2027 entry

UK admissions test changes for 2027 entry, in one place

If you are preparing for a UK university application for 2027 entry, check one thing first: the test you searched for may no longer exist. Oxford sat the final MAT in October 2025 and uses the TMUA from 2026. Cambridge sat the final NSAA and ENGAA in 2023, and from 2025 entry the same courses require the ESAT. Oxford replaces the TSA with the TARA from 2027 entry. This page puts those changes on one timeline and one comparison table, all traced to official sources, lists which test each university uses for 2027 entry, and explains what the old papers are still good for.
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Is the test I was told to sit still running?
MAT (Oxford Maths and Computer Science)
Discontinued. Used from 2007 to 2025; Oxford uses the TMUA from 2026.
NSAA and ENGAA (Cambridge)
Last sat in 2023 and replaced by the ESAT: from 2025 entry the same Cambridge courses require it.
TMUA
Continues. Run by UAT-UK since October 2024 and used by 7 universities for 2027 entry.
TSA (Oxford)
Replaced by the TARA from 2027 entry; 10 Oxford courses require the TARA.
BMAT
Cambridge Assessment stopped running it from the 2024-25 academic year. Medical schools set their own arrangements, which this page does not cover.

Every line above traces to an official page or its archived copy listed at the end. FrontierVUE has no connection with UAT-UK, Pearson or any university.

In short
  • Oxford Mathematics and Computer Science courses use the TMUA from 2026. The MAT no longer takes place; its final sitting was on 22 and 23 October 2025.
  • Cambridge's NSAA and ENGAA were last sat in 2023 and have been replaced by the ESAT: from 2025 entry, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine all require it.
  • The TMUA did not disappear; it changed hands. After Cambridge Assessment withdrew, UAT-UK, a collaboration between Imperial and Cambridge, took it over. The first sitting was in October 2024, computer-based and multiple choice, delivered by Pearson VUE.
  • The reporting scale is continuous: NSAA, ENGAA and the ESAT all report on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place, so old papers remain valid practice. The MAT's marks out of 100 do not convert to the TMUA scale.
  • The hard dates for 2027 entry: the October window runs 12 to 16 October 2026 and booking closes at 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026. Oxford and Cambridge accept the October sitting only.
Part 1

How the changes unfolded

These changes were neither announced on one day nor effective in one year. Laid out in order, six moments tell a clear story: Cambridge Assessment stepped back first, Imperial and Cambridge took over and built the ESAT, and Oxford was the last to switch. Each moment maps to an official document.
0110 November 2022

Cambridge Assessment announces its exit

Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing announced that it would stop running a series of university admissions tests from the 2024-25 academic year, naming BMAT, ENGAA, NSAA and TMUA, on the grounds that 'bespoke tests are operationally unsustainable over the medium term'. The 2023 sittings went ahead as the last ones.

022023

The final NSAA and ENGAA sittings

Both assessments were first sat in 2016, and the 2023 specifications are marked 'For assessment in 2023'. In the same year the MAT was delivered by Tata Consultancy Services, sat on 19 October 2023, with questions on screen and answers written in a paper booklet.

0318 January 2024

UAT-UK is formed and the ESAT is introduced

Imperial announced a joint venture with Cambridge, with the tests delivered by Pearson VUE. The ESAT covers Cambridge Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine, plus Physics and most Engineering degrees at Imperial. The TMUA covers Cambridge Economics and Computer Science, plus Economics, Finance and Data Science and Computing at Imperial. Cambridge applicants must sit the autumn window.

04October 2024

First ESAT and TMUA sittings under UAT-UK

In UAT-UK's own words, the ESAT and TMUA were both offered for the first time in October 2024, as computer-based multiple-choice tests delivered through Pearson's network of test centres in more than 180 countries. The same year the MAT moved to Pearson VUE, with free registration and a sitting on 31 October.

