ESAT 2027: Complete Guide to the Engineering & Science Admissions Test
The Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) is an admissions test used by Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and other leading universities for selected STEM courses. Most students sit three 40-minute modules, including Mathematics 1 and subject-specific papers. The ESAT is designed to assess mathematical and scientific reasoning rather than rote memorisation.
This guide to the new ESAT Test is written by U2 Natural Sciences tutor, Alex (NatSci, University of Cambridge). Here you’ll find all the tips and tricks to take into the exam, as well as advice on how to structure and focus your preparation on the areas where it really counts.
Contents:
Which Courses Require You to Sit the ESAT Test?
Summer Preparation for the ESAT Exam
What is the format of the ESAT?
How to structure your ESAT Test preparation
How can U2 help prepare you for the ESAT Test & wider Oxbridge application?
Which Courses Require You to Sit the ESAT Test?
University of Cambridge: Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Veterinary Medicine
University of Oxford: Biomedical Sciences, Engineering Science, Physics and Physics and Philosophy
Imperial: Aeronautics, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Design Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics
UCL: Electronic and Electrical Engineering
When Do You Sit the ESAT?
Most applicants sit the ESAT in October of Year 13 as part of their university application. This is the standard sitting for students applying to ESAT courses at universities including Cambridge and Oxford, and for many applicants to Imperial College London.
For some Imperial applicants, there is also a January sitting of the ESAT. The sitting you take depends on your chosen course and the admissions cycle, so it's important to check the latest guidance from your university well in advance of registering for the test.
Although the exam itself is usually taken in October of Year 13, successful preparation often begins much earlier. We recommend that students start becoming familiar with the ESAT format during Year 12, before beginning more intensive revision over the summer holidays. This provides plenty of time to strengthen both subject knowledge and exam technique.
For students with Oxbridge or other competitive STEM ambitions, problem-solving skills can be developed even earlier. Activities such as the UKMT Maths Challenges, Mathematical Olympiads and other enrichment programmes help build the logical reasoning and analytical thinking that the ESAT is designed to assess.
At U2 Tuition, we support students throughout this journey, offering UKMT Maths Challenge preparation, Olympiad coaching, STEM problem-solving tuition and specialist ESAT preparation to help students build the skills needed to succeed at every stage.
Summer Preparation for the ESAT exam
Join our Maths Summer School!
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Join our Maths Summer School! 〰️
Success in the ESAT depends not only on knowing the mathematics, but on being able to apply it quickly and creatively to unfamiliar problems. Our Maths Summer School is designed for ambitious students who want to develop exactly these skills.
Led by expert tutors from leading universities, the course explores mathematical ideas beyond the school curriculum, helping students build confidence in logical reasoning, problem-solving and analytical thinking—all of which are invaluable for the ESAT and competitive STEM university applications.
Whether you're aiming for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Physics or another STEM degree, our Maths Summer School is an excellent way to strengthen your mathematical foundations before beginning focused ESAT preparation.
What is the format of the ESAT?
The ESAT is made up of separate 40-minute multiple-choice modules.
Each module is sat consecutively during a single testing session, with candidates completing the modules required for their chosen university course.
Mathematics 1 is compulsory for all ESAT candidates.
In addition, applicants will usually sit two further modules, depending on the requirements of their chosen course. There are selected from:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics 2
As most applicants complete three modules, the total testing time is 120 minutes (2 hours).
The ESAT is made up of separate 40-minute multiple-choice modules.
Each module is sat consecutively during a single testing session, with candidates completing the modules required for their chosen university course.
Mathematics 1 is compulsory for all ESAT candidates.
In addition, applicants will usually sit two further modules, depending on the requirements of their chosen course. There are selected from:
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics 2
As most applicants complete three modules, the total testing time is 120 minutes (2 hours).
How is the ESAT scored?
The ESAT is not a pass-or-fail exam.
Importantly, there is no negative marking, meaning you are not penalised for incorrect answers. For this reason, it is always advisable to attempt every question, even if you are unsure of the answer.
How to Structure Your ESAT Test Preparation
The ESAT is typically sat in October of Year 13, meaning your preparation should ideally begin during the summer before Year 13. This gives you enough time to become familiar with the test format, refine your exam technique and complete plenty of timed practice before test day.
There’s no such thing as preparing too far in advance, and you could begin familiarising yourself with the structure and style of the exam as early as the beginning of Year 12.
