Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) Guide

Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) Guide

Everything you should know before taking the TMUA and how to be successful!

**Please be aware that from the 2024 application cycle onwards, the TMUA is no longer being run by Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (CAAT), the company which has previously administered it. The test is now being administered by UAT (University Admissions Tests) UK. This guide is for the TMUA as administered by UAT UK.**

WHAT IS THE TMUA?

The Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) is an admissions test used by Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, and Warwick Universities for applicants to degree courses where mathematical skills are required (but not the mathematics course itself). The TMUA is tailored specifically for candidates applying to maths-intensive courses at the above universities. By focusing on mathematical concepts, problem-solving abilities, and analytical thinking, the TMUA enables these top UK Universities to identify students who not only possess a passion for mathematics but also demonstrate the intellectual acumen required to excel in their chosen courses.

WHO NEEDS TO SIT THE TMUA?

Applicants for Cambridge University wishing to study Computer Science or Economics will be required to sit the TMUA as part of their application. Imperial University requires applicants in the departments of Computing and Mathematics to take the TMUA, as well as applicants to the BSc Economics, Finance and Data Science course at Imperial Business School. Warwick University require applicants to various courses in the Computer Science, Economics, and Mathematics departments to sit the TMUA. LSE looks favourably upon the TMUA for applicants to various Mathematics, Finance, and Data courses, but only makes it mandatory for applicants to BSc Economics and BSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics.

If you’re applying for Cambridge and have heard of the ECAA Cambridge, or Economics Admissions Assessment, then you might be asking yourself why we haven’t mentioned this test. The ECAA is an older, Cambridge-specific admissions test that Cambridge University used to use for its economics applicants but, from the ECAA 2022 onwards, it has been replaced by the TMUA. If you’ve been preparing for the ECAA either by mistake or for a precious year’s application, don’t be disheartened! Prepping for this test or going through ECAA past papers will still help prepare you for the TMUA and an economics course in general.

HOW IS THE TMUA STRUCTURED?

The TMUA is made up of two sections, each 75-minutes in length and consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions. The first paper is on Applications of Mathematical Knowledge, whilst the second paper is on Mathematical Reasoning. The first paper is aimed at assessing your ability to apply your mathematical knowledge to new situations, whilst the second paper gives admissions tutors the chance to see your ability to deal with mathematical reasoning, and simple ideas from elementary logic.

CAN I CHOOSE WHICH QUESTIONS I ANSWER IN THE TMUA?

Applicants do not have a choice of questions as part of the TMUA exam.

HOW IS MY TMUA SCORE USED?

Top UK Universities use the TMUA as a standardised format for assessing and benchmarking their applicants. The exam rewards problem solving over knowledge of particular mathematical knowledge such as formulae, so that students taking different qualifications at school can access the syllabus.

Cambridge uses students’ marks in the TMUA to make decisions about which applicants they should invite to interview, giving them a further indicator in addition to predicted and achieved grades. Other universities, many of which do not interview, instead use TMUA scores as an additional factor in deciding to whom they will make offers in the spring. Whilst the TMUA 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 TMUA SCORE?

UAT-UK have released the overall results for the 2024 October TMUA sitting, allowing us to investigate where most applicants are scoring, and therefore the grades you should be achieving for the best chance at being invited to interview. The raw points achieved on the TMUA are converted into a score between 1.0 and 9.0, with 9.0 being the highest score.

As we see from the graph above, the most common score achieved by applicants was 4.5 (around 14% of applicants received this score). It's also good to remember that both 1.0 and 9.0 encompass a wide range of raw marks (since there is are 'cut off' marks, below and above which applicants receive the minimum or maximum grade of 1,0/9.0), which is why 9.0 is, counterintuitively, more common than some of the grades below it.

A score over 6.5 is generally considered to be a good TMUA score, with only the most exceptional students achieving above this. A grade of 6.5 or above makes for a very competitive university application. The average TMUA score is between 4.0 and 6.5, so a score in this range will not make you stand out, but likewise probably will not become a barrier to being invited to interview.

DO I NEED TO KNOW SPECIFIC CONTENT FOR THE EXAM?

The TMUA syllabus is designed so that students taking a wide variety of qualifications or have a background in international education systems can access the mathematic content. However, it is more focused around the UK education system and the general concepts covered in GCSE and A-level. We recommend that students cross-reference their knowledge with past TMUA papers. We also have specialist tutors who have experience of advising students taking other qualifications and help them fill in knowledge gaps.