05October 2025

The final MAT, and the first TARA

The MAT was sat online on 22 and 23 October through Pearson VUE, marked and used for shortlisting by Oxford in November 2025, with results released in January 2026. The notice at the top of the Oxford Mathematics page reads: 'From 2026, Oxford will use the TMUA. The MAT will not take place.' In the same month the TARA was sat for the first time (UAT-UK: 'TARA will be offered for the first time in October 2025').

0612 to 16 October 2026

Oxford's first cycle on the TMUA, ESAT and TARA

The October window for 2027 entry. Oxford applicants for Mathematics and Computer Science sit the TMUA, applicants for Engineering Science and Physics sit the ESAT, and 10 humanities and social science courses use the TARA. Oxford and Cambridge accept the October sitting only, and booking closes at 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026.

That the ESAT replaced the NSAA and ENGAA is established by three official documents together: the Cambridge Assessment exit announcement of 10 November 2022 naming NSAA and ENGAA; Imperial's joint venture announcement of 18 January 2024 stating that the ESAT covers the same Cambridge courses; and the Cambridge Natural Sciences course page, which required the NSAA for 2023 entry and the ESAT for 2025 entry. No single official sentence announces the change, so this page states it from the documents rather than as anyone's quotation.
Part 2

I was going to sit X. What do I sit now?

Final sittingSuccessorReporting scaleOld papers still useful?
MAT (Oxford Maths / Computer Science)22 and 23 October 2025TMUA (from 2026)MAT marked out of 100; TMUA reported 1.0 to 9.0; no conversionYes: multiple-choice questions as timed drills, the two 15-mark problems for multi-step reasoning
NSAA (Cambridge Natural Sciences / Veterinary Medicine)2023ESAT (from 2025 entry)Same 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place; continuousYes: all multiple choice with overlapping content; practise it module by module
ENGAA (Cambridge Engineering)2023ESAT: Mathematics 1 + Mathematics 2 + PhysicsSame 1.0 to 9.0 scale; continuousYes: Section 1 maths and physics map to Mathematics 1 and Physics; Section 2 to advanced physics
TMUA (Cambridge Assessment era)2023 (the last sitting run by Cambridge Assessment)TMUA (run by UAT-UK from October 2024)Continues on the 1.0 to 9.0 scaleYes: same test, past papers remain valid
TSA (Oxford)No longer used by Oxford from 2027 entryTARA (UAT-UK, from 2027 entry)TARA Critical Thinking and Problem Solving reported 1.0 to 9.0Yes: UAT-UK itself recommends the TSA Section 1 archive (2008 to 2023) for practice
BMATCambridge Assessment stopped running it from 2024-25Set by each medical school; not covered hereNot applicableUseful for TARA candidates: UAT-UK recommends the BMAT Section 1 archive (2003 to 2023)

Successor relationships are assembled from official documents read together, not quoted from any single one. The last column is our own judgement on format and scale continuity; no official body has commented on it.

Evidence 1: the exit announcement

10 November 2022, Cambridge Assessment

Names BMAT, ENGAA, NSAA and TMUA as ending from 2024-25

Evidence 2: the joint venture announcement

18 January 2024, Imperial

ESAT covers Cambridge Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Veterinary Medicine

Evidence 3: the course page before and after

Cambridge Natural Sciences course page

Required the NSAA for 2023 entry and the ESAT for 2025 entry

Two things are easy to confuse. First, the ESAT differs from the NSAA and ENGAA in format rather than scale: it is computer-based, purely multiple choice and sat as back-to-back 40-minute modules, where its predecessors were paper and pencil; all three report 1.0 to 9.0. Second, the MAT and TMUA are different systems. The MAT was marked out of 100 and included hand-marked long questions, so a MAT score says nothing about a likely TMUA score.
Part 3

Which test each university uses for 2027 entry

Compiled from the official UAT-UK Course List 2027 Entry (updated April 2026): 7 universities and 116 course entries, 60 requiring or using the TMUA and 56 the ESAT. TARA courses (10 at Oxford, 6 at UCL) are covered in our TARA section. How each university uses the test (compulsory, recommended or accepted as an alternative) follows its own website, and every entry maps to a verified official page.

