Common Exams for UK Undergraduate Admissions

As a high school student, it comes as a relief that the only testing requirement for applying to the UK is an English proficiency exam- IELTS/TOEFL. However, most of us are not aware of the various subject specific admission tests that students must appear for if they are planning to pursue certain universities in the UK. As we learn about these exams, let’s look at the tests required by Oxbridge and LSE, the three top-ranking universities with the toughest entry requirements. 

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

An aspirant to the University of Cambridge will need to take a subject-specific admission assessment test either before they appear for their interview or during the course of their interview. These are known as Cambridge Admissions Assessments and are required for the following popular courses:

• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Economics
• Engineering
• English
• Architecture
• Medicine
• Natural Sciences
• History, Politics
• Philosophy
• Law (Cambridge Law Test (CLT))

Exceptions to this are applicants for MEDICINE, who will take the BIOMEDICAL ADMISSION TEST (BMAT). A candidate can take the BMAT only once in an admission cycle – either in August or October. This test is a requisite of many other UK universities too, such as –  Oxford, Leeds, Lancaster, University College London, Manchester Medical School, Imperial College London.

MATHEMATICS aspirants of Cambridge are selected on the basis of a well-established math exam called the STEP (SIXTH TERM EXAMINATION PAPER). It tests candidates on questions which are similar in style to undergraduate math. The University of Warwick also uses this exam to select candidates for its Math and Statistics courses.

Additionally, if you wish to study this one particular course called Land Economy, which includes Environment, Law and Economics, then you have to take the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) Cambridge exam. This course being intellectually very challenging needs students to have strong reasoning and analytical skills.

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Besides the BMAT, University of Oxford has a number of course-specific tests too, just like Cambridge. Some popular courses that require tests are:

• Classics 
• Modern Languages
• English Literature 
• History
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Philosophy
• Physics

Undergraduate degree courses in Mathematics, Computer Science and their joint degrees require MAT – MATHEMATICS ADMISSIONS TEST. The Imperial College London and University of Warwick also requires its Math degree aspirants to take the MAT, which is held once a year in October.

Just as Cambridge has the Cambridge Law Test (CLT) for its law aspirants, LNAT – NATIONAL ADMISSIONS TEST FOR LAW is what Oxford and other participating universities use to select their law candidates. This test allows a university to make sure that the applicants will be able to cope with a brand-new subject of which they might not have prior knowledge. While the candidates are not expected to have knowledge of Law, they will be judged on their verbal reasoning, deductive reasoning and information interpretation skills. The test is held multiple times between September and January of the following year. However, one must keep in mind the deadlines of the universities one’s applying to. 

Other LNAT participating universities are – Bristol, Durham, Glasgow, Nottingham, King’s College London, University College London and LSE.

Quite similar to the TSA Cambridge, the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) Oxford is a test used by Oxford to select candidates for its undergraduate courses such as – Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences, Philosophy, PPE. This test includes a writing task along with a section on problem-solving, critical thinking and reasoning evaluation. 

London School of Economics

The London School of Economics and Political Sciences also has its own set of admission tests called the Undergraduate Admissions Assessment (UGAA). All undergraduate applicants who have been invited by the LSE admission selectors have to compulsorily appear for this 3-hour long examination, which consists of a Math and an English section. It happens once a year on a set date at the LSE campus and in all the centers around the world. 

Besides the above, there are some other tests which several other universities in the UK use as a selection criteria during admissions, namely:

UCAT – The University Clinical Aptitude Test (previously known as UK Clinical Aptitude Test) is one of the main criteria to select students into high demand health careers like medicine and dentistry. Since 2019, this test has been launched in Australia and New Zealand as well, hence the name change from UKCAT to UCAT. Some of the UK universities which require UCAT are – Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Exeter, King’s College London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, St. Andrew’s, Queen Mary. 

TMUA- The Test of Mathematics for University Admission is an optional but recommended test for candidates who want to study Mathematics or mathematics related courses such as Computer Science and Economics. Universities which accept TMUA scores are – LSE, Bath, Durham, Lancaster, Cardiff, Nottingham, Sheffield, Warwick.

UKVI (UK VISA and IMMIGRATION) IELTS - In 2015, the UK government introduced UKVI IELTS which a student who is entering a UK institution for a course below a bachelor’s degree level must take (eg. foundation programs). It is essentially designed for those who want to migrate to the UK and is not meant for academic institutions. The test content is the same as the typical IELTS.

All the above tests (except for IELTS) are pen and paper tests lasting one to three hours. These are held in most countries worldwide including India in authorized centers. Knowing about so many different tests for different courses and colleges can undoubtedly be daunting for a student. The UCAS official website for UK admissions and the individual university websites can be referred to for more details and explanations. 

For Indian students, who have not studied the A levels or IGCSE, these standardized tests can be particularly challenging. However, with plenty of sample practice papers and guidance available online, it is possible to prepare for them well. These tests ensure that only the most able and intellectually sound students get admitted into the coveted courses of these top universities of the world.