TARA Tutors for Oxford and UCL Applicants

TARA tutors prepare applicants for the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions, the two-hour test that Oxford and UCL set for courses including Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology and Computer Science. The test has three 40-minute modules, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and a Writing Task, and needs no subject-specific knowledge, which makes familiarity with the question types and a steady pace the main things preparation can change.

UAT-UK, which runs the test, describes it as a test of generic thinking skills and of the ability to express ideas clearly in writing. Every candidate sits all three modules, so preparation covers multiple-choice reasoning and timed essay writing in the same programme.

At a glance

• Run by: UAT-UK, a collaboration between Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, with tests delivered at Pearson test centres
• Critical Thinking: 22 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes
• Problem Solving: 22 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes
• Writing Task: one essay from a choice of three, up to 750 words, in 40 minutes
• Scoring: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving each reported on a scale from 1 to 9 to one decimal place; the Writing Task is unscored and sent to the universities
• Rules: no calculator or dictionary, and no marks lost for wrong answers
• Booking: through a UAT-UK account, separate from the UCAS application, with October and January sittings

Which courses require the TARA

At Oxford, the TARA is set for Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Economics and Management, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Experimental Psychology, and the Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics combinations. UCL sets it for Computer Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Requirements are fixed course by course, so UAT-UK's course list and the university's own course page decide whether a student books it, and most Oxford applicants must sit in October.

What each module asks for

Critical Thinking sets arguments in everyday written language and asks candidates to assess whether each one establishes its claim. Problem Solving sets unfamiliar problems that call on basic numerical skills, such as percentages, averages, area, and reading information from tables and graphs. The Writing Task asks candidates to consider different aspects of a proposition in one essay of up to 750 words, chosen from three prompts; it is not marked, and a copy goes to each university the candidate has applied to.

Where marks are usually lost

With 22 questions in 40 minutes, each multiple-choice module allows a little under two minutes a question, and a first timed attempt tends to show one or more of these patterns:

• reading an argument for its topic and missing the step its conclusion depends on
• several minutes spent on one problem when easier questions remain unanswered
• an essay that surveys both sides at length and never commits to a conclusion
• running out of time in the Writing Task before the argument is complete

How a tutor diagnoses strengths and weaknesses

A programme usually begins with UAT-UK's specimen test, sat under timed conditions in the Pearson test player used at the test centre, followed by an essay written to the 40-minute limit. The tutor reviews each multiple-choice answer with the student to find which question types cost marks and why, reads the essay for structure and clarity, and sets the order in which skills are worked on.

A programme of sessions

Early sessions take one question type at a time, slowly enough to name the reasoning step each one tests, before timing returns on short sets and then full modules. Essay practice uses prompts in the style of the Writing Task, planned and written under time, with feedback on how the argument is built. Complete timed papers covering all three modules follow, and repeated timed results show whether progress is holding.

UAT-UK publishes its preparation material free of charge: the TARA specification, the TARA Question Guide, specimen and practice tests, and an archive of past papers from the Thinking Skills Assessment and BMAT Section 1, with which the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules share a common history. Tutoring works from that official material; UAT-UK does not endorse any commercial preparation service.

Fitting the TARA around the rest of the application

Universities typically use TARA scores alongside the rest of the application, and the preparation carries over, since weighing an argument and writing a clear one to a limit are also what the personal statement and, for Oxford, the interview ask of an applicant. Starting in the spring or summer of Year 12 leaves time to cover every question type before the October sitting that Oxford applicants must use.

Tutor matching and delivery

Families are matched with a tutor from a pool of Russell Group graduates, including Oxford and Cambridge, which also includes experienced exam-board examiners and former heads of department. Profiles of tutors who teach critical thinking and Oxbridge preparation are on the tutors page.

How tutoring with Taylor Tuition works

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Residential tutoring placements are arranged internationally on request. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject. There is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free. Every placement begins with an introductory session with the matched tutor, and we re-match at no extra cost if the fit is wrong.

Tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are registered on the DBS Update Service. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate. The tutor pool includes former heads of department and school leaders, experienced exam-board examiners, teachers from independent and boarding schools, and educational consultants with independent-school admissions experience. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact at Taylor Tuition. We reply to enquiries with tutor recommendations.

Related guides

• TARA guide: the Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions
• TSA guide: current position and what replaced it
• Oxford PPE application guide
• Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests: which test for which course
• University admissions test tutors
• Oxbridge application support