University of Oxford · UCAS VQ51
Oxford Philosophy and Linguistics (VQ51): the TARA Admissions Test
Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Oxford (UCAS code VQ51) requires all three modules of the TARA for 2027 entry, and Oxford accepts only the October sitting, whose test window runs from 12 to 16 October 2026 (with fixed regional dates for China, Hong Kong and Macau, where TARA is sat on 14 October 2026). The TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) is run by UAT-UK and taken on screen at Pearson VUE test centres. It lasts 120 minutes in total, organised as three 40-minute modules: Critical Thinking (22 multiple-choice questions), Problem Solving (22 multiple-choice questions) and the Writing Task (one title from three, up to 750 words). Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are scored from 1.0 to 9.0 and reported to one decimal place; the Writing Task is not scored by UAT-UK, and your response is passed on to the universities you applied to. There is no pass mark and no negative marking, no calculator or dictionary is permitted, and the fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland and £133 elsewhere. Sixteen courses require the TARA for 2027 entry, 10 at Oxford and 6 at UCL, and results are released on 16 November 2026.
- 18
- Papers
- 810
- Questions
- 2
- Free to try
01
Why VQ51 applicants sit the TARA
Philosophy and Linguistics is one of the 16 courses across Oxford and UCL that require the TARA for 2027 entry. The official UAT-UK course list carries VQ51 as a UCAS code in its own right, while Oxford's own website presents it on a shared page with Psychology and Linguistics (CQ81) and Psychology and Philosophy (CV85). Either way, a VQ51 application is a TARA application.
Oxford's course page states that all applicants must take all three modules (Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and the Writing Task). The test is not subject-specific: it examines no philosophy and no linguistics content, and rewards candidates who can isolate a conclusion, test an assumption and read unfamiliar data quickly.
Among Oxford's TARA courses, only Economics and Management (LN12) and History and Economics (LV11) carry a note saying the Writing Task will not be used in selection. Philosophy and Linguistics carries no such note.
Oxford publishes no cut-off score, no average score and no weighting for the TARA, so any threshold quoted elsewhere online is unofficial.
02
What each module asks of a Philosophy and Linguistics candidate
- Critical Thinking: 22 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, which is under two minutes each. You identify the conclusion, name the flaw, and decide what an argument actually commits itself to. This is the module closest to the analytic work a Philosophy course asks for, and the one candidates most often underestimate, because the wrong options are written to be attractive rather than obviously wrong.
- Problem Solving: also 22 questions in 40 minutes, drawn from numerical, spatial and logical reasoning with no calculator. The arithmetic stays light; pulling the right figures out of a dense stimulus does not.
- Writing Task: 40 minutes to answer one title from three in no more than 750 words. UAT-UK does not mark it, and the script itself is sent to the universities you applied to, which for VQ51 means the tutors reading your file.
The two scored modules are each reported from 1.0 to 9.0 to one decimal place. There is no negative marking and no pass mark, so leaving a question blank gains you nothing.
03
How to practise when there are no past papers
Official preparation material amounts to three things: the TARA Specification, the TARA Question Guide, and two practice sets on Pearson VUE (a specimen with worked solutions and a sample with an answer review, both covering all three modules). No official TARA past papers have ever been published.
UAT-UK's own advice is to practise on BMAT Section 1 papers (2003 to 2023) and TSA Section 1 papers (2008 to 2023), which it hosts on its site. Those archives share the question types, but they run down quickly once you are working to the clock.
FrontierVUE adds 18 Frontier Original parallel papers, each with 45 questions (22 Critical Thinking, 22 Problem Solving, one Writing Task) on the same 120-minute timing, 810 questions across the papers, plus a 350-question topic bank for drilling a single flaw type or one Problem Solving pattern. That is 1,250 TARA questions in total, every one with a worked explanation and a Chinese translation. Papers 1 and 2 are free to attempt.
A sensible order is timed single-module practice at 40 minutes first, then full mock papers.
04
Key dates, fees and booking for 2027 entry
- Registration opens: 1 June 2026, 3pm BST
- Test booking opens: 20 July 2026, 3pm BST
- Access arrangements deadline: 14 September 2026, 6pm BST
- Bursary deadline: 21 September 2026, 6pm BST
- Booking closes: 28 September 2026, 6pm BST
- October test window: 12 to 16 October 2026, with regional variations for China, Hong Kong and Macau, where TARA is sat on 14 October 2026
- Results released: 16 November 2026
Registration and booking are separate steps, and no Pearson VUE seat is confirmed until the booking itself goes through.
A January sitting also exists (booking opens 26 October 2026 at 3pm GMT and closes 21 December 2026 at 6pm GMT, tests run from 4 to 8 January 2027, with 7 January 2027 for China, Hong Kong and Macau, and results on 8 February 2027). Oxford accepts the October sitting only, so a VQ51 applicant has a single attempt in the cycle.
The fee is £78 for candidates in the UK and Ireland and £133 elsewhere, paid at booking. Calculators and dictionaries are not permitted in the test centre. Book as soon as booking opens: 28 September is a hard close.
SAME UNIVERSITY
Other University of Oxford courses that require the TARA
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Oxford Philosophy and Linguistics need the TARA?
Yes. Philosophy and Linguistics (UCAS VQ51) is on the UAT-UK course list for 2027 entry, and Oxford requires all three modules: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and the Writing Task. The test lasts 120 minutes and is taken at a Pearson VUE test centre. Oxford accepts the October sitting only, whose window runs from 12 to 16 October 2026 (14 October 2026 for candidates in China, Hong Kong and Macau), with results on 16 November 2026.
Does the TARA Writing Task count for VQ51?
UAT-UK does not score the Writing Task for any course; instead your response of up to 750 words is passed on to the universities you applied to. Among Oxford's TARA courses, only Economics and Management (LN12) and History and Economics (LV11) state that the Writing Task is not used in selection. Philosophy and Linguistics carries no such statement, and Oxford's page says all applicants must take all three modules. Oxford does not publish how much weight, if any, the essay carries.
What TARA score do I need for Philosophy and Linguistics?
Oxford does not publish a cut-off score, an average score or a weighting for the TARA, and the test has no pass mark. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are each reported on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale to one decimal place, and those scores are read alongside your grades, predicted results, academic reference and personal statement. Any specific threshold quoted online is not an official figure.
Are there TARA past papers for Philosophy and Linguistics?
No. No official TARA past papers have ever been published, and official material is limited to the TARA Specification, the TARA Question Guide and two practice sets on Pearson VUE. UAT-UK advises candidates to practise on BMAT Section 1 (2003 to 2023) and TSA Section 1 (2008 to 2023) papers. FrontierVUE provides 18 Frontier Original parallel papers (810 questions) plus a 350-question topic bank, 1,250 questions in total with explanations and Chinese translations; Papers 1 and 2 are free. These are our own original parallel papers, not official past papers.
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。
Start preparing for the TARA for Philosophy and Linguistics
18 Frontier Original TARA papers and 810 questions, every one with a worked solution. The first 2 papers are free to try.