TMUA does not have fixed grade boundaries like an A-level paper. The same raw total is not guaranteed to produce the same reported score on every test form.
UAT-UK says it does not provide grade boundaries or a pass mark. Candidate responses are analysed using an item-response model, differences in form difficulty are removed through equating, and Papers 1 and 2 are combined into one overall score.From forty answers to one reported score
The raw scoring itself is simple. Each paper contains 20 multiple-choice questions. Correct answers earn credit, incorrect answers do not lose marks, and the two papers are used together. What happens after that is the part that makes a universal conversion table impossible.
Your responses across both 20-question papers are recorded.
The Rasch model estimates item difficulty and candidate ability.
Small differences between versions are adjusted so candidates share one ability scale.
The common ability estimate is mapped to a readable overall TMUA score.
This does not mean the mark is arbitrary. It means a raw mark must be interpreted in the context of the questions that produced it. A slightly harder form should not disadvantage its candidates merely because it contains more difficult items.
Three different things are often called a boundary
A published conversion for one released paper
The released papers from the earlier archive include year- and paper-specific conversion information. It is valid for marking that particular historical paper. It is the best way to compare your attempt with the scale used for that paper.
A statistically equated result
Current candidates may receive different forms. UAT-UK analyses the response data after the sitting and equates the forms before reporting one overall score. A public advance raw-mark table would ignore the very differences the process is designed to handle.
A preparation tool with stated assumptions
A mock provider can estimate how a raw mark might sit on a current-style scale, but the estimate is not UAT-UK equating. It should be labelled, explain its method and avoid presenting false precision.
Why the same raw mark can mean something different
Imagine two forms that both contain 40 questions. On Form A, several items are answered correctly by most candidates. On Form B, those positions contain more demanding items. A raw score of 25 on each form does not automatically show identical ability. Equating exists to place both performances onto a comparable scale.
No invented scaled scores are attached to this example.
Raw total observed on one set of items.
The same total observed on a different set of items.
The forms are placed on one ability scale before reporting.
Can you compare old and current TMUA scores?
You can compare them cautiously, but not by pretending the distributions are unchanged. The reported range remains 1.0 to 9.0, yet the current explanation fixes the typical point around 4.5 and places approximately 10% of candidates above 7.0. Older paper conversion tables were produced for older cohorts and administrations.
For preparation, keep the historical score attached to the paper and year. If you also calculate a current-style estimate, display the two numbers separately. That is why Euclid's converter describes the historical result as official for its paper and the current equivalent as an estimate.
How to mark a mock without fooling yourself
- Start with the raw mark. It is the least ambiguous measure of that attempt.
- Use the conversion belonging to the paper. Do not borrow a table from an easier or harder year.
- Separate correct guesses. A lucky answer should remain in the score but be flagged for review.
- Record timing. An untimed 26 and a timed 26 answer different preparation questions.
- Use a rolling median. Three to five recent papers provide a more stable picture than your best attempt.
If your aim is improvement, the error categories matter more than a decimal-place prediction. A score converter can organise the result. It cannot replace careful review.
Sources and accuracy policy
Convert the paper you actually sat.
Select a released paper, enter the raw marks and keep the official historical score separate from any current-scale estimate.
Use the TMUA score converter