UCLUCAS H300

UCL Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300): TARA Requirements for 2027 Entry

UCL's Mechanical Engineering BEng (UCAS code H300) requires applicants for 2027 entry to sit all three modules of the TARA, the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions run by UAT-UK and sat on screen at Pearson VUE test centres. The test lasts 120 minutes in total and is organised as three 40-minute modules: Critical Thinking (22 multiple-choice questions), Problem Solving (22 multiple-choice questions) and the Writing Task (one essay chosen from three prompts, up to 750 words). The two marked modules are scored on a scale of 1.0 to 9.0, reported to one decimal place. The Writing Task is not marked by UAT-UK; a copy of your response is sent to the universities you applied to. There is no negative marking and no pass mark, and calculators and dictionaries are not permitted. Mechanical Engineering joins the TARA list at UCL for the first time in the 2027 cycle, covering both Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300) and Mechanical Engineering MEng (H301).
Practise 18 TARA papers (2 free)Full TARA guide
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Questions
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TARA for UCL Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300)
Does H300 require the TARA
Compulsory; new to the list for 2027 entry, and the same applies to Mechanical Engineering MEng (H301)
Which modules
All three: Critical Thinking (22 questions) + Problem Solving (22 questions) + an essay of up to 750 words, 120 minutes in one session
October sitting: booking and test dates
Registration opens 1 June 2026; booking runs 20 July to 6pm BST on 28 September 2026; test window 12 to 16 October 2026, 14 October in China, Hong Kong and Macau; results 16 November 2026
January sitting: booking and test dates
Booking runs 26 October to 6pm GMT on 21 December 2026; test window 4 to 8 January 2027, 7 January in China, Hong Kong and Macau; results 8 February 2027
Fee
£78 in the UK and Ireland, £133 in other regions

All of the above applies to the 2027 entry cycle. Oxford accepts only the October sitting; if UCL is your only TARA application, confirm on the UCL course page which sittings it accepts before relying on January.

4 sections1,125 words6 min read
01

What UCL requires for H300, and the courses people confuse it with

UCL has used the TARA since 2026 entry, and Mechanical Engineering is added to the list for the first time in the 2027 cycle. Six UCL programmes require the TARA for 2027 entry, with the UCAS codes below.

Computer Science BSc

G400

Computer Science MEng

G402

Computer Science and Mathematics MEng

G430

Mechanical Engineering BEng

H300

The course on this page; new to the TARA list for 2027 entry

Mechanical Engineering MEng

H301

Added to the list alongside H300 for 2027 entry

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng

H700

Two points catch applicants out when they check the rest of their list. Neither changes what H300 itself requires, but both change how you plan the cycle as a whole.
Often recorded asWhat actually applies for 2027 entry
UCL European Social and Political Studies, International Social and Political Studies and the ESPS dual degreeSitting the TARAMoved away for 2027 entry: they now sit UCL's own Thinking Skills Test instead of the TARA
Oxford Computer ScienceListed as a TARA course by third-party guidesUses the TMUA, not the TARA

Across the 2027 cycle the TARA covers ten Oxford courses plus these six UCL programmes, sixteen in total.

Neither UCL nor Oxford publishes a TARA score threshold, an average score for admitted applicants, or a stated weighting against the rest of the application, so any cut-off figure circulating online is not official. What is certain is narrower and more useful: the TARA is compulsory for UCL Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300), and an application without it is incomplete.
02

What the three modules ask of an engineering applicant

All three modules are taken in a single 120-minute session, on screen at a Pearson VUE test centre. Critical Thinking allows roughly 109 seconds per question, and very little in A-level Maths or Physics trains that kind of question directly. The table sets the three modules side by side.
Critical ThinkingProblem SolvingWriting Task
Time40 minutes40 minutes40 minutes
Questions and format22 multiple-choice questions22 multiple-choice questionsOne essay chosen from three prompts, up to 750 words
Scored?Scored, 1.0 to 9.0, reported to one decimal placeScored, 1.0 to 9.0, reported to one decimal placeNot marked by UAT-UK
What it means for an engineering applicantIt tests identifying conclusions, unstated assumptions and flaws in short written argumentsNo calculator, so numerical, spatial and data-handling work is done mentally or on paper, at a pace standard science papers do not rehearseYour script is forwarded to the universities you applied to, so UCL receives it
The TARA contains no subject-content module: there is no mechanics section, no thermodynamics section and nothing drawn from the A-level Physics specification. Preparation therefore means argument analysis, fast mental arithmetic and written structure rather than more revision of engineering content, which is exactly why strong maths and physics candidates can still be caught out.
There is no negative marking and no pass mark, and calculators and dictionaries are not permitted at any point. On a question you cannot crack, an educated guess beats leaving it blank.
03

How to practise when there are no past papers

UAT-UK has never released TARA past papers. The official preparation materials, plus the sources UAT-UK itself points candidates at for extra practice, are limited to the following.

