ESAT Guide: Modules, Scoring and Which Courses Require It

The ESAT exam is the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, a computer-based, multiple-choice exam used by Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL alongside predicted grades and a personal statement for entry to engineering, physics and natural sciences degrees. UAT-UK, a not-for-profit body run jointly by Imperial and Cambridge, owns and administers the test and delivers it at Pearson test centres worldwide. Every candidate sits a compulsory mathematics module plus further modules set by their course, with the university deciding the exact combination for each degree.

Which modules a given course requires, how scores are reported and when candidates must register all vary by university and subject, so applicants should check their own course page, since no single combination applies across every engineering or science course. This guide sets out the module requirements confirmed on the official UAT-UK, Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial pages, how each module is timed, how results reach universities ahead of the UCAS deadline that applies to these courses, and where official specimen material is available for practice.

What is the ESAT and who runs it?

UAT-UK is the not-for-profit organisation that owns and manages the ESAT, run as a joint venture between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge to give competitive engineering and science courses a shared admissions test. Pearson delivers the test on UAT-UK's behalf through its worldwide network of test centres, and candidates register and book through a UAT-UK online account, separate from UCAS. UAT-UK also owns two related tests, the Test of Mathematics for University Admission and the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, though neither falls within engineering, physics or natural sciences admissions specifically.

Which Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial courses require the ESAT?

Each university publishes its own list of courses that require the ESAT: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL each require it for specific engineering, physics or science courses, not across every course in those subjects, so applicants should check their own course page before assuming it applies. Applicants to any university not named here should check that university's course page directly, since requirements and module combinations vary.

• Cambridge: Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Natural Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine
• Oxford: Engineering Science, Physics, Physics and Philosophy, and Biomedical Sciences; Materials Science, which previously used Oxford's own Physics Aptitude Test, now requires no admissions test at all
• Imperial: Aeronautics, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics

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Which modules does each course require?

Every ESAT candidate sits Mathematics 1, a compulsory module, and then further modules that depend entirely on the course applied for, with no course allowing candidates to choose their own combination freely.

• Cambridge Engineering: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics
• Cambridge Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Cambridge Natural Sciences, and Cambridge Veterinary Medicine: Mathematics 1 plus two further modules chosen from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2, according to the subjects the applicant intends to pursue
• Oxford Engineering Science, Physics, and Physics and Philosophy: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics
• Imperial Aeronautics, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics
• Imperial Chemical Engineering: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry
• Imperial Dyson School of Design Engineering: Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2 only, with no third module
• Imperial Life Sciences: Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology

How is each module structured and timed?

Each ESAT module lasts 40 minutes and contains 27 multiple-choice questions, sat on screen under timed conditions with no calculator permitted and only an erasable booklet or whiteboard, provided by the test centre, for working. Modules are timed independently, so time left over from one module cannot be carried into the next. Most candidates sit Mathematics 1 plus two further modules, three modules in total lasting 120 minutes, though Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering candidates sit only two modules, 80 minutes in total, since that course does not require a third. Applicants planning to include Biology should also note that, on Cambridge's own course pages, this module is offered only at the autumn sitting.

How are ESAT results reported and used?

Each module is scored on a scale from 1, the lowest, to 9, the highest, reported to one decimal place, with no pass or fail threshold set for the test as a whole. Scores are based solely on correct answers, so there is no penalty for an incorrect or unanswered question. How the score feeds into a decision differs by university: Oxford's Department of Physics describes the ESAT score as its primary shortlisting criterion for interview, interpreted alongside contextual data about the candidate, while Cambridge describes the result as fitting into the rest of the application without publishing a fixed weighting, and Imperial confirms only that there is no pass or fail.

When are the test sittings, and how does registration relate to the UCAS deadline?

UAT-UK runs two ESAT sittings each year, one in the autumn and one in January, to accommodate different university deadlines. Registration is made directly with UAT-UK through a Pearson account and is entirely separate from the UCAS application itself, so submitting a UCAS form does not register a candidate for the test. Most Cambridge and Oxford applicants to these courses must use the autumn sitting, since that is the one whose results reach universities before the UCAS deadline that applies to their course; Cambridge allows mature applicants to use the January sitting instead, and Oxford gives its Foundation Year applicants the choice of either. Any access arrangements or bursary application must be confirmed before booking opens, well ahead of the sitting itself.

How should students prepare using official specimen material?

UAT-UK's own website is the place to prepare for the ESAT, since it publishes the only specimen and practice material the test-setters have endorsed. This includes a content specification and guide setting out the mathematics and science, drawn from GCSE and A-level study, that the test covers; free specimen tests with explained answers; timed practice tests; and an archive of past papers, including legacy papers whose question style overlaps with the ESAT. UAT-UK notes that candidates should not expect their ESAT performance to mirror school exam results, since the test is designed to be challenging enough to differentiate strongly able applicants, and it does not endorse any commercial coaching provider.

Which older tests did the ESAT replace, and what mistakes do applicants commonly make?

The ESAT succeeded several predecessor tests. At Cambridge it succeeds the Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment and the Engineering Admissions Assessment; at Oxford it succeeds the Physics Aptitude Test for Engineering Science, Physics and Physics and Philosophy. Oxford's Materials Science course, which also used the Physics Aptitude Test, had its admissions test requirement removed entirely, with no transfer to the ESAT.

