TMUA preparation guide

TMUA Registration and Test Dates for 2027 Entry

Q: When does TMUA registration open?

Registration for this cycle opens on 1 June 2026, with booking from 20 July. Window 1 booking closes at 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026, and window 2 on 21 December 2026.

Q: Which TMUA dates apply in mainland China?

Sitting days in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are fixed: 15 and 16 October 2026 only in window 1, and 8 January 2027 only in window 2.

Q: How much does the TMUA cost?

Officially £78 at UK centres and £133 elsewhere. The test is computer-based and taken at Pearson VUE centres.

Q: Can I still apply to Oxbridge after missing October?

Oxford only accepts the October sitting and Cambridge Maths requires it, so January cannot substitute on those routes. Whether other TMUA universities accept January scores is governed by each university's own published policy.

The TMUA runs twice in the 2027 entry cycle: 12 to 16 October 2026, and 4 to 8 January 2027. Booking closes at 18:00 UK time on 28 September and 21 December 2026 respectively, and applicants to Oxford and Cambridge are expected to sit the October window. This page puts every milestone, from account registration to results, on one timeline, with the fixed sitting dates for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau called out separately.

5 sections1,058 words6 min read6 official sources

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Questions: 826
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TMUA at a Glance: 2027 Entry

Test windows: 12-16 Oct 2026; 4-8 Jan 2027
Booking deadlines: 28 Sep and 21 Dec 2026, 18:00 UK time
Entry fee: £78 in the UK, £133 elsewhere
China, HK & Macau dates: Window 1: 15-16 Oct only; window 2: 8 Jan only

Oxford only accepts the October sitting, and Cambridge Maths requires all applicants to sit in October (register by 28 September 2026).

In short

Two sittings a year: 12-16 October 2026 and 4-8 January 2027. Oxford only accepts October, and Cambridge Maths requires it too.
Booking deadlines are hard: 28 September 2026 for window 1 and 21 December 2026 for window 2, both at 18:00 UK time.
Dates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are fixed: 15-16 October only in window 1, and 8 January 2027 only in window 2.
The fee is £78 at UK centres and £133 elsewhere, for a computer-based multiple-choice test delivered at around 5500 Pearson VUE centres.
Scores go to TMUA universities automatically through UCAS: you cannot choose who sees them, and score appeals are not accepted.

Part of our overview: UK admissions test changes for 2027 entry (MAT, NSAA, ENGAA, TSA and what replaced them)

01

Two Windows, One Decision

Under UAT-UK the TMUA runs twice a year, in October and January. Pick your window by university first: Oxford only accepts October, Cambridge Maths requires it too, and Imperial takes either window but counts only your first attempt in the cycle. The timeline below lays out every milestone of the 2027 entry cycle.

2026 – 2027Timeline

Jun 26

Jul 26

Aug 26

Sep 26

Oct 26

Nov 26

Dec 26

Jan 27

TMUA registration opens

Start

Per Oxford Computer Science's pages, registration opens on 1 June 2026.

October booking window

Book a Pearson VUE centre and pay from 20 July 2026.

Window 1 booking deadline

18:00 UK time

Test window 1

Required for Oxbridge

China, HK & Macau dates (window 1)

The only two sitting days in this region for window 1.

Window 2 booking deadline

18:00 UK time

Test window 2

China, HK & Macau date (window 2)

The single sitting day in this region for window 2.

Hard deadline Event WindowThe official sources above give no fixed results date for this cycle; once released, scores are matched via UCAS and sent automatically to universities that require the TMUA, and you cannot choose which of them see your score.

Applying to Oxford or Cambridge as well? October is your only option: Oxford accepts nothing else, Cambridge Maths requires the October sitting, and Imperial states that applicants also applying to Oxbridge must sit in October. Working backwards, 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026 is your real deadline.

02

Booking in Five Steps

The TMUA is computer-based and delivered through Pearson VUE's worldwide network. The booking process itself is simple. Five steps, done in order, and the only things that catch people out are the two booking deadlines.

01From June

Register for the TMUA

Registration opens on 1 June 2026 for this cycle.

02From July

Book a seat and centre

Booking runs from 20 July 2026 across roughly 5500 Pearson VUE centres worldwide.

03Hard deadline

Pay and confirm

£78 at UK centres, £133 elsewhere. Deadlines: 28 September 2026 for window 1, 21 December 2026 for window 2, both 18:00 UK time.

04

Sit the test

2 hours 30 minutes in total: two papers back to back, each 75 minutes and 20 multiple-choice questions, with no calculator or dictionary.

05

Results and reporting

You receive a single overall score from 1.0 to 9.0 to one decimal place, sent automatically through UCAS to TMUA universities.

