TMUA 2025: No Past Paper in the Official Materials, How to Read the Scores

UAT-UK's free preparation materials are the test specification and the sample tests, which do not include past papers, and the questions from the 2025 sittings are not among them; the official document on that year's results is UAT-UK's Explanation of Results. The 2025/26 cycle ran two sittings, October 2025 and January 2026, in the same shape as UAT-UK's first year: 2 hours 30 minutes in total, two papers taken back to back, 20 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes each, no calculator or dictionary, and no penalty for a wrong answer. Results are reported as a single overall score on a scale from 1.0 to 9.0, to one decimal place. This page sets out what the official documents actually say for this year, how to read the score, and what to practise when the official materials do not carry this year's questions.
TMUA 2025 at a Glance
Is there a past paper?
No. The exam provider's preparation materials are the specification and the sample tests, which do not carry the 2025 questions, and FrontierVUE holds no paper for this year
Format
2 hours 30 minutes in total, two papers back to back, 20 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes each, no calculator or dictionary
Sittings
Two sittings, October 2025 and January 2026, whose score distributions appear together in one Explanation of Results
How results are reported
A single overall score from 1.0 (low) to 9.0 (high), to one decimal place; UAT-UK states on its results page that it provides no grade boundaries and no pass mark
Scale anchors
Typical candidates score around 4.5, approximately 10% score higher than 7.0, and scores are capped at 1.0 and 9.0
So what do I practise?
FrontierVUE holds 16 TMUA past papers, 320 questions in all, plus 2 official specimen papers (FrontierVUE catalogue), with 2023 the most recent year it holds a paper for

The format and scale figures come from UAT-UK's official TMUA pages and the Explanation of Results covering the October 2025 and January 2026 sittings, linked at the foot of this page. Paper and question counts are FrontierVUE catalogue figures, not official paper data. FrontierVUE is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorised by UAT-UK, Cambridge Assessment or the University of Cambridge.

01

What the TMUA looked like in 2025, and how results were reported

The 2025/26 cycle was UAT-UK's second year running the TMUA, and it kept the shape of the first: computer-based multiple choice, delivered through Pearson VUE test centres, with two sittings each year in October and January, and Cambridge applicants normally required to sit the October one. Oxford was still using the MAT at this point and only moved to the TMUA from the October 2026 sitting. The Explanation of Results for this year covers both the October 2025 and January 2026 sittings, presenting their score distributions together in a single chart.

Total length

2 hours 30 minutes

Two papers taken back to back

Paper structure

Paper 1 Applications of Mathematical Knowledge, Paper 2 Mathematical Reasoning

20 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes each

Sittings

October 2025 and January 2026

Cambridge applicants normally take the October sitting; Oxford was still using the MAT this year and only moved to the TMUA from the October 2026 sitting

Calculator and dictionary

Neither is allowed

Marking

Marks for correct answers, no penalty for wrong ones

The official advice is therefore to attempt every question

Reporting

A single overall score from 1.0 to 9.0, to one decimal place

The two papers are equated and scaled together; from 2024 UAT-UK no longer reports the papers separately

Who sees your score

Sent automatically, via your UCAS application, to institutions whose courses require the test

Candidates cannot choose which institutions can see the score

Fee (current official figure)

78 pounds in the UK and Ireland, 133 pounds elsewhere

The 2024/25 cycle charged 75/130 pounds; always check the current official page before booking

One line here is worth remembering on its own: scores are sent automatically to the institutions whose courses require the test, matched through your UCAS application, and candidates cannot pick and choose who sees them. On the same page UAT-UK states that it provides no grade boundaries and no pass mark, and that it does not accept appeals against test scores. There is therefore no official boundary table to look up for this year, and reading a score means reading the scale, which is the next section.
Who uses it: on the current official list for 2027 entry, seven universities use the UAT-UK tests (Imperial, Cambridge, Durham, LSE, Oxford, Warwick and UCL), with the TMUA used for selected courses in Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science, covering 60 courses on the official list. Two changes affect later cycles: from the October 2026 sitting Oxford switches to the TMUA for all Mathematics and Computer Science courses and the MAT is discontinued, and Cambridge Mathematics now requires every applicant to take the TMUA as a preliminary assessment before interview invitations. Requirements move year to year, so check the course page you are applying to before booking.
02

How to read a TMUA 2025 score

The official wording for this year is short and worth reading closely: results are reported as a single overall score on a scale running from 1.0 (low) to 9.0 (high), quoted to one decimal place; the scale is designed so that typical candidates score around 4.5, approximately 10% of candidates score higher than 7.0, and scores are capped at 1.0 at the bottom and 9.0 at the top. These anchors are identical to those for the 2024/25 cycle, so the two years can be read side by side.

