Durham UniversityUCAS G100 +3
Durham University Mathematics Degrees: TMUA Guide for 2027 Entry
For 2027 entry, Durham University's Mathematics degrees treat TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) as an optional admissions test that applicants are strongly encouraged to sit, and a high enough score may earn a reduced offer. This page covers all four courses, BSc Mathematics (G100), MMath Mathematics (G103), BSc Mathematics & Statistics (G111) and MMath Mathematics & Statistics (G114), and walks through the official policy, the key dates and registration steps, and a concrete preparation route using FrontierVue's past papers and mocks.
- 28
- Papers
- 826
- Questions
- 2
- Free to try
Durham Mathematics TMUA at a Glance
- Compulsory for G100 / G103 / G111 / G114?
- Optional, but Durham strongly encourages it
- Payoff for a high score
- A high enough score may earn a reduced offer; no threshold published
- Which papers, and the alternative
- Both TMUA papers, 20 questions each, 150 minutes; or sit STEP instead
- Sitting dates (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau)
- 15-16 Oct 2026, or 8 Jan 2027
- Booking deadlines
- October: 6pm UK time, 28 Sep 2026; January: 21 Dec 2026
Policy from Durham University's official course pages for 2027 entry; the official UAT-UK Course List for 2027 marks these four courses as "TMUA recommended". Test structure, sitting dates and booking deadlines follow the official schedule of UAT-UK, which runs the test, so always confirm against official announcements.
4 sections1,047 words6 min read1 official sources
01
01 Durham's Official Policy: Optional, Strongly Encouraged, High Scores Can Earn a Reduced Offer
Durham's official course pages for September 2027 entry use one and the same wording across all four Mathematics degrees. The essence: applicants are strongly encouraged to sit an optional mathematics test, such as TMUA or STEP, and achievement of a high enough score may also entitle you to a reduced offer. The official UAT-UK Course List for 2027 likewise lists these four courses as "TMUA recommended".
BSc Mathematics
G100
Optional, strongly encouraged; a high score may earn a reduced offer
MMath Mathematics
G103
Optional, strongly encouraged; a high score may earn a reduced offer
BSc Mathematics & Statistics
G111
Optional, strongly encouraged; a high score may earn a reduced offer
MMath Mathematics & Statistics
G114
Optional, strongly encouraged; a high score may earn a reduced offer
Durham does not publish a numeric threshold: the official wording only says "a high enough score", so treat any specific cut-off you see elsewhere as unofficial, and rely on the current course page and the terms of your own offer.
One more thing to note: since the same sentence covers all four courses, switching between G100, G103, G111 and G114 does not change how your TMUA score is used.
02
02 Key Dates and Registration (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau Sittings)
TMUA is run by UAT-UK and delivered through the Pearson VUE test network; you register via the UAT-UK / Pearson VUE system. For 2027 entry there are two sittings: October 2026 and January 2027. Candidates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau sit on fixed dates; both sittings and their booking deadlines are laid out on the timeline below.
2026 – 2027Timeline
Sep 26
Oct 26
Nov 26
Dec 26
Jan 27
Booking closes (Oct)28 Sep 2026, 6pm UK
Booking closes (Oct)
28 Sep 2026, 6pm UK
Per UAT-UK's official schedule, booking for the October sitting closes at 6pm UK time on 28 September 2026. You register via the UAT-UK / Pearson VUE system; always confirm against official announcements.
October sitting (CN/HK/MO)15-16 Oct 2026
October sitting (CN/HK/MO)
15-16 Oct 2026
Candidates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau sit the October session on fixed dates: 15-16 October 2026.
Booking closes (Jan)21 Dec 2026
Booking closes (Jan)
21 Dec 2026
Per UAT-UK's official schedule, booking for the January sitting closes on 21 December 2026; always confirm against official announcements.
January sitting (CN/HK/MO)8 Jan 2027
January sitting (CN/HK/MO)
8 Jan 2027
Candidates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau sit the January session on a fixed date: 8 January 2027.
Hard deadline Event WindowDates per UAT-UK's official schedule
Structure
Two papers, 20 MCQs each
75 minutes per paper, 150 minutes in total
What Paper 1 tests
Applications of mathematical knowledge
What Paper 2 tests
Mathematical reasoning and logic
Score scale
1.0 to 9.0
Choosing between the two sittings. For Durham applicants, the official wording contains no restriction on which sitting counts. What follows is practical advice rather than Durham's official position: the October sitting returns results earlier in the cycle, so taking it first and keeping January in reserve as a second chance is the safer plan.
