International students take the TMUA, ESAT and TARA at Pearson VUE test centres, which UAT-UK says are spread across more than 180 countries. Each test costs £133 outside the UK and Ireland (£78 inside), and the fee depends on where your test centre is, not on your nationality.
Where you take the TMUA, ESAT and TARA outside the UK
All three UAT-UK tests are computer-based and hosted by Pearson across its global network of Professional Test Centres. UAT-UK says there are roughly 5,500 Pearson VUE test centres in more than 180 countries. When you book, you choose an available Pearson test centre and sit the test there on a computer.
To check for a TMUA test centre in India, Singapore, Malaysia or anywhere else, use Pearson's UAT-UK test centre locator, linked from Pearson's UAT-UK page. Search for your own city before booking opens, and look at the next nearest city too. UAT-UK's FAQ warns that outside the UK, candidates may need to travel further within their country.
- Book early. The TMUA page says the earlier you book, the more likely there will be appointments at your preferred test centre.
- Know who to call. Pearson's UAT-UK page lists 24-hour Asia-Pacific customer service numbers, including lines for China, India, Japan and Singapore.
- One sitting per test. Pearson states that you may sit each test only once per admissions cycle.
The international fee: £133 per test
| Test | Test centre in the UK or Ireland | Test centre anywhere else |
|---|---|---|
| TMUA | £78 | £133 |
| ESAT | £78 | £133 |
| TARA | £78 | £133 |
UAT-UK is clear that the test fees depend on the test centre location, not your home or nationality. A British student living in Hong Kong pays £133 at a Hong Kong centre, and an international student who sits the test in London pays £78. UAT-UK quotes its fees in pounds sterling only, so the amount on your card statement will depend on your bank's exchange rate.
Each test is priced separately, so if you need two (for example the ESAT for one university and the TMUA for another), you pay twice. The UAT-UK bursary doesn't help international candidates: you must live in the UK permanently and plan to take your test at a UK test centre.
You can cancel or reschedule up to 48 hours before your test time with no financial penalty. Miss that window, or miss the appointment, and you lose the fee.
Sitting dates, and the China, Hong Kong and Macau timetable
There are two sittings for 2027 entry: 12 to 16 October 2026 and 4 to 8 January 2027. Booking for October closed on 28 September 2026. Booking for January opens at 3pm (UK time) on 26 October 2026. Results come through your UAT-UK account on 16 November 2026 for October and 8 February 2027 for January. Our UAT-UK test dates guide has every deadline in one place.
In most countries, all three tests run on every day of the window. China, Hong Kong and Macau are the exception: UAT-UK says all three tests run on all days for candidates in all countries except China, Hong Kong and Macau, where each test has fixed days.
| Test | October 2026 sitting | January 2027 sitting |
|---|---|---|
| ESAT | 12–13 October | 6 January |
| TARA | 14 October | 7 January |
| TMUA | 15–16 October | 8 January |
Cambridge repeats this on its own pages: applicants from China, Hong Kong and Macau must take the ESAT on 12 or 13 October and the TMUA on 15 or 16 October.
The January sitting is not a second chance for Oxford or Cambridge. UAT-UK says it is not applicable for Cambridge or Oxford applicants unless you're applying to a Cambridge mature college or an Oxford Foundation Year course with a January deadline. If you're applying elsewhere, check your university's course page to see which sitting it accepts.
Booking from another time zone
Every UAT-UK deadline is in UK time. The UK moves from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time on 25 October 2026, so the January-sitting deadlines below are in GMT. Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia are 8 hours ahead of GMT, Japan and South Korea 9 hours ahead, and India 5½ hours ahead. None of them change their clocks, so a 6pm UK deadline in December falls in the early hours of the next day across East and South-East Asia.
| Deadline (UK time) | China, HK, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia | India | Japan, South Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking opens: 26 Oct 2026, 15:00 GMT | 26 Oct, 23:00 | 26 Oct, 20:30 | 27 Oct, 00:00 |
| Access arrangements deadline: 7 Dec 2026, 18:00 GMT | 8 Dec, 02:00 | 7 Dec, 23:30 | 8 Dec, 03:00 |
| Booking closes: 21 Dec 2026, 18:00 GMT | 22 Dec, 02:00 | 21 Dec, 23:30 | 22 Dec, 03:00 |
- Make your account match your passport. UAT-UK says your full name must exactly match the ID you'll present on test day, and your email and other details must match your UCAS application.
- Sort out access arrangements first. They can't be added to an existing booking, so apply before you book.
- Bring the right ID. A passport is accepted at any test centre; a government-issued ID card or driving licence is accepted only in the country that issued it. If you're sitting the test outside your home country, take your passport.
- Arrive 30 minutes early. You can be refused entry if you're more than 15 minutes late, and you would lose the fee.
