For 2027 entry, Oxford and Cambridge use the UAT-UK tests (ESAT, TMUA and, at Oxford, TARA) for many courses, plus the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law. Booking for the October UAT-UK sitting closes at 18:00 UK time on Monday 28 September 2026; the tests run from 12 to 16 October, and results come out on 16 November. UCAT testing ends on 24 September 2026. Oxford and Cambridge law applicants must sit the LNAT by 15 October, having booked by 15 September. None of these tests is booked through UCAS.
If your course needs the ESAT, TMUA or TARA and you have not booked it, stop reading and book now. The October sitting closes at 18:00 UK time on Monday 28 September 2026, and Oxford and Cambridge applicants cannot use the January one.
Admissions tests catch applicants out for one reason: none of them is part of UCAS. Your school will remind you about 15 October, but it may not know that your particular course needs a test, and nothing in the UCAS form will prompt you to book one. Oxford puts it directly: registration "is not automatic and is not part of the UCAS process".
This page brings every 2027-entry test date together, with the official source for each.
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| Date | What | Test |
|---|---|---|
| 1 June 2026 | UAT-UK accounts, access arrangements and bursary requests open | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 13 July 2026 | UCAT testing begins | UCAT |
| 20 July 2026 | UAT-UK booking opens (October sitting) | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 1 September 2026 | LNAT testing begins | LNAT |
| 14 September 2026 | Access arrangements deadline (October sitting) | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 15 September 2026 | Last day to register and book the LNAT for Oxford and Cambridge | LNAT |
| 16 September 2026 | UCAT booking closed | UCAT |
| 21 September 2026 | Bursary deadline (October sitting) | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 24 September 2026 | Last UCAT test day | UCAT |
| 28 September 2026, 18:00 | UAT-UK booking closes (October sitting) | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 12 to 16 October 2026 | UAT-UK October tests | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 15 October 2026 | Last day to sit the LNAT for Oxford and Cambridge; UCAS deadline | LNAT |
| 26 October to 21 December 2026 | UAT-UK booking for the January sitting | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| Early November 2026 | UCAT results delivered to universities | UCAT |
| 16 November 2026 | UAT-UK results released to candidates | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 31 December 2026 | Last day to sit the LNAT for King's College London, LSE and UCL | LNAT |
| 4 to 8 January 2027 | UAT-UK January tests | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| 25 January 2027 | Last day to sit the LNAT for most other LNAT universities | LNAT |
| 8 February 2027 | UAT-UK January results | ESAT, TMUA, TARA |
| June 2027 | STEP, as part of Cambridge Mathematics offers | STEP |
Sources: UAT-UK deadlines, UCAT test dates, LNAT dates and deadlines, Oxford admissions tests, Cambridge application dates.
ESAT, TMUA and TARA (UAT-UK)
UAT-UK is a collaboration between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. Its computer-based tests are sat at Pearson VUE test centres, and a candidate applying to several universities that use the same test sits it only once.
- ESAT, the Engineering and Science Admissions Test.
- TMUA, the Test of Mathematics for University Admission.
- TARA, the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, used by Oxford and UCL. It has three 40-minute modules: critical thinking and problem solving, each 22 multiple-choice questions, and a writing task with a 750-word limit chosen from three questions.
The October sitting runs from 12 to 16 October 2026. Candidates in China, Hong Kong and Macau have fixed days: ESAT on 12 or 13 October, TARA on 14 October and TMUA on 15 or 16 October. The fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland and £133 elsewhere. Results go to candidates on 16 November.
Oxford and Cambridge applicants must sit in October. The exceptions are Cambridge mature applicants in the January round and applicants to Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year, who can use the January sitting.
