News
January 21
Oxford Admissions Tests Are Changing for 2027 Entry
Here’s What It Means for Applicants
Lucy B.
Former Oxford Admissions Officer
Summary
Oxford has confirmed major changes to its admissions tests for 2027 entry, moving away from Oxford-specific exams and adopting shared UAT-UK tests used across top UK universities. From 2026 onwards, many applicants will sit ESAT, TARA, or TMUA, with scores shared across institutions. While this simplifies logistics, it also increases competition by making applicants more directly comparable and shifting preparation timelines earlier.
Oxford University has confirmed a significant shift in its admissions testing framework for students applying for 2027 entry. From 2026 onwards, Oxford will move away from its internally managed admissions tests and instead use a set of shared, computer-based assessments owned and administered by UAT-UK.
The change does not introduce new exams, but it does reshape how and when students need to prepare. Many applicants will now be able to begin preparation earlier, since they no longer have to make a strategic decision between Oxford and Cambridge based on different admissions tests.
What Has Changed in Oxford’s Admissions Tests
University of Oxford will now use admissions tests developed by UAT-UK, a collaboration between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. These tests are already used by several leading UK universities and are delivered online through Pearson test centres worldwide.
From 2026 testing onward, Oxford applicants will sit one of the following, depending on course requirements:
Oxford’s New Admissions Tests (2027 Entry)
— ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test)
— TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions)
— TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission)
Applicants applying to multiple universities that use these tests will only need to sit each test once, and the single score will be shared across the relevant universities.
Why Oxford Is Making This Change
Oxford has framed this move as a streamlining measure, but the strategic implications are broader.
Shared admissions tests allow universities to benchmark candidates more consistently across institutions. While Cambridge and Imperial already shared many admissions tests, Oxford could increase its applicant pool, drawing in those who are also applying to Imperial.
Important Application Rule
Applicants can still not apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in a single cycle.
This also shifts preparation timelines earlier. Since these tests are common across top UK universities, students can no longer delay test decisions while waiting to see which courses they apply for.
In practice, this accelerates competition. When all applicants sit the same assessments, relative performance matters more, not less.
Oxford Courses and Their New Admissions Tests
The following Oxford undergraduate courses will require a UAT-UK admissions test for 2027 entry:
Course | Admissions Test |
Biomedical Sciences | ESAT |
Engineering Science | ESAT |
Physics | ESAT |
Physics & Philosophy | ESAT |
Computer Science | TMUA |
Mathematics | TMUA |
Mathematics & Statistics | TMUA |
Mathematics & Computer Science | TMUA |
Mathematics & Philosophy | TMUA |
Computer Science & Philosophy | TMUA |
Economics & Management | TARA |
History & Economics | TARA |
History & Politics | TARA (TBC) |
Human Sciences | TARA |
Politics, Philosophy & Economics | TARA |
Psychology (Experimental) | TARA |
Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics | TARA |
Applicants for these courses must sit the October test sitting. Further details on registration and preparation will be released via the UAT-UK platform in April 2026.
Discontinued Oxford Admissions Tests
The AHCAAT, BMSAT, CAT, MAT, MLAT, PAT, PhilAT, and TSA will no longer be used from 2026 onwards.
What Has Not Changed
Some high-profile courses retain their existing testing arrangements:
— Medicine and Graduate-entry Medicine will continue to use the UCAT.
— Law will continue to require the LNAT.
Applicants who sat Oxford’s legacy tests in 2025 will still receive their scores via the Oxford Admissions Test Registration portal by January 2026.
Why Admissions Tests Now Matter More, Not Less
Admissions tests have always played a central role at Oxford, particularly in shortlisting candidates for interview. That role has not diminished.
Since most applicants meet or exceed the academic entry requirements, admissions tests provide a pivotal data point to compare applicants.
Now that all top applicants will be sitting the same admissions tests, we are likely to see competition rise. Small differences in performance become more meaningful, and the threshold for interview could rise. Preparation quality becomes more visible.
While the change simplifies logistics, it concentrates competition. Every applicant is now directly comparable on the same assessment scale. High-performing cohorts across multiple universities feed into the same test sittings.
This dynamic mirrors broader admissions trends: earlier preparation, shared benchmarks, and reduced margin for error. Students who treat admissions tests as secondary risk missing out on a decisive component of Oxford’s evaluation process.
Crimson’s internal data consistently shows a strong correlation between admissions test performance and interview invites, and indeed offers at Oxford and Cambridge. In borderline academic cases, test scores often determine who progresses.
What This Means for Applicants
— Shared tests increase direct comparability.
— Interview cut-offs are likely to rise.
— Early, structured preparation becomes decisive.
The Preparation Window Has Effectively Moved Earlier
Previously, students could delay final test decisions until course choices were confirmed. That buffer no longer exists.
Because ESAT, TARA, and TMUA apply across institutions, students can and should begin preparation earlier, ideally in the year before application.
This benefits students who plan strategically and disadvantages those who wait for official guidance or free resources to appear.
At this stage, publicly available preparation materials remain limited. Structured preparation, test familiarity, and targeted practice will separate prepared candidates from the rest.
How Crimson Supports Students Through These Changes
Crimson is already fully prepared for this transition.
We have specialist tutors and structured preparation programs for all Oxbridge admissions tests, including (but not exclusively) for ESAT, TARA, TMUA, LNAT, UCAT.
Our UK admissions support begins well before application year, allowing students to build test readiness alongside academic and extracurricular development.
Because these tests are shared across Oxford, Cambridge, and other top UK universities, our preparation approach is designed to maximise optionality rather than lock students into narrow pathways.
Final Thoughts
Students targeting Oxford courses with admissions tests should treat this update as a planning signal.
Early clarity on course direction, early test preparation, and expert guidance are now baseline requirements rather than advantages. Waiting for full public guidance in 2026 compresses preparation into an already competitive window.
Oxford has not lowered its standards. It has aligned its testing with a faster, more competitive admissions environment.
Students who adapt early will be best positioned to succeed.
For families aiming for Oxford or other top UK universities, the safest next step is to get clarity early. You can book a free consultation with a Crimson strategist to understand how these changes affect your specific course plans and what a competitive preparation timeline should look like.
