ESAT preparation guide
ESAT vs NSAA & ENGAA: the handover, explained
Cambridge's science and engineering admissions tests changed hands: the NSAA and ENGAA ran for the last time in 2023, and from October 2024 applicants for the same courses sit the ESAT instead. If your searches keep surfacing old NSAA or ENGAA papers, you have not found outdated junk. This page walks through the official evidence for the handover, compares the old and new formats line by line, and shows why the archive papers still earn a central place in ESAT preparation.
- Papers
- 57
- Questions
- 2392
- Free to try
- 2
Quick answer: what to do now the NSAA and ENGAA are gone
- Final sitting
- 2023 was the last year for both tests
- Successor test
- The ESAT, first sat in October 2024 (run by UAT-UK, on screen at Pearson VUE centres)
- Format shift
- From sectioned paper tests to 40-minute on-screen modules taken back to back, 120 minutes in total
- Old papers
- Still your main drilling material: 31 archive sets (2015-2023) plus 26 original mocks, 2,345 questions
No official source has published a literal 'ESAT replaces NSAA and ENGAA' statement; this page rests on the evidence chain of the discontinuation notice, the joint-venture announcement and Cambridge's rewritten course pages. FrontierVue is an independent preparation platform with no affiliation with UAT-UK, the University of Cambridge or Imperial College London.
In short
- The NSAA and ENGAA are gone: CAAT announced its withdrawal on 10 November 2022, effective from the 2024-5 cycle, and the 2023 sitting was the last.
- The ESAT took over from October 2024, run by UAT-UK, the Imperial and Cambridge joint venture, covering Cambridge Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine.
- The format moved from sectioned paper booklets to on-screen modules: Mathematics 1 for everyone plus two further modules, 40 minutes each, back to back, 120 minutes in total, all multiple choice with no negative marking.
- The scale family survived: both eras report on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place, though the ESAT now reports module by module.
- The old papers remain core practice material: FrontierVue hosts 31 NSAA/ENGAA archive sets (2015-2023) plus 26 original mocks, 2,345 questions in all, with the two most recent archive sets free to try.
01
How the handover happened: the official paper trail
If your searches keep turning up complete NSAA and ENGAA papers, you have not wandered into a dead archive. No official page ever printed the sentence 'ESAT replaces NSAA and ENGAA'; the succession is documented instead by three official records read together: the operator's discontinuation notice, the joint-venture launch, and the rewritten requirements on Cambridge's own course pages. Walked through in order, they leave no gap for interpretation.
0110 Nov 2022
CAAT steps back
Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing announced it would stop running its bespoke admissions tests from the 2024-5 cycle, naming the ENGAA and NSAA among them. The 2023 papers went ahead as the final sitting.
0218 Jan 2024
Imperial and Cambridge launch UAT-UK
Imperial and Cambridge announced a joint venture to run new admissions tests, delivered by Pearson VUE. The ESAT's remit at Cambridge: Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine, exactly the ground the NSAA and ENGAA used to cover, plus Physics and most Engineering degrees at Imperial.
032023 entry vs 2025 entry
Course pages rewritten
Cambridge's Natural Sciences course page required the NSAA of all applicants for 2023 entry. The same page, for 2025 entry, requires the ESAT. That before-and-after wording is the hardest official evidence of succession there is.
04October 2024
First ESAT sitting
The ESAT and TMUA were sat for the first time in October 2024: on screen, all multiple choice, delivered through Pearson's professional test-centre network in more than 180 countries.
The verbatim record. On discontinuation: 'This includes BMAT (medicine), ENGAA (engineering), NSAA (natural sciences) and TMUA (mathematical skills) tests' (Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, 10 November 2022). On adoption: 'All applicants for Natural Sciences for 2025 entry are required to take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT)' (University of Cambridge, 2025 entry course page).
02
Format head-to-head: sectioned papers vs on-screen modules
Set side by side in their final forms, the tests share more than they differ: all multiple choice, marks for correct answers, no penalty for errors. The real split is in delivery and assembly. The old tests were sectioned paper booklets answered in HB pencil on an answer sheet; the ESAT runs on screen as 40-minute modules taken back to back. Here is the line-by-line comparison.
