If you're applying to Oxford for a course like PPE, Economics and Management, or Experimental Psychology, or to UCL for Computer Science, you may run into a test named the TARA -- and if the advice you're reading mentions the "TSA" or "STAT" instead, that advice predates a real, recent change. The TARA is the newest of the five UK admissions tests, phased in for Oxford starting with 2026/27 applicants and for UCL Computer Science from 2025/26.
Who requires it, and what it replaced
At Oxford, the TARA is required for Economics and Management, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE), Experimental Psychology, and Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics. It replaces the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), which Oxford previously used for these same courses.
At UCL, the TARA is required for every undergraduate course in the Department of Computer Science: Computer Science BSc, Computer Science MEng, Computer Science and Mathematics MEng, and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng. It replaces UCL's old STAT test.
Unlike the ESAT, TMUA, LNAT, or UCAT, the TARA is explicitly not subject-specific -- it doesn't test prior knowledge of economics, psychology, or computer science. It's built to assess general critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication, on the theory that those skills predict success across this particular mix of courses better than a subject-knowledge test would.
What's actually in the test
The TARA has three compulsory modules, each 40 minutes: Critical Thinking (22 multiple-choice questions), Problem Solving (22 multiple-choice questions), and a Writing Task (one essay, chosen from three prompts, capped at 750 words). Calculators and dictionaries aren't allowed. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are each scored on a 1-9 scale to one decimal place; the Writing Task isn't scored at all by the test administrator -- your response is sent directly to the universities you applied to, for them to read alongside the rest of your application.
Dates, registration, and cost for 2027 entry
The TARA runs on the same schedule as the ESAT and TMUA, since all three are delivered by UAT-UK (the Cambridge/Imperial joint venture, run through Pearson): 12-16 October 2026 for essentially all undergraduate applicants, or 4-8 January 2027 for Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year applicants specifically. Registration opens 1 June 2026. Because it shares UAT-UK's single registration system with the ESAT and TMUA, the same fee structure applies: £78 at a UK or Ireland centre, £133 elsewhere, which is what a US-based test-taker should budget for.
What this means for you
- If you were prepping for the TSA or STAT, that prep is out of date -- both tests have been retired in favor of the TARA for the exact courses listed above.
- The TARA doesn't test your subject knowledge, so unlike ESAT or TMUA prep, there's no syllabus to review -- it's closer to a reasoning and writing-under-time-pressure skill than a content exam.
- One sitting covers both Oxford and UCL if your applications need it at each, since they share the same UAT-UK registration.
- Check your specific Oxford course against the current list -- Oxford has been rolling the TARA in course by course, so a course not listed above may still be using an older test, or none at all.
For what happens after a test-eligible Oxford application is shortlisted, see our breakdown of what actually happens at an Oxbridge interview and our interview and admissions-test prep guide.