TMUA
About the test
Why is there a test?
We can't interview all our applicants in the time available, so we shortlist around three applicants per place to interview. To help us decide who to shortlist, we will use scores on the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) which all applicants for Maths, Computer Science, or joint honours courses must take. There is no "pass" mark for the TMUA; we will use the information about the test, together with all the details of your UCAS application and information about school background to decide who to shortlist.
From 2007 to 2025, the department organised a different test called the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT). For the 2026 admissions round, the MAT will not take place, and all applicants will take the TMUA instead. Any applicants who have already looked at MAT past papers will find that the mathematical topics covered on the TMUA are very similar to those covered on the MAT, and the spirit of problem-solving is common to both tests.
What does the TMUA test?
The TMUA aims to test the depth of mathematical understanding of a student in the fourth term of their A-levels (or equivalent) rather than a breadth of knowledge. It is set with the aim of being approachable by all students, including those without Further Mathematics A-level, and those from other educational systems.
The test is administered by UAT-UK and is also used by many other universities.
The TMUA Content Specification is available on the UAT-UK website, and covers mathematics usually taught at AS-level or Higher Level GCSE, plus a small number of topics from the full A-level Mathematics. The content specification is in two sections, with the second section only applying to Paper 2 of the TMUA.
Key dates
Dates and deadlines for 2027 entry have not yet been announced.
Oxford applicants must take the TMUA in the October sitting, before Oxford interviews in December.
Test format
The TMUA is an online test, taken in Pearson VUE test centres. Candidates for Oxford must take the test in the October test sitting (that is, before Oxford interviews in December).
The test lasts 2½ hours in total. It is divided into two papers. Candidates have 75 minutes for each paper.
Each paper contains 20 multiple-choice questions.
No calculators are permitted for the test.
There is a sample exam to demonstrate what the Pearson VUE system looks like, hosted on the Pearson VUE website.
How to prepare for the TMUA
In the summer of 2026, we will begin a series of online webinars to support students with the TMUA content specification and past questions. Before then, students can make use of the resources created for the MAT livestream, a previous series that we organised for a similar admissions test.
Past papers for the TMUA can be found on the UAT-UK website.
The UAT-UK page includes two documents for people taking the TMUA;
- Notes on Mathematics
This gives more detail for what is meant by each of the topics covered in Part 1 of Section 1 of the content specification, with examples and exercises. - Notes on Logic and Proof
This is a guide for topics in Section 2 of the content specification.
The University of Warwick has an extensive collection of resources for the TMUA, including video solutions for selected questions.
Candidates may also find the foundation modules of the STEP support programme useful.
Any mathematics problems that make you stop and think, wherever you can find them, are good practice for the problem-solving element of an admissions test, and are also good practice for being a student on a Mathematics degree course.
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Our admissions tutors use TMUA scores together with information from the UCAS application to decide who to shortlist for interview.