Many of the questions (particularly the multiple choice) should be very accessible, even if you haven’t yet covered much of the A-level or IB content.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to get ahead of the game and learn the ESAT format early on, because that way you’ll have more time during the autumn of Year 13 to focus on mastering more advanced concepts which you’ll only just have covered.
Building familiarity with the test early allows you to focus on developing speed, accuracy and confidence once your A Level / IB studies become more demanding.
How should you begin?
Reading about the new ESAT test online, scrolling through the specification and looking over past papers – this can all be very intimidating. The key is not to be put off! It’s very easy to get panicked by the mass of information and resources out there, and it’s tempting to use this as an excuse to procrastinate over your preparation. Do not do this because, before you know it, the exam will be upon you and it’s much less fun if you’re not ready.
The best approach is to start in whatever way feels easiest for you.
A good place to begin is by:
Reading through the ESAT specification for the modules you’ll be taking
Completing a small number of sample or past-paper questions to understand the style and level of difficulty.
Identifying the topics you find most challenging and creating a revision plan around them.
Revisiting key A Level or IB concepts before attempting more demanding problem-solving questions.
Gradually introducing timed practice as your confidence grows.
The ESAT isn’t designed to test obscure facts Instead, it assesses how well you can apply your mathematical and scientific knowledge to unfamiliar problems under time pressure.
1. Choose Which Sections You’re Going to Answer
Before you begin revising, make sure you know exactly which ESAT modules are required for your chosen university course. Each course specifies a particular combination of modules, so understanding these requirements from the outset will help you prepare efficiently.
Rather than trying to revise everything, focus your time on the modules that will contribute to your application.
To get started:
Check your course requirements to confirm which ESAT modules you need to sit.
Read the official ESAT specification for each required module to understand the topics that could be assessed.
Work through official practice questions and past papers to familiarise yourself with the style and level of difficulty.
Complete timed practice regularly to build speed, accuracy and confidence.
Identify your weaker topics and prioritise these in your revision plan
Make the most of available practice materials
Although there are now official ESAT practice papers and specimen questions available, it can also be beneficial to use questions from previous Oxbridge admissions tests as additional practice.
Useful supplementary resources include:
NSAA (Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment)
ENGAA (Engineering Admissions Assessment)
PAT (Physics Aptitude Test)
BMAT (Biomedical Admissions Test)
While these assessments are no longer used for admissions, many of the questions test the same mathematical, scientific and problem-solving skills that the ESAT is designed to assess. They can therefore be an excellent way to broaden your practice, but official ESAT materials should always form the core of your preparation.
2. Familiarise Yourself with the ESAT Format
One of the easiest ways to gain confidence before the ESAT is to become completely familiar with the test format. On exam day, you should know exactly what to expect so that you can focus entirely on answering the questions rather than working out how the assessment is structured.
Before you begin practising, make sure you:
Read the official ESAT specification to understand how the test is organised.
Check which modules your chosen course requires, as these differ between universities and degree programmes.
Review the instructions for each module so you know exactly what will be expected on test day.
Understand the timing, including how many questions are in each module and how long you have to complete them.
Practise under timed conditions so you become comfortable managing the pace of the exam.
Top tip: Always use the latest official ESAT specification and practice materials when preparing. Universities and test providers may update the assessment from year to year, so avoid relying on outdated guides or older admissions test information without checking the current requirements first.
3. Master the ESAT Syllabus
The ESAT is designed to assess the mathematical and scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills developed through AS Level, the first year of A Level, IB Higher Level and equivalent qualifications. While much of the content will be familiar from your studies, it's important not to assume that your school syllabus covers everything in exactly the same way.
To prepare effectively:
Read the official ESAT specification for each module you will be taking.
Check that you've covered every topic required, regardless of your exam board or qualification.
Identify any gaps in your knowledge and revise these well before the test.
Strengthen your understanding of core concepts, as the ESAT often requires you to apply familiar knowledge to unfamiliar problems.
Focus on understanding, not memorisation—success in the ESAT depends on reasoning and applying scientific and mathematical principles under time pressure.
Although mastering the syllabus is essential, content knowledge alone is not enough. Once you're confident with the material, dedicate plenty of time to practising ESAT-style questions so you can develop the speed, accuracy and problem-solving skills needed to perform well on test day.
4. Practise Under Timed Conditions
One of the biggest challenges of the ESAT is the time pressure. Each module contains a demanding set of multiple-choice questions, and you need to work quickly while still maintaining accuracy. For this reason, timed practice should be a central part of your preparation.
When practising, make sure you:
Use official ESAT practice materials first so you become familiar with the current format and question style.
