TMUA and ESAT test dates, deadlines and fees for 2027 entry.

When are the TMUA and ESAT for 2027 entry?

Both tests are sat in the same two windows: 12–16 October 2026 and 4–8 January 2027. The TMUA and the ESAT share every date and deadline below, which are those published by UAT-UK, the body that runs both tests.

All times are UK time. As of 11 October 2026, booking for the October sitting has closed and that sitting begins on 12 October. Booking for January has not yet opened.

In China, Hong Kong and Macau the tests run on set days within each window. In October the ESAT is on 12–13 October and the TMUA on 15–16 October; in January the ESAT is on 6 January and the TMUA on 8 January.

Every date and time above is taken from UAT-UK’s official Key Dates page. Checked on 11 October 2026.

Should I sit in October or January?

Most Cambridge and Oxford applicants must sit in October; applicants to the other universities can choose either sitting. Of that choice, UAT-UK’s handbook says: “There is no advantage to sitting the test in either session.”

• Cambridge and Oxford. UAT-UK states that the January sitting does not apply to their applicants. The exceptions it names are mature applicants to a Cambridge mature College with a January admissions deadline, and applicants to Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year.
• Durham, Imperial, LSE, UCL and Warwick. Either sitting. Check the course page in case the university says otherwise.
• Once per cycle. Each test can be taken only once in an admissions cycle, so the January sitting is not a resit of October.
• Two different tests. A candidate who needs both the TMUA and the ESAT can sit them in the same sitting, or one in each, subject to the Cambridge and Oxford rule above.
• Deferred entry. UAT-UK says the test must be sat in the same year as the UCAS application is submitted.

A candidate who cancels or misses an October booking can still book for January, according to the handbook.

Source: UAT-UK’s FAQs and its Candidate Handbook 2027 Entry, published on the UAT-UK site. Checked on 11 October 2026.

How much do the TMUA and ESAT cost, and how do I book?

Each test costs £78 for candidates in the UK and Republic of Ireland and £133 for candidates elsewhere. The fee follows the location of the test centre, not your nationality or home address, and it is charged per test.

How to book

Create a UAT-UK account, apply for the test there, then choose a test centre and time in Pearson’s booking portal and pay.

Bursary

UAT-UK offers one to UK candidates in financial need, covering the full cost. It must be approved before you book.

Access arrangements

Must be requested, with evidence, before you book. They cannot be added at the test centre.

Changing a booking

Rescheduling or cancelling is free of charge until 48 hours before the test.

ESAT modules

Chosen at booking and cannot be changed afterwards without cancelling and re-booking.

On the day

Aim to arrive 30 minutes early with photographic ID that meets UAT-UK’s policy. Candidates more than 15 minutes late are not permitted to test.

Fees and booking steps from UAT-UK’s How to Register and Book page and FAQs; the remaining rules from its Candidate Handbook 2027 Entry. Checked on 11 October 2026.

When do TMUA and ESAT results come out?

Results are released to candidates on 16 November 2026 for the October sitting and on 8 February 2027 for the January sitting. They appear in the candidate’s UAT-UK account.

Candidates do not send scores to universities themselves. UAT-UK sends results to the participating institutions named in the UCAS application, and its handbook says this happens shortly after testing, before candidates see their own scores. Scores are reported from 1 to 9 to one decimal place, and UAT-UK states that it “does not provide any grade boundaries or a pass mark”.

Release dates from UAT-UK’s Key Dates page; how results are shared and scored from its Test Scores page and Candidate Handbook 2027 Entry. Checked on 11 October 2026.

How can Cognivia help before a test date?

Cognivia Tutoring offers one-to-one preparation for the TMUA and for the ESAT modules Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2, Physics and Chemistry, taught by Archie Dyer, a second-year Theoretical Physics student at UCL and the only tutor. Biology is not taught. Lessons are one hour: £45 online on Google Meet or £55 in person around Marylebone, London, with a 5-pack of five lessons saving £15 (£210 online, £260 in person). A 30-minute online trial is free and needs no card.

Cognivia Tutoring is independent. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson VUE or any university, and it cannot book, move or cancel a test for you. No tutor can promise a score.