1.0 to 9.0

The score scale, quoted to one decimal place, as a single overall score

4.5

Where a typical candidate sits; the median is fixed at this point

7.0

Approximately 10% of candidates score above this, the 90th percentile point

What does 4.5 mean?
The official wording is that the scale is designed so that typical candidates score around 4.5. That makes it the middle of the scale rather than a pass mark, and the exam provider sets no threshold; individual universities publish their own requirements. The TMUA cohort is itself a highly selective group applying for Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science, so 4.5 does not describe a modest level of mathematics in absolute terms.
Where does 7.0 sit?
The Explanation of Results states that approximately 10% of candidates score higher than 7.0, which places 7.0 at roughly the 90th percentile. One discrepancy is worth flagging: a sentence on the UAT-UK test-results page describing the scaling method puts a different figure at the 90th percentile, which contradicts both the earlier text on that same page and the wording of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 Explanation of Results documents. This page follows the Explanation of Results and uses 7.0.
Why does UAT-UK publish no grade boundaries?
Because UAT-UK does not publish them. On its current results page UAT-UK states that it does not provide grade boundaries or a pass mark, and that it does not accept appeals against test scores. Individual universities set out what they expect on their own course pages, and those expectations can change from year to year; the official advice is to consult the pages of the courses you are applying to for the latest TMUA requirements.
Can the distribution chart tell you how many scored what?
No. The Explanation of Results for this year presents a bar chart combining both sittings, with the scale running from 1.0 to 9.0, and that document carries no accompanying table of values. Reading percentages off bar heights by eye is not reliable, so this page reports only what the document itself sets out, and quotes no band-by-band counts or proportions that it leaves out.
How is the score produced?
The two papers are equated and scaled together, in the official phrasing, to produce a single overall score, using a Rasch item-response model to equate across paper versions. The scale is anchored on the October cohort's distribution, with the median fixed at 4.5 and the 90th percentile at 7.0, and the January sitting is then mapped onto the same scale, so a score means the same thing in either sitting.
Scores do not carry across the two eras, and this is the easiest trap when reading TMUA results. UAT-UK's Explanation of Results for 2024/25 states: This scaling process has been revised for 2024/25, and scores should not be compared directly with TMUA scores from earlier years. Scores from 2024 onwards, 2025 included, therefore cannot be ranked against scores from 2023 and earlier under Cambridge Assessment, and cannot be joined into a single trend line. Treat any chart that plots both eras on one axis as unusable.
Cambridge Assessment era (2023 and earlier)UAT-UK era (2024 onwards, including 2025)
Delivered byCambridge Assessment Admissions TestingUAT-UK, a non-profit joint venture set up in 2023 by Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge
How results are reportedAn overall score plus separate scores for Paper 1 and Paper 2A single overall score only, with the two papers equated and scaled together
Scale anchorsIn 2016, about 50% above 5.0 and about 10% above 7.5; from 2017 to 2022, about a third above 6.5Typical candidates around 4.5, approximately 10% above 7.0
SittingsOne autumn sitting each yearTwo sittings each year, October and January

Each column stands on its own and neither converts into the other. The revision of the scaling process from 2024/25 is stated explicitly by the exam provider, and 2025 uses the same anchors, so a 2025 score belongs alongside scores from 2024 onwards and cannot be ranked against the left-hand column.

03

Is there a TMUA 2025 paper to practise?

The short answer is no. The exam provider's free preparation materials are the test specification and the sample tests, which do not include past papers, and the questions from the 2025 sittings are not among them; FrontierVUE holds no paper for that year either. Searching for a TMUA 2025 past paper turns up no official PDF because what the exam provider gives you is the specification and the sample tests, not because you are looking in the wrong place. The official document reporting the year's results is the Explanation of Results, which covers the score scale and shows a combined distribution chart for the two sittings; it contains no questions. UAT-UK also states that the sharing of test content either during or after the admissions cycle is strictly prohibited. Anything offered online as a 2025 TMUA past paper did not come from the exam provider, and practising on it will give you a false read on difficulty.
The background: from 2024 the TMUA has been a computer-based test, delivered through roughly 5500 Pearson VUE test centres worldwide, and for these cycles the exam provider has published an Explanation of Results for the scores plus a free test specification and sample tests for preparation, none of which carry past papers. The practical effect on preparation is smaller than it sounds, because the shape of the test has not moved: 2 hours 30 minutes, two papers of 20 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes each, no calculator, no penalty for wrong answers, a structure in place since 2017. The way you practise still holds; you simply take the papers from earlier years.
01First

Work through the years that do have papers

FrontierVUE holds 16 TMUA past papers (FrontierVUE catalogue), the most recent year being 2023. Sitting a full paper under time is still the closest thing to the real test, and the structure matches what 2025 candidates faced.

02Second

Top up with mock papers

There are only so many real papers. Once they are used up, keep sitting full papers in the mock section at /exams/tmua/mock-tests. Mocks maintain rhythm and stamina; keep calibrating difficulty against the real papers.

03Third

Drill the topics you keep losing marks on

After each full paper, group your errors by topic and drill them in the question bank at /papers/tmua. The logic and proof content behind Paper 2 in particular repays being trained as a block of its own.

