TARA past papers and resources

You can register and book the TARA through the official UAT-UK website. You will need to create a UAT-UK account before booking, and the test is sat at an authorised Pearson VUE test centre. Registration windows open ahead of each test sitting, so it is worth registering early to secure your preferred time and location.

The TARA assesses general academic reasoning skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication, rather than testing knowledge of any specific subject. It is used by universities to help identify students with strong academic potential, particularly for courses that do not require a subject-specific admissions test. It is currently used by UCL for a number of courses, and Oxford will use it for Economics, Human Sciences, History, PPE, and Psychology applicants from 2027 entry.

The TARA gives two separate scores, for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, each reported on a scale from 1.0 (lowest) to 9.0 (highest), to one decimal place. The Writing Task is not scored numerically. Instead, your response is sent directly to the universities you have applied to, who review it at their own discretion.

The TARA consists of three modules, each lasting 40 minutes, making 120 minutes in total. The Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules each contain 22 multiple-choice questions, while the Writing Task gives you a choice of three prompts, of which you answer one.

Since the TARA tests general reasoning skills rather than subject knowledge, most students benefit from starting preparation several months before their test date, ideally from the start of Year 13 or even earlier. Unlike subject-specific tests, there is no curriculum content to revise, so the priority is building genuine familiarity with the question style and developing reasoning skills under timed conditions over a sustained period, rather than last-minute cramming.

The TARA does not test A Level or any specific curriculum content. It tests general reasoning and problem-solving ability rather than subject knowledge, and is designed to be challenging even for students who have achieved top grades in their school exams, which is why many students find it different in nature to their A Level studies rather than directly comparable in difficulty.

No. Calculators and dictionaries are not permitted in the TARA. You will be provided with an erasable working booklet for any rough working during the test.

No. In the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving modules, each correct answer is awarded one mark, and no marks are deducted for incorrect answers, so it is worth attempting every question.

No. You may only sit the TARA once per admissions cycle. The test runs in two sittings each year, in October and January, but Oxford applicants must sit in the October window to align with Oxford’s earlier application deadline.

TSA Section 1 papers are the most relevant, because the TSA tested the same Critical Thinking and Problem Solving the TARA assesses. Add BMAT Section 1 papers for extra problem solving practice: the two archives share almost no questions, so they give you new material rather than repetition. For the Writing Task, use TSA Section 2 prompts. All three archives are free to download on this page, with mark schemes.

Not yet. The TARA is a new test and UAT-UK has released specimen and sample tests rather than past papers. Those are the only official current-format material. The TSA and BMAT Section 1 archives are where the volume of practice comes from.

There is no TARA essay archive yet, so the closest material is TSA Section 2, which set a comparable timed essay from a choice of prompts. Read the TSA Section 2 essay guide on this page first, then work through the prompts under timed conditions rather than planning them on paper.