The ESAT, explained by someone who actually teaches both halves of it

Updated September 2026 · covers the October 2026 and January 2027 sittings (2027 entry cycle)

Most ESAT guides are written by people who tutor one half of it. Ours isn't — our founder is a theoretical physics PhD researcher with a Cambridge Part III Distinction in mathematics, and the ESAT's two most-required modules, Mathematics 1/2 and Physics, are exactly the pairing that a maths-only tutor or a generalist agency staffed with humanities graduates cannot properly cover. This page sets out what the test actually contains, using UAT-UK's own published specification, course lists and key-dates pages — not general admissions-test advice recycled from the MAT or the old PAT.

What the ESAT actually is

UAT-UK's own content specification states the purpose plainly: “The purpose of the Engineering and Science Admissions Test is to determine a candidate's potential to achieve in an academically demanding undergraduate degree course. Questions draw upon a candidate's ability to use and apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge. The test is designed to be challenging in order to differentiate effectively between able applicants, including those who might have achieved the highest possible grades in school examinations.”

It's run by UAT-UK (University Admissions Tests UK), a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London that runs a shared testing service, delivered through Pearson VUE test centres. UAT-UK also runs the TMUA (the maths admissions test used more widely — see our guide to what replaced the MAT) and TARA, a separate reasoning test for some Oxford and UCL humanities and social-science courses. This page is about the ESAT only.

The ESAT was first sat in October 2024, for 2025 entry, when it replaced Cambridge's Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA) and Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA). Oxford followed for 2027 entry: its Physics Aptitude Test (PAT), previously the route into Oxford Physics, Physics and Philosophy and Engineering, has been withdrawn, and those applicants now sit ESAT Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics. That makes October 2026 the first ESAT sitting for Oxford applicants, and Oxford's Department of Physics warns that its syllabus and difficulty differ from the PAT's, so old PAT papers are not a like-for-like guide. All three predecessor tests are gone; there is no route back to sitting them.

The five modules, and why you'll probably sit three

Every ESAT sitting is built from the same five modules. Each is 27 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, separately timed — finishing one module early doesn't give you extra time on the next. The whole test is computer-based, with an erasable booklet for working and no calculator or dictionary allowed in any module.

Fraley Tutors is a maths and physics specialist, not a generalist science agency — we prepare students for Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics, and we say so plainly rather than claiming coverage of Chemistry or Biology we don't have. As the table below shows, that combination happens to be exactly what most ESAT engineering and physics courses require anyway.

UAT-UK's specification is explicit that the higher modules aren't just harder versions of Mathematics 1: “Candidates are expected to apply conceptual knowledge to solve problems. Some questions involve the straightforward application of this knowledge, but others require more creative thinking and the application of principles in less familiar contexts.” That's the real difficulty. The content in the Physics module, for instance, sits close to GCSE Physics — but a question rarely asks for one fact in isolation. A typical question combines two or three ideas at once (say, Hooke's Law and energy conservation, or circuit rules and power) inside a single 27-questions-in-40-minutes paper, which is closer in spirit to how the TMUA tests A-Level maths than to how GCSE Physics tests GCSE content.

The ESAT specification, module by module

The official document is UAT-UK's ESAT Content Specification, for assessment in October 2026 and January 2027, a free PDF. Its Appendix 1 lists every topic the test assumes, each labelled by module: M for Mathematics 1, MM for Mathematics 2, P for Physics, and C and B for Chemistry and Biology. The rule that matters most is that every module assumes the Mathematics 1 content, so a Physics or Chemistry question can lean on any M topic as well as its own.

Three things in the specification catch students out. First, Mathematics 2 assumes the Mathematics 1 content but not the Physics content, so it is a pure maths module that reaches into early A-Level calculus, logarithms and trigonometry. Second, the specification expects you to know the SI unit of every quantity it names, and the prefixes from nano- (10⁻⁹) to giga- (10⁹), including units written with negative indices such as m s⁻¹. Third, it lists topics, not question types: the difficulty comes from combining them, which is why the specification itself says some questions “require more creative thinking and the application of principles in less familiar contexts.” UAT-UK also publishes a free module guide for each of Mathematics 1 and Physics, and a set of notes covering Mathematics 2, on its preparation pages.

Is the ESAT non-calculator?