04Fourth

Calibrate your target against the official scale

Set your target on the scale itself: typical candidates score around 4.5 and approximately 10% score above 7.0. UAT-UK publishes no boundaries, so do not chase a threshold the exam provider has not set; go by what your course pages actually ask for.

One caveat: practising on papers from 2023 and earlier is entirely sensible, but do not take the scores from those years as your target. The scaling was revised for 2024/25 and the exam provider states that scores should not be compared directly with earlier years, so older papers are there to train the mathematics, not to set a number.
04

How to prepare for this year on FrontierVUE

01First

Open the TMUA question bank

Go to /papers/tmua, where the catalogue lists papers by year and by paper; anything carrying a free label can be tried straight away.

02Second

Start with the most recent real paper

The most recent year FrontierVUE holds a real paper for is 2023, whose year page sits at /exams/tmua/past-papers/2023. Work backwards from there, using the earliest years for foundation work.

03Third

Sit it under time

Use the real conditions: 20 questions and 75 minutes for each paper, no calculator. Pacing problems surface far faster in a full paper than in single-question drills.

04Fourth

Review the worked solutions and error causes

After submitting you get a question-by-question breakdown with an error-cause classification; map the mistakes back to topics and close them in targeted practice.

16 past papers

TMUA past papers held, 320 questions across the 16, plus 2 official specimen papers (FrontierVUE catalogue)

1102 questions

TMUA questions on the site in total, including mock papers and the topic bank, not the past-paper count (FrontierVUE catalogue)

2023

The most recent year FrontierVUE holds a real paper for; the exam provider's preparation materials carry no questions from 2024 or 2025

TMUA guides

/exams/tmua/guides/

syllabusWhat the syllabus actually covers, so you know the boundary
paper-1Preparing for Applications of Mathematical Knowledge
paper-2Preparing for Mathematical Reasoning
logic-and-proofLogic and proof, the core content behind Paper 2 Mathematical Reasoning
scoringThe scale and the reporting mechanism in full
time-managementHow to spend the 75 minutes on each paper

Tap a branch to unfold

To work year by year, start from the year list at /exams/tmua/past-papers, where each year has its own page setting out the official position and what is held for it. For pacing and booking, see /exams/tmua/guides/revision-plan and /exams/tmua/guides/registration-and-dates.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where can I download the TMUA 2025 past paper?
Not from an official source. UAT-UK's free preparation materials are the test specification and the sample tests, which do not include past papers, and the questions from the 2025 sittings are not among them; the official document on the year's results is the Explanation of Results, which sets out the score scale and shows a combined distribution chart for the two sittings, with no questions in it. UAT-UK also states that sharing test content during or after the admissions cycle is strictly prohibited. FrontierVUE holds no paper for the year either. To sit a full paper, use a year FrontierVUE does hold: the most recent is 2023.
What counts as a good TMUA 2025 score?
UAT-UK states that it provides no pass mark; what it does publish are the anchors of the scale: a single overall score from 1.0 to 9.0, quoted to one decimal place, designed so that typical candidates score around 4.5 and approximately 10% score higher than 7.0. That puts 7.0 at roughly the 90th percentile. UAT-UK does not publish course-level thresholds either, so go by the course page you are applying to, bearing in mind that requirements can change from year to year.
Can I compare a TMUA 2025 score with a 2023 one?
Not directly. UAT-UK's Explanation of Results for 2024/25 states: This scaling process has been revised for 2024/25, and scores should not be compared directly with TMUA scores from earlier years. The 2025 cycle uses the anchors introduced in 2024 (typical candidates around 4.5, approximately 10% above 7.0), while 2023 and earlier, under Cambridge Assessment, used a different set (about a third above 6.5 in each year from 2017 to 2022). Each era is internally valid, but the two cannot be joined into one trend.
With no 2025 paper in the official materials, what should I actually practise?
Three lines of work stack together. First, sit the years FrontierVUE holds papers for: 16 TMUA past papers, 320 questions in all, plus 2 official specimen papers (FrontierVUE catalogue), the most recent year being 2023, and those are best done under time. Second, once the real papers run out, keep sitting full papers in the mock section at /exams/tmua/mock-tests. Third, pull the topics you keep getting wrong out of those papers and drill them by topic at /papers/tmua. The two-paper structure of 20 questions and 75 minutes each has been in place since 2017, so older papers still match on question types and pacing, though from 2024 the test is delivered on screen.
Sources

Official sources

By year

Other TMUA years

TMUA 2024TMUA 2023TMUA 2022TMUA 2021TMUA 2020TMUA 2019TMUA 2018TMUA 2017TMUA 2016

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。

No TMUA 2025 paper exists: here is what to practise instead

Practise the years that were released, plus mock papers and topic drills, all in a timed interface with worked solutions.

Practise TMUA papersAll TMUA past papers