If your target course is Engineering, Physics, Natural Sciences, Materials Science, or a related science degree at one of four specific UK universities, the ESAT is the test you're most likely to need. It's one of five UK admissions tests that only apply to a defined slice of courses -- here's exactly what it covers, who requires it, and what a US-based applicant needs to know about sitting it.
Who requires it
The ESAT is required for eligible Engineering, Physics, Natural Sciences, and related science courses at four universities: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and UCL. It replaced Cambridge and Imperial's old ENGAA and NSAA tests, and Oxford's PAT for Engineering and Physics-adjacent courses, starting with the 2024 entry cycle. Which exact course-and-module combination you need is published per course, not per university -- check your specific course's own admissions page rather than assuming every science course at these four schools needs it.
What's actually in the test
The ESAT is made up of five possible modules -- Mathematics 1, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics 2 -- but most candidates only sit three of them, selected based on the course they're applying to. Each module runs 40 minutes and contains 27 multiple-choice questions, so a three-module sitting takes 120 minutes total. Calculators and dictionaries aren't permitted. Each module is scored on a 1-9 scale, with no fixed pass/fail threshold -- your score is one input universities weigh alongside your full application, not a gate you clear or fail outright.
Dates, registration, and cost for 2027 entry
The ESAT runs at two sittings for 2027 entry: 12-16 October 2026 (the one almost all applicants use, since it lines up with the standard 15 October UCAS deadline) and 4-8 January 2027 (reserved for a narrow set of cases, like Cambridge mature-college applicants or Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year). Registration opens 1 June 2026, and you can only sit the ESAT once per admissions cycle.
The test is delivered by Pearson through UAT-UK, a joint venture between Imperial and Cambridge, at more than 5,000 test centres in over 180 countries -- so a US-based applicant doesn't need to travel to the UK to sit it. The fee is £78 at a UK or Ireland centre, or £133 everywhere else, which is what a US test-taker at a US-based Pearson centre should expect to pay.
What this means for you
- Check your exact course, not just your target university -- ESAT module requirements are published per course, and not every Engineering or Natural Sciences course at these four universities requires the same modules, or requires the test at all.
- You only sit it once, and it covers every ESAT university on your UCAS form -- if both Cambridge and Imperial want it for your chosen courses, one sitting satisfies both.
- Budget the international fee (£133), not the UK one, if you're testing from the US -- and register by 1 June 2026 to leave time to book before the October window fills.
- This is a different test from the TMUA and TARA, even though all three share the same UAT-UK registration system and October/January dates -- see our breakdown of all five UK admissions tests for which one actually applies to your course.
If your course also has a published AP-exam requirement, our breakdown of Oxford vs. Cambridge AP exam requirements covers how the two credentials are weighed alongside each other.