Complete questions under timed conditions to build speed and confidence.
Practise full modules, not just isolated questions, so you get used to sustaining concentration for 40 minutes at a time.
Review every paper carefully once you finish, including the questions you guessed or got right by chance.
Analyse your mistakes to understand whether they came from gaps in knowledge, misreading the question, poor time management or calculation errors.
Compare your method with the mark scheme and look for faster or more efficient ways to solve similar questions in future.
Top Tip: Older admissions papers, such as the NSAA and ENGAA, can still be useful as supplementary practice because they test similar scientific, mathematical and problem-solving skills. However, they do not exactly match the current ESAT format, so they should be used alongside official ESAT materials.
The aim is not just to complete as many papers as possible, but to improve after each one. Careful review is what turns timed practice into genuine progress.
5. Keep Practising Beyond the Official Papers
Once you’ve completed the official ESAT practice papers, don’t stop. The key skills assessed in the ESAT- mathematical reasoning, scientific understanding and problem-solving under time pressure- can be developed using a range of high-quality resources.
Consider incorporating the following into your revision:
UKMT Maths Challenges- Excellent for developing logical thinking, pattern recognition and the quick problem-solving skills needed for the Mathematics modules.
PAT papers (Physics Aptitude Test for Oxford) a valuable resource for students taking the Physics module. PAT questions are often more challenging than those found in the ESAT, so serve as a good upper limit of practice.
Isaac Physics - Offers a large bank of physics questions, from introductory problems to more advanced challenges, helping you build confidence and fluency.
AS/A Level and IB examination questions - Practising questions from your school curriculum is a great way to strengthen your understanding of core concepts before tackling more demanding ESAT-style problems.
Cambridge Chemistry Challenge- Particularly useful for Chemistry applications. Although the questions are written rather than multiple choice, they encourage the deeper understanding and analytical thinking required for the ESAT.
Previous Oxbridge admissions tests - Papers from assessments such as the NSAA, ENGAA, BMAT and PAT remain excellent supplementry resources.
Top Tip: Try to mix resources rather than relying on just one. Exposure to different question styles will help you become a more adaptable problem solver, an invaluable skill for the ESAT!
How to ace the ESAT exam
By the time you sit the ESAT, your preparation should be complete. Trust the work you’ve put in and go into the exam with a clear plan.
Stick to your timing strategy
Time pressure is one of the biggest challenges of the ESAT, so it’s essential to manage your time carefully.
Always be aware of the clock and stick to the plan you’ve made about how you’re going to split the time.
Treat the test as a race – it’s going to be very tough to finish all the questions, so keep calm and do as many as you can.
Be disciplined about your timings – don’t spend longer on a question than you planned to, no matter how tempting it might seem.
You have to accept that the timings are going to be uncomfortably tight – it’s up to you to find the right balance between speed and accuracy.
Have confidence in your ability to do the questions
Top Tip: The right way to do a question is often the most obvious way! Have the confidence to spend a short amount of time writing down a little working, even if it looks like it’s getting you nowhere.
The questions are only based on things you already know so the answer might suddenly jump out at you after some workings out.
A lot of the questions require you to apply basic results that you will have learned at a much younger age (such as the volume and surface area of spheres, prisms and cylinders).
It will say all these things in the syllabus, so just make sure you are very fluent in this basic knowledge so you don’t waste any time trying to remember it in the exam.
Have all the AS knowledge in the forefront of your mind and get ready to use it.
A lot is often made of the fact that admissions assessments contain problem-solving questions rather than typical A level questions, the techniques for which can be ‘rehearsed’. Don’t let this worry you – there are no secret tricks to learn for these.
Even if it looks like a question you’ve never seen before, have the confidence to write down any relevant information you know and the answer might show itself.
Being able to find the answers in this way is hard and making it happen takes a lot of practice of this style of question.
After It’s Over
Whatever happened, be proud of yourself. You got through a very stressful exam, and that’s an achievement in itself. If you didn’t finish, then don’t worry – most people don’t!
Remember: A strong performance in the ESAT likely constitutes a much lower mark than you would normally be used to in your school exams
Don’t panic if you feel like it went badly – most people do think that, even the ones who do really well.
For many high-achieving students who are used to all A*s at GCSE and in their predicted grades, the Oxbridge tests can certainly serve as a bit of a shock to the system.
Afterwards, allow yourself a short break and a treat of some kind.
Then, assume you are going to get an interview and begin preparing for that!
How can U2 help prepare you for the ESAT Test & wider Oxbridge application?
