Oxford's switch from the MAT to the TMUA

By The STEM-Tutor team · Updated October 2026

Oxford has replaced its own Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT) with the TMUA. If you are applying for Maths, Computer Science or a joint honours course, this is the test you now prepare for.

What changed

For many years Oxford set its own test, the MAT, for Mathematics, Computer Science and the joint honours courses that include them. From the 2026 admissions round (applying in autumn 2026 for entry in 2027) the MAT no longer takes place. All applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science or a joint honours course with either take the TMUA instead, run by UAT-UK.

This puts Oxford alongside Cambridge and several other universities that already used the TMUA for maths, computer science or economics. One test now serves applications to both, which saves Oxbridge applicants from preparing for two different papers.

Physics and Engineering applicants are not affected by this change: they sit a different test, so check the course page for the subject you are applying for.

Which courses

Oxford's Mathematical Institute says the TMUA is required for applicants to:

• Mathematics, and Mathematics and Statistics;
• Computer Science;
• the joint honours courses with Mathematics or Computer Science, such as Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Computer Science and Philosophy.

Always confirm on the page for your own course, because requirements are set course by course.

The dates for the 2026 round

Oxford applicants must sit the TMUA in October, before interviews. For the 2026 round, Oxford published these dates:

The January TMUA sitting cannot be used for Oxford or Cambridge. If you are applying in autumn 2027 for 2028 entry, expect a similar timetable, and check Oxford's and UAT-UK's pages for the confirmed dates in the spring.

How Oxford uses your score

Oxford shortlists about three applicants per place for interview. There is no pass mark. Admissions tutors look at your TMUA score together with the rest of your UCAS application and information about your school background. So a strong score matters, but it is one part of the picture, not a cut-off.

How the TMUA differs from the MAT

• Format: the TMUA is two papers of 20 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes each, with no calculator, taken on a computer at a Pearson VUE test centre.
• Logic and proof: TMUA Paper 2 tests logic directly: necessary and sufficient conditions, negation, counterexamples and finding the flaw in a proof. MAT preparation did not usually include this, so it needs time of its own.
• Content: Oxford says the mathematical topics are very similar to the MAT's and share its problem-solving spirit. The TMUA's content is GCSE and first-year A level pure maths, set out in the specification.
• No written solutions: every answer is a choice from a list, so speed, accuracy and checking matter more than a long written argument.

How to prepare

Oxford's own advice for applicants is to:

1. study the TMUA content specification and the official past papers on the UAT-UK website;
2. read UAT-UK's Notes on Mathematics and Notes on Logic and Proof;
3. try the sample test on the Pearson VUE website, to get used to the system;
4. use MAT past papers, which remain relevant because the mathematics is so similar;
5. use free resources such as Oxford's summer webinars, Warwick's TMUA support materials and the STEP foundation modules.

Put together, a sensible order is: specification and notes first, then the TMUA papers in our past paper plan, then MAT multiple-choice questions and selected MAT problems for extra practice. Spend at least a third of your time on Paper 2 logic, because that is the part MAT-style preparation leaves out.

If you had already started preparing for the MAT

Nothing is wasted. MAT problem-solving builds exactly the fluency Paper 1 needs. Add three things: timed multiple-choice practice without a calculator, the logic and proof in Paper 2, and practice on screen. Students who have done MAT papers usually find TMUA Paper 1 manageable and need most of their new work on Paper 2 and on pace.

Common mistakes

• Preparing only with MAT papers and never practising TMUA Paper 2 logic.
• Booking too late: the October booking deadline is before the UCAS deadline.
• Assuming the January sitting counts for Oxford. It does not.
• Practising with a calculator, which the TMUA does not allow.

Practice questions

Try each one before opening the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Does Oxford still use the MAT?

No. From the 2026 admissions round the MAT does not take place, and applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science and their joint honours courses sit the TMUA.

Are MAT past papers still useful?

Yes. Oxford's Mathematical Institute says the TMUA's topics are very similar to the MAT's, so MAT past papers remain relevant preparation.

When do Oxford applicants sit the TMUA?

In the October sitting. For the 2026 round the test dates were 12 to 16 October 2026.

Is the TMUA harder than the MAT?

It is different rather than harder: shorter questions, all multiple choice, with a whole paper on logic and proof. Most students find the pace and Paper 2 the main challenges.

Key takeaways

• Oxford replaced the MAT with the TMUA from the 2026 admissions round.
• It applies to Mathematics, Computer Science and their joint honours courses.
• Sit it in October; there is no pass mark, and about three applicants per place are shortlisted.
• MAT papers still help, but Paper 2 logic needs preparation of its own.

Related guides

• What is the TMUA?
• The TMUA specification, topic by topic
• How to use TMUA past papers
• TMUA practice questions with worked answers
• Oxford's switch from the MAT to the TMUA
• Every official TMUA paper, free