TARA for UCL Computer Science MEng (UCAS G402)
- 18
- Papers
- 810
- Questions
- 2
- Free to try
- Admissions test for 2027 entry
- Required: the TARA
- Which modules you sit
- All three: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and the Writing Task
- Format and length
- On screen at a Pearson VUE centre; 120 minutes in three 40-minute modules; 22+22 multiple-choice questions plus a Writing Task of no more than 750 words
- Booking and test dates, October sitting (2027 entry)
- Booking opens 20 Jul 2026 and closes 28 Sep 2026; test window 12 to 16 Oct 2026, with the TARA on 14 Oct 2026 for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau; results on 16 Nov 2026
- Entry fee
- £78 in the UK and Ireland, £133 elsewhere
The booking and test dates and the fees are set by UAT-UK rather than by individual universities; take them from the UAT-UK site. Separately: neither UCL nor Oxford has published a TARA cut-off score, a minimum requirement, or the weight the test carries in selection.
Which UCL courses take the TARA, and why Oxford's Computer Science course does not
Computer Science BSc
G400
Computer Science MEng
G402
The course this page covers
Computer Science and Mathematics MEng
G430
Mechanical Engineering BEng
H300
Mechanical engineering is included for the first time in this cycle
Mechanical Engineering MEng
H301
Mechanical engineering is included for the first time in this cycle
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng
H700
| What older guidance says | The position for 2027 entry | |
|---|---|---|
| UCL's social science routes: European Social and Political Studies, International Social and Political Studies and the ESPS dual degrees | These courses sit the TARA | They move to UCL's own Thinking Skills Test and no longer sit the TARA |
| Oxford's Computer Science course | Repeatedly described by third-party guides as requiring the TARA | It requires the TMUA, not the TARA; the TARA is not mentioned anywhere on that course page |
A page still repeating either line on the left is out of date or simply wrong.
What the three modules mean for a G402 applicant
| Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | Writing Task | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 40 minutes | 40 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Questions and length | 22 multiple-choice questions, under two minutes per question on average | 22 multiple-choice questions | One prompt chosen from three, no more than 750 words |
| What you do | Short written arguments: locating the conclusion, identifying flaws and unstated assumptions, and judging what would strengthen or weaken a case | Numerical, spatial and logical reasoning, sat without a calculator; the difficulty sits in selecting the relevant information under time pressure | You write on one of the three prompts |
| Scoring | Reported on the 1.0 to 9.0 scale, to one decimal place | Reported on the 1.0 to 9.0 scale, to one decimal place | Not marked by UAT-UK; your response is passed to the universities you applied to |
Neither multiple-choice module has a pass mark and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so leaving a question blank is never better than choosing an option.
The Writing Task carries no score, but it is not a throwaway
In the test room: no calculators, no dictionaries
How to practise when no past papers exist
TARA Specification
Published by UAT-UK
TARA Question Guide
Published by UAT-UK
Practice sets on Pearson VUE
Two sets
A specimen with explanations and a sample with an answer review, each covering all three modules
Past papers
None ever released
Additional practice recommended by UAT-UK
BMAT Section 1 and TSA Section 1
BMAT 2003 to 2023 and TSA 2008 to 2023; UAT-UK hosts those PDFs on its own site
Frontier Original parallel papers
18 papers
Built to the live structure: 45 questions each (22 Critical Thinking, 22 Problem Solving and one Writing Task) in 120 minutes
Topic bank
350 questions
For targeted work by question type
TARA questions on the platform in total
1,160
Every one with a worked explanation and a Chinese translation
Free to attempt
Papers 1 and 2
Key dates and fees for 2027 entry
Registration opens1 Jun 2026, 3pm BST
Booking opens (October)20 Jul 2026, 3pm BST
Booking closes (October)28 Sep 2026, 6pm BST
October test window12 to 16 Oct 2026
January test window4 to 8 Jan 2027
Register
Register with UAT-UK. On its own this step does not enter you for the test.
Book a seat
You must reserve a seat at a Pearson VUE centre before the booking deadline. The fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland and £133 elsewhere.
Sit the test
The October window runs from 12 to 16 October 2026, and all three modules are taken back to back in one 120-minute session.
Results
Results for the October sitting are released on 16 November 2026.
Other UCL courses that require the TARA
Frequently asked questions
Does Computer Science MEng at UCL need an admissions test?
Which UCL courses require the TARA for 2027 entry?
Is the TARA the same test as Oxford's Computer Science admissions test?
Are there past TARA papers I can practise with?
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 Computer Science MEng
18 Frontier Original TARA papers and 810 questions, every one with a worked solution. The first 2 papers are free to try.