UAT-UK account. This opened on 1 June 2026. Your child needs an account before they can book.
- Book the test slot. Booking closes at 6pm on 28 September 2026. This is done through the official UAT-UK booking system, not through us and not through the university.
- Sit the test. The tests run from 12 to 16 October 2026 at an authorised test centre.
- Send the UCAS application. The UCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and medicine is 6pm on 15 October 2026.
Watch the overlap. The UCAS form is due on 15 October, but the test window runs to 16 October, so your child may sit the test after the UCAS form has gone in. They are two different deadlines with two different systems. If your child is also writing the new UCAS statement, our guide on the new UCAS personal statement walks through it.
For standard applicants, October is the sitting. There is a January sitting, but it is only for defined routes, such as the Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year and eligible Cambridge mature applicants. It is not a general backup, so do not count on it.
Try one official question at home this week
Use paper, a pen, a timer and a desktop with one official specimen question open. First check the required test and ESAT modules. Choose a question with an explained answer. For TARA, use Critical Thinking or Problem Solving.
- Minutes 0 to 1: Read the question and identify what it asks.
- Minutes 1 to 5: Attempt it without a calculator. Note your steps and mark where you pause or change approach.
- Minutes 5 to 7: Read the explained answer. Compare the reasoning with your own, including if your answer was correct.
- Minutes 7 to 9: Note one step you could not explain or one alternative approach to discuss. Keep the question reference and your working.
What should you look for?
Look for whether your child can explain the first step, connect each step to the question and identify what remains unclear.
What this cannot tell you
This exercise cannot establish overall readiness, explain the cause of a difficulty or predict a score or offer. It does not assess TARA writing. The timings are for this exercise, not recommended exam pacing. A tutor can discuss the saved working and choose further practice.
Find free official specimen tests with explained answers through the UAT-UK preparation pages.
Want a tutor to work through a real test question with your child?
Tell us the course and where they are up to. A tutor can start with the part that is new.
Ask about a tutorWhich subjects do these tutors teach?
These profiles set out each tutor’s subjects and qualifications. Admissions experience is described individually where it is documented.
Kevin holds an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford (Saïd Business School). He teaches Economics, Maths and Statistics.
Maisie is a final-year Molecular Biochemistry student at the University of Oxford. She teaches Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and has supported students with Oxbridge science admissions.
Ioanna holds a degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. She teaches Psychology and Spanish, and supports students with Oxbridge admissions and interview preparation.
Questions about choosing an admissions test
Does Economics need the same test at Oxford and Cambridge?
No. Oxford Economics and Management sits the TARA, while Cambridge Economics sits the TMUA, which is a maths test. Check your child’s exact course page, because the subject name alone does not settle it.
My child is applying for Medicine. Is it still the BMAT?
No. Oxford and Cambridge Medicine both use the UCAT now, not the BMAT. It is separate from the TMUA, ESAT and TARA and has its own dates, so book and check it on its own timetable.
Can my child sit the test in January instead of October?
For standard applicants, no. October is the sitting for 2027 entry. A January sitting exists only for defined routes, such as the Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year and eligible Cambridge mature applicants.
Does booking the test also sort the UCAS application?
No, booking the test does not submit the UCAS application. Book through the official UAT-UK system and submit the UCAS form separately by its own deadline, which is 15 October 2026 at 6pm UK time for Oxford and Cambridge.
Are there free official materials to practise with?
Yes, UAT-UK provides free official preparation materials. Its specimen tests include explained answers, which your child can compare with their own reasoning. Use the official preparation pages to find the materials for their test.
Still unsure which test your child’s course needs?
Tell us the exact course and what your child needs to prepare, and we can talk through how we would help.
Send an enquiry