About UAT-UK

UAT-UK was established in 2023 as a joint venture between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge.

It aims to streamline the experience for students applying to competitive undergraduate courses. As well as this, UAT-UK addresses a need for top universities to fairly assess the skills of the highest achieving applicants.

For 2026 entry, UAT-UK offers three admissions tests:

• The Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT)
• The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA)
• The Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA)

It is run day-to-day by a dedicated UAT-UK team, with the founding institutions having oversight via the Board of Directors.

Our tests are delivered by Pearson VUE, through their global network of professional Test Centres. There are roughly 5,500 Pearson VUE Test Centres to choose from across more than 180 countries. Pearson VUE is the certification and licensure arm of Pearson, one of the world’s leading learning companies. Pearson provides assessment services to many institutions in the academic and admissions space.

The ESAT and TMUA were both offered for the first time in October 2024. They are both multiple-choice, computer-based tests. TARA will be offered for the first time in October 2025. It will consist of two multiple-choice modules plus a Writing Task.

All tests run in two test sittings per year: October and January. This thereby caters to both the UCAS equal consideration dates. The October UCAS deadline is used by Cambridge. Candidates applying to Cambridge must be sure to sit the relevant test in the first test window.

The January UCAS deadline is used by other universities. So, prospective applicants to all other UAT-UK institutions have a choice of when to sit. There is no advantage to sitting in either October or January.

Visit our test pages for all the information and resources you need to be successful in our tests. They will guide you through your journey with UAT-UK, from who needs to sit a test to our booking processes and results.

UAT-UK for Institutions

There are currently seven UAT-UK institutions using one or more of our tests:

• Imperial College London
• The University of Cambridge
• Durham University
• The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• The University of Warwick
• The University of Bristol
• University College London (UCL)

The questions in our tests can be used as a trusted benchmark, helping institutions to fairly compare both home and overseas students with a broad range of qualifications.

If you are a university interested in using one or more of our tests for 2027 entry and beyond, or want to request more information about the tests, please use the form below to contact us.