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Which Oxford courses need which test
Oxford's list for 2027 entry, from its admissions tests page:
| Test | Oxford courses |
|---|---|
| ESAT | Biomedical Sciences; Engineering Science; Physics; Physics and Philosophy |
| TMUA | Computer Science; Computer Science and Philosophy; Mathematics; Mathematics and Statistics; Mathematics and Computer Science; Mathematics and Philosophy |
| TARA | Economics and Management; History and Economics; History and Politics; Human Sciences; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Psychology (Experimental); Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics |
| UCAT | Medicine; Graduate-entry Medicine |
| LNAT | Law (Jurisprudence); Law with Foundation Year |
If your Oxford course is not in this table, it has no admissions test for 2027 entry. Oxford's older in-house tests, such as the PAT, MAT and HAT, are not on the list. Some courses ask for written work by 10 November instead.
We cover the new Oxford test in more depth in TARA explained, and PPE specifically in the PPE personal statement guide.
Which Cambridge courses need which test
From Cambridge's admission assessments page:
| Test | Cambridge courses |
|---|---|
| ESAT | Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology; Engineering; Natural Sciences; Veterinary Medicine |
| TMUA | Computer Science; Economics; Mathematics |
| UCAT | Medicine (standard and graduate course) |
| LNAT | Law |
Many other Cambridge courses use a college-set assessment, usually taken around interview, and a few have none. Computer Science applicants to some colleges also sit the CSAT. Mathematics offers are normally conditional on STEP, which is taken in June after you apply. Our STEP and TMUA guide and TMUA preparation guide cover both.
UCAT
The UCAT is used by most UK medical and dental schools, including Oxford and Cambridge. For 2027 entry, booking closed on 16 September 2026 and the last test day is 24 September. Results go straight to your chosen universities in early November, so you do not send them yourself.
If you missed the UCAT, you cannot apply to most UK medical schools this cycle. See what you can still do and our UCAT guide for next year.
LNAT
The LNAT is used by Oxford, Cambridge, King's College London, LSE, UCL, Bristol and Durham, plus the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Deadlines depend on the university, according to the LNAT's own dates page:
- Oxford and Cambridge: register and book by 15 September 2026, sit by 15 October 2026.
- King's College London, LSE and UCL: sit by 31 December 2026.
- Bristol and Durham: all deadlines on 13 January 2027.
- Most others: sit by 25 January 2027.
Our LNAT guide explains the format and scoring.
What to do this week
- Check your course page. For each of your five choices, confirm whether a test is required and which one.
- Book any UAT-UK test before 18:00 on 28 September. Create your account, then book a Pearson VUE slot. Leave time in case the centre you want is full.
- Do the official practice papers. UAT-UK, UCAT and LNAT all publish free preparation material. Timed practice matters more than more content.
- Do not let the test swallow the statement. Your UCAS application is due on 15 October, in the same week as the tests. Finish the statement first; our two-week plan is built for this. If you want a fast check of your draft, Statementory scores it and annotates it line by line in about ten minutes.
Related guides
- The 15 October deadline: what is actually due
- My Cambridge Application: what it asks and when it is due
- How hard is it to get into Oxford? and Cambridge?
- Oxbridge personal statement guide
Sources
- UAT-UK, Deadlines and TARA
- University of Oxford, Admissions tests and Written work
- University of Cambridge, Admission assessments and Application dates and deadlines
- Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics, STEP
- UCAT Consortium, UCAT test dates
- LNAT, Dates and deadlines
Frequently asked questions
When is the deadline to book the ESAT, TMUA or TARA?
18:00 UK time on Monday 28 September 2026 for the October sitting, which is the one Oxford and Cambridge applicants must take. The January sitting, for courses that allow it, can be booked from 26 October to 21 December 2026.
How much do the UAT-UK tests cost?
£78 in the UK and Republic of Ireland and £133 elsewhere. A bursary scheme exists, but the October bursary deadline was 21 September 2026.
Does Oxford still use the PAT, MAT or HAT?
No. For 2027 entry Oxford lists only the UAT-UK tests (ESAT, TMUA and TARA), the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law. If your Oxford course is not on those lists, it has no admissions test, though it may ask for written work.
Do I register for admissions tests through UCAS?
No. Every test is booked separately with its own provider. Oxford says plainly that registration is not automatic and not part of the UCAS process.
When do Oxford and Cambridge see my test results?
UAT-UK releases results to candidates on 16 November 2026. The UCAT delivers results to universities in early November.
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