Format

Computer-based MCQ

Delivered at Pearson VUE centres

Length

2h 30m

Two papers, 75 min and 20 questions each

Restrictions

No calculator, no dictionary

Marking

No negative marking

Scored 1.0 to 9.0, one decimal place

03

Fixed Dates in China, Hong Kong and Macau

Globally each window spans several days, but TMUA sitting days in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are fixed: 15 and 16 October only in window 1, and 8 January 2027 only in window 2. Plan your booking and travel around these exact days, not the full window.

	Window 1 (October)	Window 2 (January)
Global test dates	12-16 Oct 2026	4-8 Jan 2027
China, HK & Macau days	15-16 Oct only	8 Jan only
Booking deadline	28 Sep 2026, 18:00 UK	21 Dec 2026, 18:00 UK
Oxford / Cambridge Maths	Required window	Not accepted (Oxford is October-only)
Imperial	Accepted	Accepted, but only your first attempt counts

Imperial applicants who also apply to Oxford or Cambridge are required to sit the October window.

Do not trust old timetables. Through 2023, under CAAT, the TMUA had a single autumn sitting each year (the last ran on 18 October 2023, with results on 28 November at 9:00 GMT). The two-window pattern of October plus January only began in 2024, so timelines in older guides no longer apply.

04

Who Uses the TMUA and Where Scores Go

Seven universities use the TMUA for selected Mathematics, Economics and Computer Science courses in the 2027 entry cycle. Oxford and Cambridge are the ones most sensitive to timing: Oxford dropped the MAT for the TMUA from 2026, and Cambridge Maths now requires every applicant to sit it, both locked to the October window.

TMUA (run by UAT-UK)

7 universities across Maths, Economics and CS

October sitting required

Oxford (October only; TMUA replaces the MAT from 2026)
Cambridge (compulsory sift for all Maths applicants)

Either windowFirst attempt in the cycle counts

Imperial (Computing, Mathematics, Economics Finance and Data Science)

Also using the TMUACheck each university's own window policy

Durham
LSE
Warwick
UCL

Tap a branch to unfold

7

Universities using it for 2027 entry

~5500

Pearson VUE centres worldwide

1.0-9.0

Single overall score, one decimal

2 / year

Sittings (October and January)

05

Missed Deadlines and After Results

Both booking deadlines are hard cut-offs, so treat them as non-negotiable when you plan. After results day there is nothing for you to do: scores are sent automatically through UCAS, you cannot pick which universities see them, and score appeals are not accepted. Here are the situations we get asked about most.

I missed the 28 September deadline. Now what?

If you are not applying to Oxford or Cambridge Maths, switch to window 2: tests run 4 to 8 January 2027, with booking open until 18:00 UK time on 21 December 2026. But Oxford only accepts October and Cambridge Maths requires it, so on those routes missing 28 September means missing the cycle's test requirement.

Can I sit both windows and keep the better score?

Not for Imperial: it explicitly counts only your first attempt in each cycle. How other universities treat multiple scores is set by their own published policies, so never assume a resit strategy will work.

How do results reach universities?

Results are matched via UCAS and sent automatically to any university in your application that requires the TMUA. You cannot choose which institutions can see your score, and appeals against scores are not accepted.

How should I read my score?

Under UAT-UK you get one overall score from 1.0 to 9.0, to one decimal place, on a scale anchored to the October cohort: the median sits at 4.5 and roughly 10% of candidates score above 7.0. There are no grade boundaries or pass marks, and scores from 2024 onwards cannot be compared directly with pre-2024 results.

Once you are booked, start your prep with real papers: FrontierVue hosts 18 past TMUA papers (2015-2023, including 2 official specimen sets) plus 10 original mocks, 971 questions in all, each with a full worked solution and a Chinese translation, and the two most recent past papers per subject are free to try. Browse them at /exams/tmua/past-papers, or walk through test day at /exams/tmua/guides/test-day.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

When does TMUA registration open?

Registration for this cycle opens on 1 June 2026, with booking from 20 July. Window 1 booking closes at 18:00 UK time on 28 September 2026, and window 2 on 21 December 2026.

Which TMUA dates apply in mainland China?

Sitting days in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are fixed: 15 and 16 October 2026 only in window 1, and 8 January 2027 only in window 2.

How much does the TMUA cost?

Officially £78 at UK centres and £133 elsewhere. The test is computer-based and taken at Pearson VUE centres.

Can I still apply to Oxbridge after missing October?

Oxford only accepts the October sitting and Cambridge Maths requires it, so January cannot substitute on those routes. Whether other TMUA universities accept January scores is governed by each university's own published policy.

SOURCES

Official sources

MORE GUIDES

Other TMUA preparation guides

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