7

universities

116

course entries

60

use the TMUA

56

use the ESAT

University of Oxford: TMUA for 5 courses, ESAT for 17
TMUA: Mathematics and Mathematics and Statistics (G100), Computer Science (G400), Computer Science and Philosophy (IV15), Mathematics and Computer Science (GG14) and Mathematics and Philosophy (GV15), all compulsory, used for shortlisting and October sitting only. ESAT: Engineering Science (H100) and every engineering stream including the foundation year versions, Physics (F303) and Physics and Philosophy (VF53), with Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics as the modules; Biomedical Sciences (BC98) accepts the ESAT, TARA or TMUA according to the official list.
University of Cambridge: ESAT for 4 courses, TMUA for 3
ESAT: Engineering (H100, Mathematics 1 + Mathematics 2 + Physics), Natural Sciences (BCF0), Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (H810) and Veterinary Medicine (D100); the latter three sit Mathematics 1 plus any two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2. TMUA: Computer Science (G400), Economics (L100) and Mathematics (G100). All are taken before interview, require advance registration, and colleges use the results to help decide whom to interview.
Imperial College London: ESAT for 33 entries, TMUA for 19
ESAT: Aeronautical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Electronic, Electronic and Information and Mechanical Engineering degrees and the Physics degrees sit Mathematics 1 + Mathematics 2 + Physics (Design Engineering sits only the first two); Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology and Ecology and Environmental Biology sit Mathematics 1 + Chemistry + Biology. TMUA: every Computing degree, every Mathematics degree and Economics, Finance and Data Science (L1N3). All compulsory.
University of Warwick: TMUA for 16 entries
Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics courses require the TMUA (except applicants eligible for a contextual offer); Mathematics (G100 / G103) requires the TMUA or STEP; Economics, Economics and Management and Economics, Politics and International Studies treat it as optional but encouraged; Data Science, Mathematics and Statistics and MORSE treat it as optional, with most offers allowing 5.0 in the TMUA or grade 2 in any STEP paper to meet the conditions.
LSE: TMUA for 11 entries
Economics (L101) and Econometrics and Mathematical Economics (L140) make the TMUA mandatory from 2027 entry; Actuarial Science, Data Science, Economics and Data Science, Financial Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics Statistics and Business, Mathematics with Data Science and the Mathematics and Economics routes, 9 courses in all, encourage it, and a good score can strengthen an application.
Durham University: TMUA for 4 entries
Mathematics (G100 / G103) and Mathematics and Statistics (G111 / G114): optional but strongly encouraged, and a high enough score can earn a reduced offer; STEP can stand in for the TMUA as the optional mathematics test.
UCL: ESAT for 2 entries, TMUA for 2
ESAT: Electronic and Electrical Engineering (H600 / H601), Mathematics 1 plus any two modules; TMUA: Economics (L100 / L101). Compulsory according to the official UAT-UK list. UCL's own pages could not be reached directly, so the official list is the reference here.
Part 4

What old papers are still good for, and the 2027 entry dates

A change of test does not retire the old papers. NSAA and ENGAA multiple-choice questions sit on the same 1.0 to 9.0 scale as the ESAT and cover overlapping content, so split by module they are ready-made practice. MAT long questions no longer appear in the TMUA, but the multi-step reasoning they train is exactly what TMUA Paper 2 tests. The one thing to change is how you practise: the ESAT and TMUA are computer-based, so practise timed and on screen.

