Admissions tests

Some Oxford courses require an admissions test as part of the assessment process. Not all courses have one. Check whether your course requires a test and how the 2026 arrangements will work.

Test taker FAQs

How to prepare for your test:
Candidates booked to take 2026 UAT-UK admissions tests (ESAT, TMUA, and TARA) between 12-16 October should prepare using the free official resources provided directly by UAT-UK. You can find specific course information on your course page.

What to do if you need to reschedule your test:
Candidates can cancel or try to reschedule their test booking up to 48 hours before the test time. There is no financial penalty for doing this. To cancel or reschedule, log into your admissions test online account. Find the relevant test card on your dashboard and navigate to ‘Manage Appointment’. You can also contact Pearson Customer Services for help. UAT-UK can’t modify your booking or cancel your test. Please do not use the secure message function for assistance. This will lead to delays.

What to do if you’re unwell, injured, or facing issues that mean you can no longer take your test:
If you cannot sit your test due to unforeseen circumstances, and it is not possible to rebook, you should let UAT-UK know. If you are within 48 hours of your scheduled test, you may be eligible for Special Consideration. You can do so using the form in your online test account.

What to do if you’re unwell, injured, or facing issues that could affect your test performance:
If you plan to take your test but face serious and unexpected issues before your test date, please inform UAT-UK. You must do this before you sit using the form on your online account dashboard. You may be eligible for Special Consideration. This includes illness, injury, or personal circumstances that arise immediately before your test.

If you do not report this to UAT-UK, and go on to sit your test, you are declaring yourself fit to test. UAT-UK will not normally act if you tell them about illness, injury, or personal circumstances after testing.

What to do if something goes wrong during your test:
Make sure you know what to do if something goes wrong during your test. This is covered by UAT-UK’s Test Incident Policy.

What to do if you need further help:
If you experience any unforeseen circumstances affecting your test, please follow UAT-UK’s guidance. Any requests for Special Consideration must be made via your online test account. More information about contacting UAT-UK and Pearson can be found on their enquiry webpage.

Note: the deadline for applicants to book the ESAT, TMUA or TARA for an Oxford undergraduate course was 6pm (UK time) on Monday 28 September 2026.

NEW for entry in 2027

Tests form one part of Oxford's admissions process and are used alongside a range of information to help assess candidates' academic potential and suitability for some of our courses.

From 2026, Oxford will be using admissions tests owned and managed by UAT-UK, in addition to the existing LNAT and UCAT tests for Law and Medicine courses.

UAT-UK is a collaboration between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge whose computer-based admissions tests are used by a range of UK universities and delivered online by Pearson via their worldwide network of test centres. The ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test), TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) and TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) will be taken by Oxford candidates where required for admission to their chosen course. Oxford applicants also applying to other universities which use these tests will only need to take the relevant UAT-UK test once.

A full list of Oxford undergraduate courses and Astrophoria Foundation Year courses with admissions tests in 2026 is below.

Those applying for our undergraduate courses with a 15 October UCAS deadline must book to take the October sitting for their test.

Those applying for Astrophoria Foundation Year courses with a January UCAS deadline can book to take their UAT-UK test in either the October 2026 or January 2027 sitting.

Please visit UAT-UK for all information on registering for and booking the ESAT, TARA or TMUA.

Key dates and deadlines for October UAT-UK tests

Registration opens (including account creation, access arrangements and bursary requests)	1 June 2026 (3pm UK time)
Test booking opens	20 July 2026 (3pm UK time)
Deadline for requesting access arrangements	14 September 2026 (6pm UK time)
Deadline for requesting a bursary	21 September 2026 (6pm UK time)
Test booking closes	28 September 2026 (6pm UK time)
Test dates	12-16 October 2026
Candidates receive test results via their UAT-UK account	16 November 2026

All applicants for undergraduate courses must take their test in October 2026. For further information about the dates and deadlines for UAT-UK tests, please visit the UAT-UK website.

Key dates and deadlines for January UAT-UK tests

Registration opens (including account creation, access arrangements and bursary requests)	1 June 2026 (3pm UK time)
Test booking opens	26 October 2026 (3pm UK time)
Deadline for requesting access arrangements	7 December 2026 (6pm UK time)
Deadline for requesting a bursary	14 December 2026 (6pm UK time)
Test booking closes	21 December 2026 (6pm UK time)
Test dates	4-8 January 2027
Candidates receive test results via their UAT-UK account	8 February 2027

Applicants for Astrophoria Foundation Year courses can take their test in either October 2026 or January 2027. For further information about the dates and deadlines for UAT-UK tests, please visit the UAT-UK website.