U2 offer admissions test preparation for all courses that require them (book a free consultation to discuss options).
The Process:
1) We suggest a Cambridge Natural Sciences, Engineering or Veterinary graduate as a mentor depending on the student’s target course and send their full CV for review. Many of our mentors have studied at Master’s or PhD level and are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study the course at the University of Cambridge, and in particular the entrance exam and interview process.
2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour diagnostic session, where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for the ESAT test and interview. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.
3) ESAT Test Session Components:
If the student is unsure of any areas of the ESAT spec e.g. carbon & water cycles, neurons & DNA cloning, the mentor will ensure they consolidate content. Areas of weakness may be identified as the student works through past papers, in which case the mentor will pause to ensure they feel solid on the top before reviewing further questions
Mentors will discuss general techniques for approaching the ESAT-style questions
Sessions are used to review any questions which arise from the student’s independent practice
Students benefit from simultaneously developing their interview skills through development of their ability to talk through their thought processes when tackling questions
Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Honing the skills necessary to succeed in the ESAT test can begin early in Year 12. When the student and mentor run out of past papers, they will work through similar questions curated by the tutor.
U2's Excel in the ESAT Course
Preparing for the ESAT can feel daunting, particularly given the pace of the assessment and the level of competition for places at universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL. Our ESAT Intensive Preparation Course is designed to give students the knowledge, confidence and exam technique needed to perform at their best.
Taught by experienced Oxbridge STEM graduates and admissions specialists, the course focuses on the skills that matter most in the ESAT, combining expert teaching with realistic exam practice in a small-group setting.
What you'll cover
Throughout the course, you'll develop:
Advanced mathematical and scientific problem-solving techniques.
Effective strategies for tackling challenging multiple-choice questions.
Time management and exam pacing.
Module-specific guidance tailored to your chosen university course.
Confidence through extensive timed practice and worked solutions.
Students also benefit from the opportunity to ask questions, receive personalised feedback and learn from tutors who have successfully navigated the Oxbridge admissions process themselves.
Why choose U2 Tuition?
Our tutors have supported hundreds of students applying to the UK's most competitive STEM degrees. We understand not only the content of the ESAT, but also the wider admissions process, enabling us to provide practical advice that goes beyond the test itself.
Our ESAT course offers:
Small-group teaching with expert Oxbridge tutors.
Intensive preparation focused specifically on the ESAT.
Realistic exam-style questions and timed practice.
Proven strategies to improve speed, accuracy and confidence.
Practical guidance from tutors with first-hand admissions experience.
Whether you're applying for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Physics or another ESAT course, our programme is designed to help you maximise your performance on test day.
Learn more about our ESAT Intensive Preparation Course and upcoming course dates here:
https://www.u2tuition.com/classes-events/p/esat-test-course
2026 ESAT Intensive Course Booking
Our ESAT Intensive Courses are designed for students preparing for competitive STEM applications to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and other leading UK universities.
These small-group booster programmes focus on:
advanced ESAT problem-solving
timed exam practice
difficult question walkthroughs
mathematical and scientific reasoning
exam strategy and pacing
This is an intensive preparation course aimed at students who already have strong academic foundations and are looking to maximise their ESAT performance ahead of the admissions test.
Choose Your ESAT Strand
Students must select ONE strand when booking:
ESAT Physical Sciences Strand
Suitable for:
Engineering applicants
Physics applicants
Physical Natural Sciences applicants
Mathematics-heavy STEM applicants
ESAT Biological Sciences Strand
Suitable for:
Biological Natural Sciences applicants
Biological Sciences applicants
Chemistry/Biology-focused applicants
Course Dates
Dates: Classes will be held over two weekends in August/September (8 total hours):
Saturday 29th August 2026: 4–6pm (UK time)
Sunday 30th August 2026: 4–6pm (UK time)
Saturday 5th September 2026: 4–6pm (UK time)
Sunday 6th September 2026: 4–6pm (UK time)
Course Format
4 x 2-hour online sessions
Small interactive groups
Live teaching and worked examples
Timed drills and exam strategy
Optional consolidation work between sessions
Recordings available if required
Important Information
Students may join internationally.
Places are intentionally limited.
Students should select the correct strand carefully at booking.
The course is designed as a high-level booster rather than an introductory ESAT course.
Looking for More Personalised Support?
Alongside the group course, we also offer:
1-1 ESAT tutoring
Oxbridge interview preparation
STEM application mentoring
personal statement support
mock interviews
Please get in touch if you would like tailored admissions guidance alongside the intensive course.