ESAT, TMUA and TARA test day: what happens at the test centre
The October sitting starts on Monday. What to check this week, what happens at the Pearson VUE centre, and what to do if something goes wrong.
The October sitting of the ESAT, TMUA and TARA runs from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026 at Pearson VUE test centres. Bring accepted photo ID that matches the name on your booking, or you will not be allowed to sit and will lose the fee. Calculators are not permitted. Results reach your UAT-UK account, and the universities on your UCAS form, on 16 November 2026.
What should you check this week?
Log in to your UAT-UK account and confirm the time and address of your appointment. Then check your ID. A passport is accepted at any centre, and the names on it must match your booking exactly. Finally, sit one timed practice paper in the official Pearson test player, so the screen layout is familiar before the day. The admissions tests section of our Resources page links straight to it.
What happens at the centre?
Arrive early, because check-in includes an ID check and a photograph. Your belongings go into a locker. The centre gives you an erasable notebook and pen, and you cannot bring your own paper or equipment. If you have practised on scrap paper, try a few questions on a small whiteboard before the test. Rough working feels different when you cannot spread it out.
The TMUA is two papers of 75 minutes with 20 questions each. The ESAT is built from 40-minute modules of 27 questions. On both tests the clock is the hardest part. If a question stalls you, mark your best guess and move on. There is no negative marking, so every question deserves an answer.
What if something goes wrong?
Report any problem with the room, the equipment or the software to centre staff before you leave. UAT-UK says it will not normally act on issues that were not reported during the test. You can sit each test only once per admissions cycle, so there is no January resit for anyone who sits in October.
What does the score decide?
UAT-UK does not set pass marks. Each university decides how much weight the score carries. At Oxford and Cambridge it feeds into shortlisting for interview alongside everything else on the application. Our guide to the new Oxford admissions tests explains what each test measures. Our admissions tests page covers how we prepare students.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send my results to universities? No. Universities on your UCAS application receive them automatically.
Can I bring my own calculator or paper? No. Calculators are not allowed, and the centre supplies everything you may use.