TARA Specification

Official preparation material

Published by UAT-UK

TARA Question Guide

Official preparation material

Published by UAT-UK

Two practice sets on Pearson VUE

Both cover all three modules

A specimen with explanations, and a sample with an answer review

BMAT Section 1 (2003 to 2023)

Extra practice suggested by UAT-UK

Papers from a discontinued test

TSA Section 1 (2008 to 2023)

Extra practice suggested by UAT-UK

With BMAT Section 1, the closest legitimate free question sources to the TARA format

Even after working through all of that, most applicants are short of full-length, correctly timed rehearsal. FrontierVUE writes Frontier Original parallel papers to the published format, each with 22 Critical Thinking questions, 22 Problem Solving questions and a Writing Task, sat against the real 120-minute clock, alongside a separate topic bank for targeted drilling.

18 sets

Frontier Original parallel papers written to the published format

810

Questions inside those papers

350

Topic-bank questions for targeted drilling

1,160

TARA questions on FrontierVUE in total

Here is the order we suggest working through these. It is FrontierVUE's own suggestion, not an official preparation sequence.
01Step 1

Start with the official materials

The TARA Specification, the TARA Question Guide, and the two Pearson VUE practice sets (a specimen with explanations and a sample with an answer review, both covering all three modules).

02Step 2

Top up volume with papers from discontinued tests

BMAT Section 1 (2003 to 2023) and TSA Section 1 (2008 to 2023), the extra practice UAT-UK itself points candidates at.

03Step 3

Full papers against the clock

The 18 Frontier Original parallel papers, sat against the real 120-minute clock. **Papers 1 and 2 are free to sit.**

04Step 4

Drill weak spots with the topic bank

350 topic-bank questions for targeted work. Every question carries a worked explanation and a Chinese translation.

To be explicit about what these are: the Frontier Original parallel papers are original papers written to the published specification, not official past papers, and FrontierVUE is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson or UCL.
04

Key dates and fees for 2027 entry

There are two sittings for 2027 entry, October and January. The timeline below puts registration, booking, the test windows and results days on a single axis, with official hard deadlines marked in gold.
2026 – 2027Timeline
Jun 26
Jul 26
Aug 26
Sep 26
Oct 26
Nov 26
Dec 26
Jan 27
Feb 27
October sitting: registration opens
1 Jun 2026, 3pm BST
October sitting: booking opens
20 Jul 2026, 3pm BST
October sitting: access arrangements deadline
14 Sep 2026, 6pm BST
October sitting: bursary deadline
21 Sep 2026, 6pm BST
October sitting: booking closes
28 Sep 2026, 6pm BST
October test window
12 to 16 Oct 2026
In China, Hong Kong and Macau the TARA is sat on 14 October 2026.
October sitting: results
16 Nov 2026
January sitting: booking opens
26 Oct 2026, 3pm GMT
January sitting: booking closes
21 Dec 2026, 6pm GMT
January test window
4 to 8 Jan 2027
For candidates in China, Hong Kong and Macau it is 7 January 2027.
January sitting: results
8 Feb 2027
Hard deadline Event WindowOctober times are given in BST and January times in GMT, as published.

UK and Ireland

£78

TARA test fee for 2027 entry

Other regions

£133

TARA test fee for 2027 entry

Oxford accepts only the October sitting. If you are applying to an Oxford TARA course alongside UCL Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300), October is the date to plan around. If UCL is your only TARA application, confirm on the UCL course page which sittings it accepts before relying on January.
SAME UNIVERSITY

Other UCL courses that require the TARA

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does UCL Mechanical Engineering BEng (H300) need an admissions test?
Yes. For 2027 entry, applicants to Mechanical Engineering BEng must sit the TARA, and the same applies to Mechanical Engineering MEng (H301). This is the first cycle in which Mechanical Engineering appears on the TARA list. All three modules are taken in one 120-minute session at a Pearson VUE test centre, and you register with UAT-UK before booking a seat.
Is the TARA a maths or physics test?
No. The TARA has no subject-content module. Critical Thinking (22 questions) and Problem Solving (22 questions) are multiple-choice reasoning modules, and the third module is an essay of up to 750 words. Calculators and dictionaries are banned, so the numerical work in Problem Solving is arithmetic, proportion and data reasoning under time pressure rather than mechanics, thermodynamics or A-level Physics content.
Does the Writing Task count for Mechanical Engineering at UCL?
UAT-UK does not mark the Writing Task. A copy of your response is sent to the universities you applied to, so UCL receives your script. Oxford states that the Writing Task will not be used in selection for two of its own courses (Economics and Management, and History and Economics), but UCL has published no equivalent statement for Mechanical Engineering. Prepare on the basis that it will be read: 40 minutes, one prompt from three, up to 750 words.
When is the TARA for 2027 entry and how much does it cost?
The October test window runs from 12 to 16 October 2026, with the TARA sat on 14 October 2026 in China, Hong Kong and Macau; results are released on 16 November 2026. Registration opens on 1 June 2026 and booking runs from 20 July 2026 to 6pm BST on 28 September 2026. The January window is 4 to 8 January 2027 (7 January 2027 in China, Hong Kong and Macau), with booking open from 26 October 2026 to 21 December 2026 and results on 8 February 2027. The fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland and £133 in other regions.
SOURCES

Official sources

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。

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18 Frontier Original TARA papers and 810 questions, every one with a worked solution. The first 2 papers are free to try.

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