| NSAA (final format, 2020-2023) | ENGAA (final format, c. 2019-2023) | ESAT (current) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Paper-based, answers bubbled in HB pencil | Paper-based, answers bubbled in HB pencil | On screen at Pearson VUE test centres |
| Structure | Section 1 + Section 2, 60 minutes each | Section 1 + Section 2, 60 minutes each | Modular: 40 minutes per module, back to back, 120 minutes total |
| Subject mix | S1: compulsory Maths plus one of Physics/Chemistry/Biology (20 questions per part, 40 answered); S2: one of Physics/Chemistry/Biology, 20 questions | S1: Maths & Physics (20 questions) plus Advanced Maths & Advanced Physics (20 questions, 30 minutes suggested for each); S2: Advanced Physics, 20 questions | Mathematics 1 for everyone; Engineering adds Physics and Mathematics 2; other courses pick two from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2 |
| Questions & scoring | All multiple choice; 1 mark per correct answer, no negative marking; parts reported separately | All multiple choice; 1 mark per correct answer, no negative marking; Section 1 Parts A and B reported separately | All multiple choice; marks for correct answers only, no negative marking; scored module by module |
| Who sits it | Cambridge Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine applicants | Cambridge Engineering applicants | Cambridge Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Veterinary Medicine; also Physics and most Engineering degrees at Imperial |
Earlier years looked different: the 2016 formats gave Section 1 a full 80 minutes, and Section 2 even allowed calculators. Read the fold-out below before opening an early archive paper.
ESAT module line-up
40 minutes per module, back to back, 120 minutes total
Mathematics 1Compulsory for every applicant
Engineering applicantsTwo fixed additional modules
- Mathematics 2
- Physics
NatSci / ChemEng & Biotech / VetMedChoose any two additional modules
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics 2
Tap a branch to unfold
What the 2016 NSAA looked like
Section 1 ran 80 minutes across five parts (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Advanced Maths and Advanced Physics): Maths plus any two others, 18 questions per part, 54 answered. Section 2 was 40 minutes of written answers, two questions chosen from six, with diagrams, data analysis and calculators all allowed. Treat these early papers as a different beast from the final format.
What the 2016 ENGAA looked like
Section 1 ran 80 minutes with 54 questions (Part A 28, Part B 26, with 40 minutes suggested for each). Section 2 was 40 minutes of around 20 structured, possibly linked multiple-choice questions, calculators allowed, and credit only given where working or reasoning was shown.
Two format overhauls to know about
In 2020, the NSAA's Section 1 was cut from 80 to 60 minutes and simplified to Maths plus one science, while its Section 2 became extended multiple choice. In 2022, the NSAA's Section 2 Biology was upgraded to assume advanced knowledge, matching Physics and Chemistry. The ENGAA likewise moved from its 2016 shape to the 60-minute final format. Note too that in the final formats, calculators were banned in both sections of both tests.
03
Scoring: the scale survived, the reporting changed
The scariest part of a test changing hands is losing your reference points, but the reporting scale survived the handover: NSAA and ENGAA results were converted to a 1.0 to 9.0 scale reported to one decimal place, and the ESAT stays in the same scale family, now reported module by module. Our scoring guide unpacks the mechanics.
1.0 to 9.0
Reporting scale to one decimal place, shared by old and new
≈ 4.0
Where the old scale was designed to place a typical applicant
≈ 10%
Share of applicants designed to land above 7.0 on the old scale
1 mark
Per correct answer in the old tests, no negative marking; the ESAT likewise counts correct answers only
UAT-UK's official wording on ESAT reporting: 'Results for each section of the ESAT are reported on a scale that runs from 1 (low) to 9 (high) with scores being reported to one decimal place' (UAT-UK, ESAT page). Structurally this is the same family as the Cambridge Suite scale behind the NSAA and ENGAA; what changed is delivery: on screen, all multiple choice, scored module by module through the Pearson VUE network. Treat old score distributions as background only, never as ESAT targets.
04
Putting the archive papers to work
The ESAT was first sat in October 2024, so full historical papers are naturally scarce. The NSAA and ENGAA, by contrast, left behind a complete public archive with the same subject mix, the same multiple-choice style and the same scale family. FrontierVue has structured every NSAA archive paper and ENGAA archive paper into an online question bank, the closest ready-made practice material the ESAT has.
Archive papers
31 sets
NSAA & ENGAA, 2015-2023
Original mocks
26 sets
Questions online
2,345 in total
Free to try
The two most recent archive sets
Archive papers of the predecessor tests, not official ESAT papers
01
Fix your module line-up
Your course decides which two modules join Mathematics 1, and that decides what you drill.
02
Drill by subject
Lean on ENGAA papers for the maths and physics modules, and on the matching NSAA parts for biology and chemistry, subject by subject.
03
Retime to the module rhythm
Old papers were built as 60-minute sections; cut your timed practice into 40-minute blocks to match the ESAT.
04
Finish on full mocks
In the final stretch, sit the original mocks in full to feel the back-to-back intensity.
For picking modules, start with the module choice guide; for what the compulsory module tests, see the Mathematics 1 guide. Browse every set in the past papers overview, or head straight into the online question bank, where the two most recent archive sets are free to try.