Yes, every module. The specification says it in four words, “Calculators may NOT be used”, and no dictionary is allowed either. You work on an erasable booklet provided at the test centre.

The specification is written with that in mind. Mathematics 1 expects you to “calculate exactly with fractions, surds and multiples of π” (M2.11), to use approximation to estimate calculations involving π or surds (M2.14), and to calculate with numbers in standard form (M2.8). The Physics module takes the gravitational field strength as 10 N kg⁻¹ (P3.5, Mass and weight). In practice that means the arithmetic is part of what is being tested: with 27 questions in 40 minutes, a student who cancels before multiplying, keeps answers in surd or standard form, and estimates to rule out options has time for every question; one who grinds out long multiplication usually does not. That is the fluency we practise in ESAT lessons, alongside the content itself.

Which modules your course actually needs

Module requirements are set by each university and course individually, and they don't follow a single pattern — some courses fix your three modules, others let you choose two from a pool of four. The table below covers the physics-and-maths-relevant courses at each ESAT university, drawn from UAT-UK's official course list for 2027 entry. It is representative, not exhaustive — always confirm your own course on UAT-UK's site or your university's admissions page before booking, since you cannot change your module selection once you've booked.

Two patterns worth noticing. First, wherever a course fixes its modules rather than offering a free choice, Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics is overwhelmingly the fixed set — every straight Engineering, Engineering Science and Physics course above uses it. Second, on the courses with a free choice (Cambridge Natural Sciences, Oxford Biomedical Sciences, UCL's Electronic & Electrical Engineering), Physics is one of the four options alongside Biology and Chemistry — useful to know if you're deciding which two modules to sit and Physics is your stronger subject.

Not every ESAT university needs the ESAT for every science course. Durham, the London School of Economics and the University of Warwick don't use the ESAT at all — their maths-adjacent courses sit the TMUA instead. And within the four ESAT universities, plenty of non-STEM courses (Oxford PPE, Psychology, History and Economics, and others) use a different UAT-UK test, TARA, not the ESAT.

How it's marked

Each correct answer scores one mark; nothing is deducted for a wrong one, so there's no reason to leave a question blank. Each module is scored separately on a scale from 1.0 (low) to 9.0 (high), to one decimal place — there is no pass mark, and no combined ESAT "score." Results reach your UAT-UK account roughly four weeks after your test date, and are released automatically to whichever universities on your UCAS application use the ESAT for the course you applied to. How heavily a university weighs your ESAT score against your predicted grades and the rest of your application is a decision each admissions department makes for itself, and isn't published by UAT-UK.

Key dates for the 2027 entry cycle

These are UAT-UK's own published dates. Cambridge and Oxford require the October sitting specifically (with limited exceptions for mature and foundation-year applicants) — check your own university before assuming the January window is an option.

The test costs £78 for UK and Republic of Ireland candidates, or £133 for candidates testing elsewhere; bursaries covering the full fee are available for eligible UK candidates, but must be applied for before booking a test, by the bursary deadline above. If you need access arrangements (extra time and similar), that application must also go in before you book, by the earlier access-arrangements deadline.

What to do now

1. Confirm your exact module requirement. Check UAT-UK's course list and your specific course page — module sets vary within a single university, and you cannot change your selection after booking.
2. Where things stand, October 2026. Booking for the October sitting closed on 28 September; the test runs 12–16 October, and results reach candidates on 16 November. For Oxford Physics and Cambridge Engineering applicants the next step is interview, in November and December — see Oxbridge interview preparation. If your course doesn’t require the October sitting, the January sitting runs 4–8 January 2027, with booking closing 21 December at 6pm; check your course page first.
3. Apply for access arrangements or a bursary first, if either applies. Both close before the general booking deadline, and bursary applications can take up to five working days to process.
4. Practise every module you're actually sitting, under real 40-minute timing. A module you know well conceptually can still cost you marks on pace if you haven't drilled the 27-question rhythm.
5. Work from the official specification, not just past papers. Because the ESAT is still new, its archive of real papers is thin; UAT-UK's content specification tells you precisely what's assumed and what isn't, which is the more reliable guide while that archive builds up.

Common questions

What is the ESAT?

