TMUA explained: who needs it, how the test works, 2027 dates, fees and free practice

Key takeaways

• →The TMUA is a computer-based maths test with two papers of 20 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes each, and no calculator. UAT-UK says seven universities use it for some courses.
• →There is no pass mark. You get one score from 1 to 9, and wrong answers lose no marks, so answer every question.
• →For 2027 entry the October 2026 sitting is over. The January window is 4 to 8 January 2027, and booking closes at 6pm on 21 December 2026.
• →The fee is £78 in the UK, covered by a bursary for eligible UK candidates. UAT-UK offers free past papers from 2016 to 2023 with worked answers.

1. TMUA: what it is and who needs it

The TMUA is the Test of Mathematics for University Admission. UAT-UK says it is for applicants to mathematics or maths-related degrees, such as Economics and Computer Science. It is computer-based and taken at a Pearson test centre.^[1]

UAT-UK is a not-for-profit set up in 2023 as a joint venture between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. It also runs the ESAT, a science and engineering test, and a third test, TARA.^[12]

UAT-UK says seven universities use the TMUA for some courses in Mathematics, Economics or Computer Science.^[1]

Imperial’s page names them: Imperial, Cambridge, Durham, LSE, UCL, Oxford and Warwick.^[15]

You need it only if your course asks for it. UAT-UK warns that not registering for a required test may invalidate your application, and links a 2027 Entry Course List (a PDF) from its TMUA page.^[1]

The table comes from each university’s own page. Cambridge’s covers every course it offers, so you can see which have no test.^[13]

Warwick says Computer Science applicants must take the TMUA unless they qualify for a contextual offer. For Mathematics, applicants will typically take the TMUA or STEP, a different maths admissions exam.^[17]

Oxford’s Mathematical Institute says the MAT, its earlier maths test, will not run for the 2026 admissions round. All applicants take the TMUA instead.^[20]

2. TMUA format: two papers, no calculator

The TMUA lasts 2 hours 30 minutes in two papers, each with 20 multiple-choice questions and 75 minutes.^[1]

Paper 1, Applications of Mathematical Knowledge, tests using what you know in new situations. Paper 2, Mathematical Reasoning, tests reasoning and simple elementary logic.^[1]

You will not be able to use a calculator or dictionary.^[1]

Warwick’s maths department adds that no formula booklet is allowed.^[18]

You get a computer, an erasable notebook and a pen. There are no breaks between papers, and the test cannot be paused unless you have approved arrangements.^[5]

That is 3 minutes 45 seconds a question on average, by our sum.

3. What the TMUA covers

UAT-UK says the TMUA is based on content typically covered in Higher Level GCSE mathematics or AS level mathematics.^[1]

Warwick’s maths department says the content is comparable to AS level but often needs deeper understanding. It says the elementary logic, such as necessary and sufficient conditions, counterexamples, the converse and the contrapositive, is often new to students.^[18]

UAT-UK lists its Notes on Logic and Proof for Paper 2. The content specification gives the full list of what can be tested.^[8]

UAT-UK says the test is now computer-based, but the specification and question style are unchanged, so its past papers still help.^[9]

Read the specification first: It lists everything that can be tested. Mark each topic red, amber or green before you start practising.

4. TMUA scores, results and how universities use them

You get one overall score on a scale from 1 (low) to 9 (high), to one decimal place. UAT-UK says the median is fixed at 4.5, and it publishes no grade boundaries or pass mark.^[6]

UAT-UK warns that the tests are designed to be challenging, so do not expect scores as high as your school results.^[6]

Only correct answers count, with no penalty for wrong ones. Answer every question.^[1]

Results go to your UAT-UK account and automatically to the universities on your UCAS application whose course asks for the test. Add your UCAS Personal ID to your UAT-UK profile before you apply. UAT-UK does not accept appeals against scores.^[6]

You can sit once per cycle, and scores from earlier years are not visible to any university you apply to this year.^[11]

LSE says it accepts only the results from your first sitting.^[16]

