Focused 1:1 preparation for the Test of Mathematics for University Admission, with a second-year Theoretical Physics student at UCL. Online on Google Meet, or in person around Marylebone, London.
By Archie Dyer, founder and tutor · Last updated 11 October 2026
Two papers, 75 minutes each20 multiple-choice questions per paper, no calculator.
Taught by Archie DyerSecond-year Theoretical Physics at UCL. He sat the TMUA himself.
£45 online, £55 in personPriced as IB and A-Level. One hour, 1:1.
Free 30-minute online trialNo card needed.
Enhanced DBS checkedArchie is the founder and the only tutor.
What the TMUA actually is
The TMUA is the Test of Mathematics for University Admission. It is one of the admissions tests administered by UAT-UK. UAT-UK puts the audience for it plainly: “If you are applying to study Mathematics or a mathematics-related degree such as Economics and Computer Science at a UAT-UK institution, you may need to take the TMUA.”
It is worth being clear about what kind of exam it is, because it catches students out. It is not an ordinary syllabus paper. UAT-UK publishes a content specification, but the questions test how that mathematics is applied and reasoned about; there are no marks for working and no pass mark. Both papers are multiple choice, and both are sat without a calculator.
Papers
Two. Paper 1 is “Applications of Mathematical Knowledge”. Paper 2 is “Mathematical Reasoning”.
Length
75 minutes per paper, so two and a half hours in total.
Questions
20 multiple-choice questions in each paper.
Calculator
Not allowed. UAT-UK: “You will not be able to use a calculator or dictionary.”
Scoring
Results are reported “on a scale from 1 (low) to 9 (high) to one decimal place”. UAT-UK: “There is no pass or fail for the TMUA. You should aim to do the best you can.”
Wrong answers
No marks are deducted. UAT-UK: “You do not lose marks for wrong answers, so it’s worth attempting all questions.”
The two papers ask for genuinely different things. UAT-UK says Paper 1 “assesses your ability to apply your knowledge of mathematics in new situations”, while Paper 2 “assesses your ability to deal with mathematical reasoning, and simple ideas from elementary logic”. A student can be comfortable with one and lost in the other.
Structure, scoring and calculator rules checked against the official UAT-UK page: About the TMUA. Test dates and fees change each cycle, so they are not repeated here — check the official site before booking.
Which courses ask for the TMUA
UAT-UK publishes one course list per admissions cycle covering every institution that uses its tests. For 2027 entry those institutions are Durham, Imperial College London, LSE, Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick and UCL. The summary below is taken from that list; where a course is marked recommended rather than compulsory, the test is not required but the university still asks for it.
Where the TMUA appears in the UAT-UK course list for 2027 entry
University
Where the TMUA appears
Cambridge
Compulsory for Computer Science, Economics and Mathematics.
Oxford
Compulsory for Computer Science, Computer Science and Philosophy, Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Mathematics / Mathematics and Statistics.
Imperial College London
Compulsory for the Computing degrees, the Mathematics degrees, and Economics, Finance and Data Science.
Warwick
Compulsory for Computer Science, Computer Science with Business Studies, Discrete Mathematics and Mathematics, except for applicants eligible for a contextual offer. Recommended for a further list that includes Data Science, Economics, Mathematics and Statistics, and MORSE.
LSE
Compulsory for BSc Economics and BSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics. Recommended for its other listed courses, including Actuarial Science, Financial Mathematics and Statistics, and the Mathematics degrees.
UCL
Compulsory for BSc Economics and BSc Economics with Study Abroad.
Durham
Recommended for BSc and MMath Mathematics, and Mathematics and Statistics.
Check your own course page before you book a test. UAT-UK puts it plainly: “Candidates must check the relevant course pages on the website of the institution(s) to which they are applying before booking a test.” Requirements move between cycles, and the list above is a summary rather than a substitute for the university’s own page.
Taken from the UAT-UK Course List 2027 Entry (last updated April 2026), published on the UAT-UK site under “Check if your courses require an admissions test”, and cross-checked for Cambridge against its own admissions tests page. A new list is published each admissions cycle.
Who you would be working with
Lessons are with Archie Dyer, the founder of Cognivia Tutoring and its only tutor. There is no panel of tutors behind the website and no one else you might be passed to.
Second-year Theoretical Physics student at UCL, after a First in his first year.
43 out of 45 in the IB, with 7s in HL Maths, Physics and Economics.
10 A*s at IGCSE.
Tutoring for over two years, in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Economics.
Sat the TMUA himself as a university applicant.
Enhanced DBS checked.
That background lines up with what UAT-UK says the test asks for. Paper 2 “assesses your ability to deal with mathematical reasoning, and simple ideas from elementary logic” — reasoning about implication, proof and counterexample of the kind a mathematics or physics undergraduate works with.