The Engineering and Science Admissions Test, a computer-based admissions test run by UAT-UK for science and engineering courses at Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford and UCL. Five modules of 27 multiple-choice questions each, 40 minutes per module. Mathematics 1 is compulsory; most courses also require two further modules chosen from Mathematics 2, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

How many modules does the ESAT have, and how many do I need to sit?

Five modules exist in total: Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Almost every course requires Mathematics 1 plus two further modules — 120 minutes of testing. A small number of courses, like Imperial's Design Engineering, need only Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2. You cannot change your module selection after booking.

Which universities require the ESAT?

Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and UCL, for specific science and engineering courses. Durham, LSE and Warwick use the TMUA instead for their mathematics and related courses, not the ESAT. Always check the exact course page, since requirements vary even within one university.

Did the ESAT replace the PAT, ENGAA or NSAA?

Yes. It was first sat in October 2024, for 2025 entry, replacing Cambridge's ENGAA and NSAA. Oxford replaced the PAT with the ESAT for 2027 entry, so October 2026 is the first ESAT sitting for Oxford Physics, Physics and Philosophy and Engineering applicants. None of the three predecessor tests still run.

Is the ESAT non-calculator?

Yes, every module. UAT-UK's specification states calculators may not be used, and no dictionary is permitted either. See what non-calculator means in practice above.

When is the ESAT in 2026?

Booking for the October sitting closed on 28 September; the test runs 12 to 16 October, and results reach candidates on 16 November. For Oxford Physics and Cambridge Engineering applicants the next step is interview, in November and December. If your course doesn't require the October sitting, the January sitting runs 4 to 8 January 2027, with booking closing 21 December at 6pm; check your course page first.

Sources and method

• Where the test-structure and scoring facts come from. The module list, question and timing counts, calculator policy, scoring scale and no-negative-marking rule are taken from UAT-UK's own ESAT Content Specification, for assessment in October 2026 and January 2027, and from the live esat-tmua.ac.uk site (test structure and FAQ pages, fetched August 2026).
• Where the key dates and fees come from. Every date in the tables above, and the £78/£133 fees, are taken from UAT-UK's published deadlines page for the 2027 entry cycle. These change every admissions cycle — re-check before relying on them for a later cycle.
• Where the module-requirement table comes from. Taken from UAT-UK's official Course List, 2027 Entry (last updated April 2026) and cross-checked against Cambridge's, Imperial's and Oxford Physics's own admissions pages. It is a representative selection of maths-and-physics-relevant courses, not the complete list — always confirm your own course before booking.
• Where the history comes from. Oxford's Department of Physics admissions page states that the PAT has been replaced by the ESAT and that the October 2026 ESAT differs in syllabus and difficulty from the PAT (fetched September 2026). That Cambridge's ENGAA and NSAA gave way to the ESAT from the October 2024 sitting is consistent across independent reporting; Cambridge's current pages describe only the ESAT as it now stands.
• What this is not. This is a summary of published information, not a prediction of any future paper, and we hold no ESAT questions or ESAT-specific practice data of our own — unlike our TMUA topic breakdown, this page is not a data analysis. We are not affiliated with UAT-UK, Pearson VUE, Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford or UCL. The official specification and course list are published free by UAT-UK — use them directly for anything test-day-critical.
• Who wrote this. Written and maintained by Alex Fraley, founder of Fraley Tutors, a theoretical physics PhD researcher with a Distinction in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge, who has prepared entrance-exam candidates across the TMUA, STEP, and the Oxford physics tests now folded into the ESAT. Reviewed against source pages in September 2026 and updated each admissions cycle.

Related

• ESAT tutoring — 1-to-1 preparation for the Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics modules.
• Oxbridge interview preparation — for Oxford Physics and Cambridge Engineering applicants, the step after the ESAT.
• University entrance exam tutoring — TMUA, STEP and ESAT together.
• What replaced the MAT and the PAT — the wider admissions-test overhaul, including a short ESAT/PAT section.
• What actually comes up in the TMUA — our own topic analysis of 320 published TMUA questions.
• A-Level Physics tutoring — the foundation the ESAT Physics module draws on.
• A-Level Maths tutoring — the foundation the Mathematics 1 and 2 modules draw on.
• Further Maths tutoring — one-to-one A-Level Further Maths, with the entrance-exam crossover built in.