How to Tackle Each Section of the TARA

The TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) is a computer-based assessment used by Oxford and UCL to evaluate applicants for courses including PPE, Economics and Management, Human Sciences, and Computer Science. With Oxford courses like PPE and E&M among the most competitive in the country, the TARA is one of the most important parts of your application portfolio. Unlike most admissions tests, the TARA is made up of three modules that test very different skills: critical thinking, problem solving, and a writing task. Here's how to approach each one.

3. The Writing Task

The writing task gives you 40 minutes to write a single essay of up to 750 words. You are presented with a statement and asked to explain its meaning, provide the best counter-argument against it, and evaluate its validity. This is the section that most distinguishes the TARA from other admissions tests, and it's worth understanding how it's used: the writing task is not scored by UAT-UK. Instead, your response is sent directly to the admissions tutors at the colleges and universities you've applied to, who will read it as part of your application.

That means your goal is not to hit a mark scheme but to demonstrate the kind of thinking that tutors want to see, which is clear reasoning, intellectual honesty, and the ability to engage seriously with a position you may disagree with. Structure your essay simply: define the statement and any key terms, present the strongest case against it (not a straw man), and then weigh up whether the statement holds. Resist the temptation to sit on the fence. Tutors want to see you take a position and defend it, even if you acknowledge its limitations.

Concision is very important. Avoid long-winded introductions, try not to repeat yourself, and don't pad your essay with rhetorical flourishes that add nothing to the argument. Cut down on paragraphs if you think you can do so without losing content.