Quick answer
Seven universities use the TMUA for 2027 entry: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, Warwick, Durham and UCL. They mostly use it for Maths, Computer Science and Economics, but the exact courses vary, so always check your specific course page. Sheffield, Lancaster and Bath do not require it. See the full score requirements.
"Which universities actually require the TMUA?" is worth getting right before you spend months preparing, because the honest list is shorter than a lot of tutoring sites suggest. For 2027 entry, seven universities use the Test of Mathematics for University Admission, and they use it in noticeably different ways. This guide lays out exactly who requires it, for which courses, and which universities you can safely cross off.
Key fact
Seven universities use the TMUA for 2027 entry: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, Warwick, Durham and UCL. The big change this cycle is Oxford, which has replaced its old MAT with the TMUA for Maths and Computer Science. Requirements vary by course, so confirm against your exact course page before you register.
The seven universities that use the TMUA
Here is the full picture at a glance. "Required" means you must sit it for that course; "recommended" or "your choice" means it helps but is not mandatory.
| University | Used for | Required or recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | Maths, Computer Science, Economics | Required |
| Oxford | Maths, Computer Science (and joint courses) | Required (replaced the MAT) |
| Imperial | Maths, Computing, Joint Maths & CS, Economics-Finance-Data-Science | Required |
| LSE | Economics, Econometrics & Mathematical Economics | Required (recommended for ~8 more quantitative degrees) |
| Warwick | Computer Science; Maths; Economics | CS required; Maths is your choice of TMUA or STEP; Economics encouraged |
| Durham | Mathematics | Strongly encouraged (not strictly required) |
| UCL | Economics only | Required (UCL Maths uses STEP, UCL CS uses the TARA) |
A short tour of how each one actually treats it:
- Cambridge requires it for Maths, Computer Science and Economics, sat in the October window. See TMUA for Cambridge.
- Oxford is the headline change: it retired the MAT and now requires the TMUA for Maths and Computer Science, October only. See TMUA for Oxford.
- Imperial is one of the heaviest users, requiring it for Maths, Computing, JMC and its Economics, Finance and Data Science degree. See TMUA for Imperial.
- LSE makes it mandatory for BSc Economics and Econometrics & Mathematical Economics, and recommends it for around eight further quantitative degrees. See TMUA for LSE.
- Warwick is the most flexible: Computer Science requires it, Maths lets you choose between the TMUA and STEP, and a strong score earns a reduced offer. See TMUA for Warwick.
- Durham strongly encourages it for Mathematics, where a good score makes you eligible for a reduced offer, but does not strictly require it. See TMUA for Durham.
- UCL uses it for Economics only. UCL Maths uses STEP and UCL Computer Science uses the new TARA, so do not sit the TMUA for those. See TMUA for UCL.
Universities that do NOT require the TMUA
This is where a lot of out-of-date advice trips students up:
- Sheffield does not require the TMUA. It may give some "additional consideration" to a good score, in the same bracket as a STEP grade, but its current Maths pages lead with STEP and there is no TMUA-based offer reduction you can rely on.
- Lancaster does not use the TMUA. It was an early adopter years ago and has since dropped it, so blog posts claiming a "Lancaster TMUA reduced offer" are stale. Lancaster Maths offers turn on your A-level grades, including Further Maths.
- Bath appeared on some 2025-26 lists, but you should treat it as unconfirmed for 2027 and check the live course page before assuming it counts.
- UCL Maths and Computer Science do not use the TMUA (STEP and the TARA respectively), even though UCL Economics does.
If a university is not in the table of seven above, the safe assumption is that it does not require the TMUA, and you should confirm from its own course page rather than a third-party list.
The one rule that overrides everything: check your course
The single most important thing to understand is that the TMUA is course-specific, not university-wide. A university in the list of seven does not require the test for every subject: Imperial requires it for Maths but not Physics, UCL requires it for Economics but not Maths. Requirements also shift year to year. So the list above tells you where to look, but the final word always comes from the official page for your exact course and entry year. For the score each one looks for, see our TMUA score requirements guide.
Try a real TMUA question
Knowing who requires the test is one thing; meeting its standard is another. Here is a genuine question from a past paper, pitched at the level these universities expect, so you can feel the gap before you commit. Have a go before you reveal the solution:
Which sitting do you need?
There are two sittings for 2027 entry: October 2026 and January 2027. The rule that catches people out is that Cambridge and Oxford only accept the October sitting. Because most TMUA applicants apply to at least one of those alongside others, sitting in October keeps every door open with a single test, even where a university (such as Imperial or Warwick) would also accept January. The exact dates and the booking deadline are in our dates and registration guide.
What to do next
Once you have confirmed your course needs the TMUA, the work is the same wherever you are applying: get comfortable with the Paper 2 reasoning early, drill the question style under time pressure, and treat the limited official papers as gold. If you are not sure whether the test is within reach, our honest take on whether the TMUA is hard is a good reality check, and our preparation plan turns all of this into a week-by-week schedule. The most useful first step is simply to start practising real questions and see where you currently stand.
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