03
03 How to Prepare for TMUA on FrontierVue
18 sets
TMUA past papers (2015-2023, incl. official specimen)
10 sets
Mock papers
971
Questions, each with a worked solution and a Chinese translation
Latest 2
Past papers free to try
Start at TMUA past papers, and see the TMUA exam overview for the full picture. Given Durham's "optional, but high scores are rewarded" stance, a four-step route works well.
01Step 1
Read the syllabus, then split by paper
Read the syllabus guide first, then the Paper 1 guide and the Paper 2 guide, to understand how the two papers differ.
02Step 2
Take a timed diagnostic on the free papers
Sit the two free recent past papers under timed conditions, use the scoring guide to place yourself on the 1.0-9.0 scale, then work through the bank systematically with the revision plan.
03Step 3
Drill reasoning and logic for Paper 2
Paper 2 is dedicated to mathematical reasoning and logic, so drill it with the logic and proof guide.
04Step 4
Polish execution in the final push
Polish your execution with the time management guide and the common mistakes guide, and read the test day guide in the last week.
The guides behind each of the four steps:
Setting the target. Durham's wording rewards "a high enough score", so you are aiming for the top bands and a possible reduced offer, not a pass mark. With 20 questions in 75 minutes per paper, you have under 4 minutes per question on average, so train under timed conditions from your very first paper.
04
04 Durham Specifics: Reduced Offers and the STEP Alternative
Three points inside Durham Mathematics' official wording are worth pulling out on their own.
The reduced offer is the most tangible incentive in Durham's policy
The official wording states explicitly that achievement of a high enough score may entitle you to a reduced offer. If there is any uncertainty around your A-level or IB results, this directly de-risks results day, a rare hard payoff for an "optional" test. To repeat the caveat: no conversion threshold is published, and what a reduced offer looks like in your case is defined by the offer you actually receive.
STEP is an accepted alternative
Durham's wording is "an optional mathematics test, such as TMUA or STEP", so either test satisfies the recommendation, and a high score in either may earn the reduced offer. If you are already preparing STEP for another university, you do not need to sit TMUA separately for Durham. If you have no STEP plans, TMUA is an entirely multiple-choice test completed in a single 150-minute sitting, with registration via UAT-UK / Pearson VUE.
Optional does not mean irrelevant
The operative phrase is "strongly encouraged", and the UAT-UK Course List marks G100, G103, G111 and G114 as TMUA recommended. Skipping the test creates no formal barrier, but a competitive TMUA score hands admissions tutors extra positive evidence and carries the chance of a reduced offer, so the return on preparation time is clear.
Two caveats to carry away from this page. First, Durham publishes no TMUA conversion threshold: what a reduced offer looks like in your case is defined by the current course page and by the terms of the offer you actually receive. Second, sitting dates and booking deadlines follow UAT-UK's official schedule, so always confirm against official announcements.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is TMUA compulsory for Durham Mathematics (G100)?
No, it is not compulsory. Durham's official policy for 2027 entry is that applicants are strongly encouraged to sit an optional mathematics test such as TMUA or STEP, and a high enough score may earn a reduced offer. The same policy applies across all four Mathematics courses: G100, G103, G111 and G114.
What TMUA score do I need for a reduced offer from Durham Mathematics?
Durham does not publish a threshold: the official wording says only that achievement of a high enough score may entitle you to a reduced offer. TMUA is scored on a 1.0 to 9.0 scale, so the sensible approach is to prepare for the top bands, and to treat the current course page and the terms of your own offer as the final word.
I am in mainland China. When should I sit TMUA for Durham Mathematics?
For 2027 entry there are two sittings, October 2026 and January 2027; candidates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau sit on fixed dates, 15-16 October 2026 or 8 January 2027, registering via UAT-UK / Pearson VUE. Durham's wording does not restrict which sitting counts, so taking October first gets you results earlier and keeps January as a fallback.
Can I take STEP instead of TMUA for Durham Mathematics?
Yes. Durham's own wording puts the two side by side: applicants are strongly encouraged to sit an optional mathematics test such as TMUA or STEP, so either one satisfies the recommendation, and a high score in either may earn a reduced offer. If you are starting from scratch, note that TMUA is entirely multiple-choice and completed in a single 150-minute sitting.
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.
Start preparing for the TMUA for Mathematics degrees
28 TMUA papers and 826 questions on FrontierVUE, every one with a worked solution. The 2 most recent papers are free to try.