05
The current timetable: 2026-27 windows
With the handover complete, the ESAT now runs in two windows a year, and Cambridge applicants must sit the autumn one. Booking closes well before test day in both windows; miss the autumn deadline and the Cambridge cycle moves on without you. See the registration and dates guide for the booking steps and the test day guide for what happens on site.
2026 – 2027Timeline
Sep 26
Oct 26
Nov 26
Dec 26
Jan 27
Window 1 booking deadline18:00 UK
Window 1 booking deadline
18:00 UK
Miss this and the October sitting is gone; Cambridge applicants must book before it.
Window 1 ESAT test days
Required sitting for Cambridge applicants
Mainland China / Hong Kong / Macau (window 1)
Mainland China / Hong Kong / Macau (window 1)
In this region, window 1 ESAT runs only on 12 and 13 October 2026.
Window 2 booking deadline
18:00 UK
Window 2 ESAT test days
Mainland China / Hong Kong / Macau (window 2)
Mainland China / Hong Kong / Macau (window 2)
In this region, window 2 ESAT runs on 6 January 2027 only.
Hard deadline Event WindowDates are UAT-UK-level facts, verified against Imperial's official ESAT pages; check each university's own pages for which window it accepts.
Official fees: £78 at UK centres, £133 elsewhere. The test is delivered through Pearson's network in more than 180 countries, and mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau get fewer test days than the global window, so book early for the centre you want.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Will the NSAA or ENGAA ever run again?
No. CAAT announced on 10 November 2022 that it would withdraw from running these bespoke tests from the 2024-5 cycle, and 2023 was the final sitting of both. Cambridge's entry requirements for the affected courses now name the ESAT.
Is the ESAT the official replacement for the NSAA and ENGAA?
No official source has ever printed the word 'replacement', but the evidence chain is complete: the discontinuation notice names both tests, the joint venture announced on 18 January 2024 gave the ESAT exactly the Cambridge courses the NSAA and ENGAA used to cover, and Cambridge's course pages switched their stated requirement from NSAA to ESAT. For an applicant, the practical answer is simple: you sit the ESAT.
Are the old NSAA and ENGAA papers still worth doing?
Yes, and they should be your main drilling material: the subject mix, multiple-choice style and scale family all carry over to the ESAT. Two cautions: retime old sections into 40-minute blocks to match the module rhythm, and remember the earliest papers, from the 2016 era, used a very different format. FrontierVue hosts 31 archive sets, with the two most recent free to try.
Can old scores and distributions still guide me?
Only as background. The old scale was designed so a typical applicant sat around 4.0 and roughly 10% scored above 7.0; that tells you the shape of the scale, not where you need to land. The content, delivery and cohort have all changed, so never convert an old distribution into an ESAT target or 'safe score'.
SOURCES
Official sources
- CAAT announcement: reforms from 2024 (10 Nov 2022, archived)
- Imperial news: Imperial and Cambridge create admissions tests (18 Jan 2024)
- Cambridge Natural Sciences course page, 2025 entry (archived)
- Cambridge: the ESAT requirement page (current)
- UAT-UK: about UAT-UK (first sittings and delivery network)
- UAT-UK ESAT page: how it is scored (archived May 2024)
- Imperial: ESAT test dates and booking deadlines (2026-27 cycle)
- NSAA content specification 2023 (archived PDF)
- ENGAA content specification 2023 (archived PDF)
MORE GUIDES
Other ESAT preparation guides
- ESAT Mathematics 1: the seven topics, and what is not in them
- ESAT Mathematics 2, module by module
- The ESAT Physics Module: Seven Topics, No Calculator, 40 Minutes
- ESAT Chemistry: all 17 official topics, and where the marks actually go
- The ESAT Biology Module: Eleven Topics, Four Blind Spots
- Choosing Your ESAT Modules: Official Combinations for Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and UCL
- How to plan your ESAT revision, week by week
- ESAT time management: a minute-by-minute plan for one module
- How ESAT scoring works, and how to read your result
- Cambridge Engineering ESAT scores: what the official FOI data shows
- ESAT test day, from arriving at the centre to the final module
- ESAT Registration and Key Dates: the Full 2027 Entry Timeline
FrontierVUE is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson, OCR, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, or any official admissions-test owner.
FrontierVUE 是独立的备考练习平台，与 UAT-UK、Pearson、OCR、剑桥大学、 帝国理工学院或任何官方入学考试主办方均无隶属或背书关系。
Put it into practice
57 ESAT papers on FrontierVUE, including 26 Frontier Original mocks built to the current format, every question with a worked solution. The first 2 papers are free.