Old papers

and where they map in the new tests

MAT papers→ TMUA
  • Multiple choice: timed drills
  • 15-mark problems: multi-step reasoning
  • Oxford's yearly statistics: calibrate difficulty
NSAA papers→ ESAT
  • Section 1 maths: Mathematics 1
  • Section 1 and 2 sciences: the matching module
  • Same scale; paper became screen
ENGAA papers→ ESAT
  • Section 1 Part A: Mathematics 1 and Physics
  • Section 1 Part B and Section 2: Mathematics 2 and advanced physics
TSA and BMAT Section 1→ TARA
  • Archives hosted by UAT-UK itself: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Tap a branch to unfold

2026 – 2027Timeline
Sep 26
Oct 26
Nov 26
Dec 26
Jan 27
October window: booking closes
18:00 UK time
Oxford and Cambridge applicants have this window only; there is no second chance.
October window (ESAT / TMUA)
12 to 16 October
Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau: ESAT on 12 and 13 October only, TMUA on 15 and 16 October only.
January window: booking closes
18:00 UK time
January window (ESAT / TMUA)
4 to 8 January
Not accepted by Oxford or Cambridge. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau: ESAT on 6 January only, TMUA on 8 January only.
Hard deadline Event WindowDates are taken from Imperial's official ESAT and TMUA pages, which also give the UAT-UK position. They can change from year to year, so re-check the official page before booking.
The short version: Oxford and Cambridge applicants should have the October window booked before 28 September 2026. Applicants elsewhere also have a January window, but check first that the university accepts it.
Go deeper

The comparison pages behind this overview

Sources

Official sources

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Oxford still use the MAT in 2026?
No. The Oxford Mathematics page states: 'From 2026, Oxford will use the TMUA. The MAT will not take place.' All applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science and the joint honours courses now sit the TMUA. The final MAT was sat on 22 and 23 October 2025.
Did the ESAT replace the NSAA and ENGAA?
Yes. From 2025 entry, every Cambridge course that used to require the NSAA or ENGAA requires the ESAT instead. The basis is three official documents: Cambridge Assessment announced on 10 November 2022 that it would stop running the NSAA and ENGAA from 2024-25, with 2023 the final sitting; on 18 January 2024 Imperial and Cambridge announced UAT-UK, with the ESAT covering Cambridge Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine; and the Cambridge Natural Sciences course page required the NSAA for 2023 entry and the ESAT for 2025 entry. No single official sentence announced the handover, so this page states it from those documents rather than as a quotation, but the fact itself is not in dispute.
Is the TMUA still the same test?
Same name, new operator and new delivery. The Cambridge Assessment TMUA was last sat in 2023; from October 2024 UAT-UK runs it as a computer-based multiple-choice test delivered by Pearson VUE, still reported on the 1.0 to 9.0 scale. For 2027 entry, 7 universities use it according to the official course list, ranging from compulsory to recommended.
Are old NSAA, ENGAA and MAT papers still worth doing?
Yes, as long as you use each for what it is good at. NSAA and ENGAA papers are entirely multiple choice and sit on the same 1.0 to 9.0 scale as the ESAT, so split by module they are ESAT practice. MAT multiple-choice questions work as timed drills, and the two 15-mark problems train the multi-step reasoning TMUA Paper 2 tests, although MAT marks do not convert to TMUA scores. All of these papers come from the pen-and-paper era, so practise them timed and on screen.
When are the 2027 entry sittings and deadlines, and can Oxbridge applicants use January?
The October window runs 12 to 16 October 2026, with booking closing at 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026; the January window runs 4 to 8 January 2027, with booking closing at 18:00 on 21 December 2026. Oxford and Cambridge accept the October sitting only. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have fewer dates, shown in the calendar above.
What about the TSA and BMAT?
Oxford replaces the TSA with the TARA from 2027 entry, with 10 courses requiring it and only the October sitting accepted. UAT-UK says the TARA Critical Thinking and Problem Solving components share a common history with the TSA and BMAT Section 1, and it hosts the TSA Section 1 (2008 to 2023) and BMAT Section 1 (2003 to 2023) papers as practice material. The BMAT itself stopped being run by Cambridge Assessment from 2024-25; medical schools set their own arrangements, which this page does not cover.

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