UCL says it uses test scores alongside the rest of the UCAS application.^[19]

Warwick says the majority of its offers for 2025 entry went to applicants with a TMUA score of 5.0 and above, and that it sets its final Mathematics threshold around April. That is one university’s figure from an earlier cycle, not a general rule.^[17]

5. TMUA dates for 2027 entry: sittings and deadlines

Sitting 1 ran from 12 to 16 October 2026 and is over. Sitting 2 runs from 4 to 8 January 2027, and booking is open now.^[2]

Most Cambridge and Oxford applicants had to sit in October. Other applicants can choose either sitting, and UAT-UK says neither has an advantage.^[2]

UAT-UK lists exceptions for mature applicants to a Cambridge college with a January deadline, and for Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year.^[2]

Cambridge says applicants with a 15 October deadline must take the first sitting.^[14]

UAT-UK cannot accept bookings after the deadlines.^[2]

Each test runs over only five days a sitting, so book early.^[10]

The dates on UAT-UK’s key dates page are for 2027 entry only. If you are in Year 12 and applying for 2028 entry, check the page again for new ones.^[2]

6. TMUA fees, bursaries, test centres and test day

The fee is £78 for candidates in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and £133 elsewhere. It depends on where the test centre is, not where you live or your nationality.^[3]

A bursary covers the full fee for eligible UK candidates, such as those who, or whose parent or guardian, receive free school meals, a 16 to 19 bursary or Universal Credit, with evidence. Apply before you book: UAT-UK cannot apply one to a test you have already paid for.^[4]

Bursaries do not cover travel costs.^[7]

Access arrangements, such as extra time, must be requested before you book, and can take up to ten working days.^[2]

Tests are taken at Pearson VUE test centres, not at your school.^[7]

In the UK, if there is no test within 40 miles of your postcode, contact Pearson Customer Services.^[3]

On the day, arrive 30 minutes early with original, unexpired photo ID. The name on your booking must exactly match it, or you will be turned away and lose your fee.^[5]

You can cancel or reschedule up to 48 hours before your test with no fee. If you miss it or change it too late, you lose the fee.^[10]

7. How the TMUA differs from A-Level Maths

The table compares the TMUA with one example, AQA A-level Mathematics 7357, which AQA says is linear: all exams come at the end of the course. Other boards differ, so check yours.^[21]

Warwick says the TMUA content is comparable to AS level, with logic that can be new. We found no official side-by-side comparison with A-Level content.^[18]

Only correct answers score, so there are no marks for working. A quick, accurate method done by hand matters.

8. Free official TMUA practice and a 12-week plan

UAT-UK’s Prepare page offers free resources: the TMUA specification, Notes on Mathematics, Notes on Logic and Proof, and specimen and practice tests on the Pearson VUE site.^[8]

Its archive has Paper 1 and Paper 2 for each year from 2016 to 2023, each with worked answers and an answer key.^[9]

Practice tests give feedback but no score, and results may not match the real test. Use a desktop and learn the test player’s features, since you will use them at the centre. UAT-UK does not endorse paid coaching.^[8]

Warwick’s maths department suggests keeping at least two full papers for timed practice as the test approaches.^[18]

The plan is our suggestion, not UAT-UK’s. The January window is just over nine weeks away, so squeeze weeks 2 to 5 into three.

9. How Brainhub can help

Brainhub tutors the TMUA one-to-one, live online across the UK, from about £40 an hour, and every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment. A tutor can go through your practice-paper results question by question, find the topics and logic ideas that cost marks, and set the next week’s practice around them. For your exact price, use the price calculator on our Prices page.

1. 1. How long is the TMUA, and what is in it?

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2. 2. Do wrong answers lose marks, and is there a pass mark?

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3. 3. When can you still sit the TMUA for 2027 entry?

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Your next steps

1. 01

   Check the TMUA requirement on every course page, and on UAT-UK’s 2027 Entry Course List.

2. 02

   Create your UAT-UK account, apply for any bursary first, then book before 6pm on 21 December 2026.

3. 03

   Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which topics to practise first.

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