Overview
The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA) is a computer-based admissions test developed by UAT-UK (University Admissions Tests UK) and delivered through Pearson VUE test centres. It is one of three UAT-UK tests (alongside the ESAT and the TMUA) used in undergraduate admissions to the University of Oxford, and is also used by UCL for a number of its degree programmes. From the October 2026 sitting onward, TARA replaced the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) that Oxford had used for the same group of courses since 2008. The test does not examine subject knowledge; it is designed to assess critical thinking, problem solving and written argument.
Note
This file is based on secondary reports (test-preparation guides and news coverage summarising the official UAT-UK and University of Oxford pages), not a direct fetch of those pages, because the official sites were unreachable from where this was researched. Confirm current fees, dates and the exact list of courses requiring TARA on the UAT-UK and University of Oxford websites before registering or relying on any figure here.
Who can apply
Anyone applying for a course that requires TARA can register for it; there is no separate eligibility test beyond applying to one of those courses. For 2027 entry, Oxford lists TARA as a requirement for several of its humanities and social-science courses, including Economics and Management, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), PPE with Foundation Year, Psychology (Experimental), and Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics. UCL lists TARA for a different set of courses, including some Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering and Robotics programmes. Because universities review their test requirements most years, check the specific course page of the university you are applying to for the current list rather than assuming a course needs TARA just because it did the previous year.
Candidates can sit TARA at a Pearson VUE test centre in almost any country, so international applicants are not required to travel to the UK to take it.
Exam pattern
TARA has three modules, each separately timed at 40 minutes, for a total test time of two hours.
| Module | Format | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 22 multiple-choice questions | 40 minutes |
| Problem Solving | 22 multiple-choice questions | 40 minutes |
| Writing Task | One essay, written in response to a choice of three prompts | 40 minutes |
The multiple-choice modules do not require any subject-specific knowledge or a syllabus to revise; they test reasoning skills directly. The Writing Task asks candidates to construct and communicate a written argument rather than recall facts.
Marking and results
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are each scored separately on a scale from 1.0 (low) to 9.0 (high), reported to one decimal place. UAT-UK has said the scale is set so that a typical candidate scores around 4.5, with roughly the top 10% of candidates scoring above 7.0. The Writing Task is not scored by UAT-UK at all: a copy of the candidate's response is instead sent directly to every university and course the candidate applied to that requires TARA, and each admissions team marks it by its own criteria. Universities set their own policies on how heavily the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving scores and the Writing Task feed into an admissions decision, alongside UCAS application, grades and, where used, interviews.
Important dates
For the 2026/27 application cycle, UAT-UK ran TARA in two sittings. Oxford only accepts the October sitting for its courses, with no option to defer to the January sitting.
| Window | Registration opens | Test booking | Test dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 1 June 2026 | 20 July - 28 September 2026 | 12-16 October 2026 (candidates in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau sit on 14 October 2026) |
| January 2027 | 5 October 2026 | 26 October - 21 December 2026 | 4-8 January 2027 |
Results for the October 2026 sitting were due on 16 November 2026, published through the candidate's UAT-UK account. Dates shift each year, so always check the current cycle's dates on the UAT-UK site before relying on these.
How to apply
Candidates register by creating an account on the UAT-UK website and then booking a test slot at a Pearson VUE test centre within the relevant booking window. The test must be booked and sat before the candidate submits their UCAS application for a course that requires it, so check the UCAS deadline for the specific course (Oxford's standard deadline is in October, though its Foundation Year courses can have a later deadline) and register well before the booking window closes. For 2026, the test fee was £78 at UK and Republic of Ireland test centres and £133 at test centres elsewhere. UAT-UK also runs a bursary scheme that can cover the full test fee for UK candidates who can show financial need (living permanently in the UK, sitting at a UK test centre, and the candidate or a parent/guardian receiving means-tested benefits); a bursary application must be approved before the test is booked and paid for.
After the exam
Candidates check their Critical Thinking and Problem Solving scores through their UAT-UK account once results are released. Universities receive the scores and a copy of the Writing Task response directly from UAT-UK for every course a candidate applied to that requires the test, so no separate submission is needed. TARA results are then considered alongside the rest of the UCAS application as part of each university's own admissions process.
Preparation tips
UAT-UK and Pearson VUE publish official specimen and practice materials free of charge, including practice tests for the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules with worked solutions; work through these before relying on third-party practice papers.
Because there is no syllabus, practice should focus on reasoning technique: reading an argument carefully, spotting assumptions and flaws, and working through logic and data-based problems under timed conditions.
For the Writing Task, practise planning and writing a complete argumentative essay within 40 minutes, since there is no time to redraft once the module starts.
Register as soon as the booking window opens for your test centre, since popular centres and dates can fill up before the registration deadline.
FAQs
Is TARA the same as the old Oxford TSA?
No, though it serves a similar role. TARA is a new test introduced by UAT-UK that replaced the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) for the Oxford courses that previously used the TSA, starting with the October 2026 sitting for 2027 entry.
Do I need to prepare subject knowledge for TARA?
No. TARA does not test subject content or have a syllabus to revise. It assesses critical thinking, problem solving and written argument using skills rather than factual recall.
Can I sit TARA in January if I am applying to Oxford?
No. Oxford only accepts the October sitting for the courses that require TARA; there is no option to defer to the January sitting for an Oxford application. The January sitting exists for candidates whose required universities accept it.
What happens to my Writing Task answer?
It is not scored by UAT-UK. A copy is sent directly to every university and course you applied to that requires TARA, and each admissions team assesses it using its own criteria alongside your Critical Thinking and Problem Solving scores.