What Is ESAT?

Each module is separately timed:

Cambridge: Engineering (Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics), and Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (Mathematics 1 plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics 2).

Imperial College London uses the ESAT for many engineering and science courses, and Oxford uses it for courses such as Engineering and Physics. Check each course page for the exact modules.

October sitting: booking closed on 28 September 2026, the test ran 12–16 October 2026, and results are released on 16 November 2026.

January sitting: booking opens on 28 October 2026 and closes on 21 December 2026 (6pm GMT), the test runs 4–8 January 2027, and results are released on 8 February 2027. It is only for courses with January deadlines.

The fee is £78 in the UK and Ireland and £133 elsewhere, including India. Tests are taken at Pearson VUE centres.

The first question is which university you are applying to. UAT-UK states that applicants to Cambridge or Oxford must sit in October, with exceptions only for certain mature applicants to Cambridge and for the Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year. If your course is at either university and you did not sit in October, contact the college or admissions office before doing anything else; the January sitting will not count for you.

For other universities that list the ESAT, the January sitting is the route, but only when the course page says January test results are accepted for its deadline. Check the course page, not a general guide, for that.

You can only register once for a test in either October or January, so choose the sitting you will actually be ready for.

Results appear in your UAT-UK account about four weeks after the test. Scores are passed to UCAS institutions only if you have applied to a course that lists the test as an entrance requirement.

For the January sitting, access arrangements must be requested by 7 December 2026 and bursaries by 14 December 2026. Asking by the deadline does not guarantee a booking, but you can still book once the request is approved. Because the fee outside the UK and Ireland is £133 per test, ask about a bursary early if cost is a concern.

Secure the maths and science content from GCSE and early A-Level (or Class 11–12 equivalents) for the modules you will take.

Practise speed: 27 questions in 40 minutes is under 90 seconds each.

Use the official UAT-UK practice materials and sit full modules under timed conditions.

The Oxbrivy Admit Probability Engine helps you judge which ESAT courses are realistic.