• Registering for a module combination that fits a different course, since Imperial's own courses require different third modules from each other
• Forgetting that ESAT registration is made directly with UAT-UK through Pearson, separate from the UCAS application
• Assuming the Biology module is available at both sittings, when Cambridge's course pages note it is offered only in the autumn
• Leaving an access arrangements or bursary application until after booking opens, when confirmation is required in advance
• Applying to courses at different universities with conflicting fixed module combinations without checking whether a further module needs separate permission from UAT-UK

Oxford Biomedical Sciences and UCL ESAT requirements

Oxford requires the ESAT for Biomedical Sciences alongside its engineering and physics courses, with candidates sitting Mathematics 1 plus any two further modules chosen from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2, the same module structure Cambridge sets for Natural Sciences. UCL requires the ESAT for Electronic and Electrical Engineering, in both its BEng and MEng forms, with the same Mathematics 1 plus any two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2 structure. UCL does not require the ESAT for its other engineering or science courses, so applicants to any other UCL degree should check that course's own entry requirements page.

• Oxford Biomedical Sciences: Mathematics 1 plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics 2
• UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering (BEng and MEng): Mathematics 1 plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics 2

Engineering applicants can strengthen their application well before sitting the ESAT by taking upsuper-curricular activities for engineeringthat show sustained interest in the subject.

Natural Sciences and Biomedical Sciences applicants preparing for the ESAT's Biology and Chemistry modules can draw onscience super-curricular activitiesto show depth beyond the school curriculum.

Since ESAT scores feed into decisions that vary by course, it helps to checkCambridge acceptance rates by subjectwhen weighing how competitive an Engineering or Natural Sciences application is.

Applicants comparing their chances across institutions can reviewOxford acceptance rates by subjectalongside their ESAT preparation to set realistic expectations for Engineering Science or Physics.

Booking the ESAT and what happens on test day

Applicants register for the ESAT by creating an account directly with UAT-UK, separate from any UCAS application, then book a test date and a Pearson test centre once the booking window opens.

Each candidate needs photo ID matching their UAT-UK account to sit the test. The centre provides an erasable whiteboard or booklet for working, since no calculator, dictionary or personal paper is allowed into the room, and the modules run back-to-back on the same visit.

How ESAT scores are calculated and used

Each module's raw score is converted using a statistical model that accounts for how difficult each question was, producing a scaled score from 1.0 to 9.0 reported to one decimal place. The scale is fixed so that a typical candidate's result sits at the median, which UAT-UK sets at 4.5, with no pass mark and no published grade boundaries. How heavily that scaled score counts toward an interview invitation or offer varies by course and department, so applicants should check their course's own admissions page for how it is used.

Official ESAT preparation materials

UAT-UK's ESAT Guide is the only preparation material the test-setters have endorsed, setting out the GCSE and A-level mathematics and science the test draws on alongside free specimen tests with worked answers and timed practice tests that mirror the real format. Candidates can also use UAT-UK's archive of legacy papers from the tests the ESAT replaced. The Engineering Admissions Assessment and Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment follow a different format from the current ESAT, though their mathematics and science content still overlaps enough to make them useful additional practice once the official specimen papers are exhausted.

Related guides

• ESAT past papers
• ESAT specification
• ESAT scores and results
• How to prepare for the ESAT
• ESAT, TMUA and TARA dates
• University admissions tests in the UK

Which ESAT modules should candidates take?

Applicants to a free-choice course sit Mathematics 1, which every candidate takes, plus two further modules from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics 2. The two choices usually follow the A-level sciences and mathematics the applicant is studying, so that each module draws on content already covered in class. The free-choice courses are Cambridge Natural Sciences, Cambridge Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Cambridge Veterinary Medicine, Oxford Biomedical Sciences, and UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering in both its BEng and MEng forms.

Modules are declared when the test is booked, and UAT-UK states that they cannot be changed without cancelling and re-booking, which depends on test centre availability. One set of modules therefore has to cover every ESAT course on the application. When a free-choice course sits alongside a course with compulsory modules, the compulsory modules decide the selection, and an application may be invalid if they are missing. Candidates whose courses conflict can contact UAT-UK through their online account before booking.

• Imperial Dyson School of Design Engineering: Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2 only, with the course list marking it as two modules only.
• Imperial Life Sciences: Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology, so it fixes the choice for any free-choice course applied for alongside it.

Applicants whose courses ask for the Test of Mathematics for University Admission instead of the ESAT can read theTMUA guidefor its format and dates.

Candidates consideringapplying for Physics at Oxfordwill find the ESAT modules sit alongside the department's wider selection process.

ESAT key dates and booking deadlines for each sitting

UAT-UK publishes dates for two sittings, and the October sitting is the one that applies to most Cambridge and Oxford applicants. Results go to universities automatically, about four weeks after the sitting, through the candidate's UAT-UK account. The January sitting is not applicable to Cambridge or Oxford applicants unless they apply to a mature college with a January admissions deadline at Cambridge, or to an Oxford Foundation Year programme that also has a January deadline.

Access arrangement requests close before bursary requests, and both close before booking itself, so candidates needing either should apply early in the booking window instead of at its end.

• October sitting: booking opens 20 July and closes 28 September; access arrangements by 14 September; bursaries by 21 September; test window 12 to 16 October; results 16 November.
• January sitting: booking opens 28 October and closes 21 December; access arrangements by 7 December; bursaries by 14 December; test window 4 to 8 January; results 8 February.
• Candidates in China, Hong Kong and Macau sit on 12 or 13 October, or on 6 January.

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