Everything you need to know before taking the ESAT and how to be successful! The Engineering and Sciences Admissions Test (ESAT) is an admissions test used by Cambridge and Imperial Universities for applicants to various undergraduate science courses.
Everything you should know before taking the ESAT and how to be successful!
WHAT IS THE ESAT?
The Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) is an admissions test used by Cambridge and Imperial universities to help in the selection process for various science undergraduate courses:
Cambridge courses that require the ESAT: Engineering; Natural Sciences; Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology; Veterinary Medicine.
Imperial departments that require the ESAT: Aeronautics; Chemical Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Design Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Physics.
The ESAT, tailored specifically for these applicants, focuses on assessing candidates' scientific knowledge, analytical thinking, and ability to apply their understanding to real-world scenarios.
By incorporating the ESAT into the selection process, Cambridge and Imperial Universities can identify students who not only possess a passion for science but also exhibit the intellectual acumen required to excel in their scientific programs.
WHO NEEDS TO SIT THE ESAT?
The ESAT is set by Cambridge University for applicants to Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine courses.
It is also used by Imperial University for applicants to undergraduate courses in the departments of Aeronautics, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics.
HOW IS THE ESAT STRUCTURED?
The ESAT is a computer-based assessment made up of five multiple-choice sections, each of which lasts 40 minutes and contains 27 questions.
All applicants, regardless of course, must take Mathematics I for the first section, after which they take two more chosen from: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics II.
The specific options sat are related to the course applied for, and the university will inform applicants as to which options they will need to take.
For a summary of the ESAT format, head to the official UAT (University Admissions Tests) UK webpage here.
CAN I CHOOSE WHICH QUESTIONS I ANSWER IN THE ESAT?
Applicants will answer the relevant sections to the course to which they are applying. Within the sections, there are no options.
HOW IS MY SCORE IN THE ESAT USED?
Cambridge and Imperial use the ESAT as a standardised format for assessing and benchmarking their applicants. The exam rewards problem solving over knowledge of particular scientific or mathematical knowledge, so that students taking different qualifications at school can access the syllabus.
Cambridge uses students’ marks in the ESAT to make decisions about which applicants they should invite to interview, giving them a further indicator in addition to predicted and achieved grades. For applicants to Imperial, some of whom are interviewed and others who are not, the ESAT test grade will factor into whether or not they receive an offer in the spring.
Whilst the ESAT is important in their selection processes, it is always used as part of a matrix and considered alongside other factors submitted with the application, such as predicted grades and personal statement.
WHAT IS A GOOD ESAT SCORE?
The raw points achieved on the ESAT are converted into a score between 1.0 and 9.0, with 9.0 being the highest score. The scale is designed so that the typical candidate scores around a 4.5, with roughly 10% of applicants achieving over a 7.0.
UAT-UK have released graphs showing the basic results from the October 2024 ESAT test, allowing us to take a closer look at the distribution of results in each section of the test. Below are the bar charts released by UAT-UK for each part of the test:
When reading this data, we should remember that the test 'caps out' at 1.0 and 9.0, meaning that all applicants scoring below the minimum or above the maximum benchmark are given a 1.0 or 9.0 respectively. This means 1.0 and 9,0 represent a broader range of grades, hence more applicants achieve these grades than other nearby scores.
We can see that the most common grade across most test sections was 4.0, which is slightly lower than the expected grade of 4.5. This indicates that the tests were perhaps slightly more difficult than anticipated. The exception to this is Mathematics 2, where the most common grade was only 3.5! These suggests that Mathematics 2 was the most difficult of the bunch. In general, it appears the Mathematics options were more difficult than the Science options.
In order to visualise better a competitive grade in each section, let's take a look at some of the tests as cumulative distribution graphs:
We would usually say that applicants want to be in the top 15% of grades in order to stand a good chance at being invited to interview - in other tests (such as the TMUA), this has usually come out at around 6.5. As we can see from this year's distribution graphs, this holds true for the Biology tests, where at the Mathematics and Chemistry tests were perhaps more challenging, with a score of roughly 6.0 putting an applicant in the top 15%.
DO I NEED TO KNOW SPECIFIC CONTENT?
The ESAT syllabus is designed so that students taking a wide variety of qualifications or have a background in international education systems can access the scientific content.
However, it is more focused around the UK education system and the general concepts covered in A-Level and IB science and mathematics syllabuses. We also have specialist tutors who have experience of advising students taking other qualifications and help them fill in knowledge gaps.
Our Oxbridge-graduate consultants are available between 9.00 am – 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday, with additional evening availability when requested.
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