The quick answer
The main sitting for 2027 entry.
Available only where the application rules permit it.
The published candidate fee.
The published international fee.
October 2026 timeline
Access-arrangement and bursary applications also open.
Book early for the widest choice of centres and appointments.
Access: 14 Sep. Bursary: 21 Sep. Booking: 28 Sep. Each closes at 6pm.
Your booking confirms the exact date, time and Pearson Test Centre.
Results are released through the UAT-UK account.
January 2027 timeline
Access-arrangement and bursary applications reopen.
Do not wait for the December closing date to find a centre.
Access: 7 Dec. Bursary: 14 Dec. Booking: 21 Dec. Each closes at 6pm.
Check that your university and course allow the January sitting.
Results are released through the UAT-UK account.
Which sitting should you book?
Most Cambridge and Oxford applicants must sit in October. UAT-UK identifies narrow January-deadline exceptions, so confirm the rule on the exact course page before relying on one.
UAT-UK says applicants to other institutions may choose either session, with no advantage from the session itself. You still have one attempt per cycle.
Oxford's current 2027 admissions-test list assigns ESAT to Engineering Science with Foundation Year and TARA to PPE with Foundation Year; it does not currently list an Astrophoria Foundation Year course using TMUA. Course-level information should take priority over a general exception.
Registration in the right order
Confirm that the exact university course requires or accepts TMUA.
Use the full name shown on the photo ID you will bring.
Apply for access arrangements or a bursary before selecting the test.
Add the TMUA test card, then choose the centre, date and time.
A UCAS Personal ID is not required to create the account. UAT-UK says it can be added later, and that results are matched to participating university courses using several application details.
Cost, centres and booking changes
The fee is based on the location of the test centre. Eligible UK candidates can apply for a bursary covering the test fee.
The international fee applies according to where the test is taken, rather than the candidate's nationality or home address.
Bursary applications can take up to five working days to review. Apply before booking. UAT-UK does not reimburse a test that was paid for before the bursary was approved.
If the nearest centre has no appointment
Check other dates and nearby centres while spaces remain. UK candidates who cannot find an appointment within 40 miles of their postcode are directed to Pearson Customer Services, although candidates in remote areas may still need to travel further.
Rescheduling, cancelling and refunds
Manage the appointment through the test card in your account or contact Pearson Customer Services. A cancellation made at least 48 hours before the appointment qualifies for a full refund. Inside 48 hours, or after a missed appointment, the fee is lost. Cancelling after the overall registration deadline may also leave no route to book another slot.
For the full evidence and approval process, use the separate TMUA access-arrangements guide.
What to prepare for test day
The TMUA consists of two 75-minute papers, with 20 multiple-choice questions in each. Calculators and dictionaries are not permitted, and wrong answers do not lose marks. Your centre confirmation and the current identification policy should be checked again shortly before the appointment.
The most useful final-week preparation is operational: practise in two 75-minute blocks, know the computer interface, check the route to the centre, and confirm that your photographic identification meets the current policy.
Sources and update policy
This page translates the official schedule into a planning sequence; it does not replace UAT-UK or a university course page. Dates can change, so the primary source should always be checked before a deadline or booking decision.
Work backwards from your booked sitting.
Choose a preparation route based on the time remaining and the mistakes shown by one honest diagnostic.
Build a preparation plan