Which universities use which UAT-UK test
The UAT-UK course list for 2027 entry sets out every course that asks for a test. In short:
| Test | Universities | Typical courses |
|---|---|---|
| ESAT | Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, UCL | Engineering, natural sciences, physics, biomedical and some biological sciences |
| TMUA | Cambridge, Durham, Imperial, LSE, Oxford, UCL, Warwick | Mathematics, computer science, economics |
| TARA | Oxford, UCL | PPE and other Oxford humanities and social sciences; some UCL computer science and engineering courses |
Some listings are recommendations rather than requirements (Durham's TMUA, for example, and most of LSE's listed courses), so read the notes in the course list. If you're unsure which test fits your subjects, our TMUA vs ESAT vs TARA comparison walks through it, and the Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests for 2027 entry guide goes course by course. When you know your test, the free TMUA practice test, ESAT practice test and TARA practice test follow the official timings.
LNAT for international applicants
The LNAT, used for law, is also delivered by Pearson VUE, and the LNAT must be taken by all applicants (UK, EU and overseas) to the participating UK law courses. There are over 500 LNAT test centres around the world, 150 of them in the UK.
- Fee: the LNAT payment page lists £75 at UK/EU test centres and £120 at test centres outside the EU. As with UAT-UK, the fee depends on the test centre location, not on where you live or your nationality, and it is always charged in pounds. The page heading still names an older cycle, so check the figure when you book.
- Deadlines: for Oxford and Cambridge you must register by 15 September 2026 and sit the LNAT by 15 October 2026. For KCL, LSE and UCL the sit-by date is 31 December 2026, and for most other LNAT universities it is 25 January 2027.
- Late applications: LNAT says late deadlines usually apply to international applicants only, with a final sit-by date of 31 July 2027, but your chosen universities may not accept results taken that late.
- Outside the UK: LNAT lists O.P. Jindal Global University, the Singapore University of Social Sciences and IE University as non-UK universities that rely on the LNAT under certain conditions. SUSS applicants can sit it between 1 September 2026 and 15 March 2027 for the July 2027 intake.
- Keyboards: some centres use US keyboards with US settings, so contact your centre if the layout matters to you.
The test lasts 2¼ hours, and Section B is one essay, chosen from three questions, in 40 minutes. If English isn't your first language, practise writing to that time limit. Our LNAT essay guide is a good place to start.
UCAT for international applicants
For medicine and dentistry, the UCAT is delivered in Pearson test centres across the UK and in 130+ countries. In 2026, tests taken in the UK cost £70 and tests taken outside the UK cost £115. Booking for UCAT 2026 closed on 16 September 2026 and the last test day was 24 September 2026, well before the UAT-UK October sitting.
Two rules matter most if you live outside the UK. If you are also applying to Australian or New Zealand universities, UCAT says to sit UCAT ANZ instead, and you may not sit both tests in the same year. And online testing at home (OnVUE) is only for limited cases, and isn't available in some places, including China (with Macau). Our UCAT guide for international students covers fees, centres and which medical schools ask for it.
Free practice tests
Complete, timed, in the official format, with a worked solution for every question. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the TMUA in India, Singapore or Malaysia?
The TMUA is taken at Pearson VUE test centres in more than 180 countries, so search for your city in Pearson's UAT-UK test centre locator before booking opens, and book early, because outside the UK you may need to travel further within your country.
How much does the ESAT cost for international students?
The ESAT costs £133 if you sit it outside the UK and Republic of Ireland and £78 inside them. The TMUA and TARA cost the same. The price depends on your test centre's location, not your nationality.
Do students in China take the TMUA on different days?
Yes. In China, Hong Kong and Macau each test has fixed days: ESAT on 12–13 October, TARA on 14 October and TMUA on 15–16 October 2026, and ESAT 6, TARA 7 and TMUA 8 January 2027. Everywhere else, all three tests run on every day of the window.
Can international students sit the TMUA in January for Cambridge?
Usually not. UAT-UK says the January sitting is not applicable for Cambridge or Oxford applicants unless you're applying to a Cambridge mature college or an Oxford Foundation Year course with a January deadline.
Is the LNAT more expensive outside the UK?
Yes. LNAT lists £75 at UK/EU test centres and £120 at test centres outside the EU, charged in pounds. Check the current figure when you book.
Next steps
Link to this guide
Using these figures on your site or in class? You're welcome to quote them with a link back:
<a href="https://www.keiko.study/blog/uk-admissions-tests-international-students">UK Admissions Tests for International Students: TMUA, ESAT</a>
Sources
Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.
- UAT-UK home page — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- About UAT-UK — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- How to register and book — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Key dates — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- TMUA — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- ESAT — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- TARA — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- FAQs — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Rescheduling and cancelling — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Test day — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Bursary scheme — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Course List 2027 Entry — UAT-UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- UAT-UK test takers — Pearson VUE. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- When do the clocks change? — GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Paying for your test — LNAT. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Dates and deadlines — LNAT. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Test centres — LNAT. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Do I need to sit the test? — LNAT. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Test format — LNAT. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- FAQs — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Eligibility — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- UCAT test dates — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- OnVUE testing — UCAT Consortium. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Admissions tests — University of Oxford. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) — University of Cambridge. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) — University of Cambridge. Accessed 2026-10-01.
Related guides
Sources and corrections
Sources last checked 2026-10-01Every source cited on this page was checked on the date shown, and we update the page when a source changes. If something looks wrong, tell us and we'll recheck it.