Nothing here is a promise about a score. What Archie can offer is someone who has recently sat demanding maths at school level, is currently studying the subject at university, and teaches one student at a time.
How he teaches. In Archie’s words: “I find where the understanding actually breaks down, which is usually two or three topics further back than where the marks were lost, and we rebuild from there. I keep lessons relaxed. I would far rather a student asked me something they think is obvious than sat quietly and nodded.” The free 30-minute trial is the way to judge that for yourself: bring a topic you find difficult. There is more on the About Archie page.
How TMUA lessons work
Lessons are one hour and one to one, with Archie. There are no group classes, so the hour is built around one student. They run online on Google Meet, or in person around Marylebone, London for £10 more.
Two facts about the test come from UAT-UK rather than from anyone’s teaching preference, and both are worth knowing before booking:
Each paper allows 75 minutes for 20 questions, which is under four minutes a question, with no marks for working.
No calculator is allowed. UAT-UK is explicit that “you will not be able to use a calculator or dictionary”.
After each lesson, parents receive a short note on what was covered and what to practise next.
No tutor can guarantee a score on this test, and anyone who does should be treated with suspicion.
Preparing for the January 2027 sitting
For 2027 entry the second TMUA sitting runs from 4 to 8 January 2027. Booking opens on 26 October 2026 and closes on 21 December 2026, and results are released on 8 February 2027.
26 October 2026
Booking for the January sitting opens. That leaves ten weeks before the test.
21 December 2026
Booking closes at 6pm UK time. UAT-UK says it cannot make exceptions to its deadlines.
4 to 8 January 2027
The test is sat at a Pearson VUE test centre.
A lesson a week from late October is ten lessons, which is two 5-packs at £210 each online. Some students want fewer lessons and more timed papers on their own; the free 30-minute trial is the place to work out what suits. Check with your university which sitting it accepts: Cambridge and Oxford applicants generally sit in October.
Archie also has experience preparing applicants for Oxford and Cambridge interviews in mathematics- and physics-based subjects. For many applicants the TMUA is followed a few weeks later by an interview, and the two reward the same habit: reasoning aloud through a problem you have not seen before.
A one-hour lesson can be used as interview practice: an unfamiliar problem worked through aloud, with feedback afterwards on how the thinking was explained, not only on whether the answer was right. It costs the same as any other lesson, £45 online or £55 in person around Marylebone, London.
As with the test itself, nothing here is a promise about an offer. Interviews are conducted by the colleges, and Cognivia Tutoring is not affiliated with or endorsed by either university.
Prices and practical details
TMUA preparation prices at Cognivia Tutoring
What
Online
In person
One 1-hour 1:1 lesson
£45
£55
5-pack — five 1-hour lessons, £15 off
£210
£260
30-minute trial lesson
Free
Online only
TMUA preparation is priced as IB and A-Level. A 5-pack is held in a My lessons account, so the five lessons can be booked one at a time as the test approaches.
1 hour, 1:1. Every lesson is with Archie, built around one student. There are no group classes.
Online on Google Meet, or in person around Marylebone, London (+£10). The Meet link is in your confirmation email; times are shown in your own time zone.
Free 30-minute online trial, no card needed. A relaxed session to meet and see if it clicks.
24 hours’ notice to cancel, by email or phone. See the refund policy.
Payment by Stripe at booking. Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Full prices for every subject and level are on the pricing section of the home page. Parents receive a short note after each lesson on what was covered and what to practise next.
No. TMUA preparation is priced as IB and A-Level: £45 an hour online, or £55 in person around Marylebone, London. A 5-pack of five 1-hour lessons saves £15, at £210 online or £260 in person.
No. UAT-UK states: “You will not be able to use a calculator or dictionary.” Lessons are taught the same way, so the arithmetic and algebra are practised under the conditions of the real test rather than around them.
There is no penalty for a wrong answer. UAT-UK states: “You do not lose marks for wrong answers, so it’s worth attempting all questions.” So no question should be left blank.
Check the course page on the university’s own website. UAT-UK says candidates must do exactly that before booking a test, because requirements change between cycles. The summary above is a starting point, not a substitute.
Yes. Archie also tutors the ESAT, and some applicants sit both. The two tests are prepared for quite differently, so they are treated as separate work rather than one course.
Yes. Online lessons are on Google Meet and the booking calendar shows times in your own time zone. Students join from the UK and across Europe.
Book the free 30-minute online trial and bring a topic you find difficult. You will see how Archie explains it and whether his teaching suits you before paying anything, and no card is needed. After every paid lesson, parents receive a short note on what was covered and what to practise next, so progress stays visible.
Where to go next
A free 30-minute trial is the simplest way to find out whether this is the right fit. Nothing is charged and no card is needed.
