Maths Admissions Test (MAT) Test Guide

How to register for the MAT Test

WHEN IS THE MAT TEST IN 2024?

The test date for the MAT in 2024 is the 31st of October, meaning that all applicants will have to sit the test on this exact day. This may be during half term, but with plenty of advanced notice this hopefully shouldn’t prevent your school or college from holding the test. Be aware that if you miss this date for whatever reason you will not be able to take the test on another day and your application will not be considered.

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION?

The MAT, like many Oxford Admissions Tests, requires applicants to register in advance of sitting the test. 2024 applicants will have to register between the 15th of August and the 31st of October to be able to sit the test.

Candidates can register for themselves via the online registration portal. We recommend reading the Oxford University MAT page for more details on how to register; the university will be releasing further information in due course. Once registered, applicants will then be able to book their place at a Pearson VUE test centre. We recommend booking as soon as possible so that you can secure a place at the most convenient test centre for you.

Once registered, make sure that you have received an email stating your test centre location, and the date, time, and duration of the test. Make sure that this is done well in advance of the deadline. If you have extenuating circumstances (i.e. a situation beyond your control) that prevented you from registering on time, get in touch with the Oxford college you applied to immediately and alert them of your situation.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TAKE THE MAT EXAM?

There is no official fee for students to take the MAT but some test centres may charge candidates for costs such as invigilation and room hire.

Tips from a successful Oxford Maths applicant

HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR THE MAT?

To tackle the MAT exam with confidence, you should first consolidate your learning from the first year of sixth study, whether that be in Maths A Level or another equivalent qualification. MAT test questions tend to focus on familiar mathematical concepts but apply them in unfamiliar, challenging contexts. The MAT is set up this way in order to test a candidate’s understanding of the mathematics, rather than simply their ability to reproduce a memorised method. Students should build their repertoire of tackling such mathematical problems using past MAT papers, materials such as our specially-written MAT papers, and additional problems such as UKMT Maths Challenge and Maths Olympiad.

A SAMPLE MAT QUESTION 

To illustrate what we mean, an example from the multiple-choice section of the MAT test might be

“Which of the following graphs represents cos(x)=cos(y)?”

This question relies on an understanding of trigonometric concepts but will probably be a graph that most students haven’t come across before. Students may choose to sketch the graph directly, plug in values or use other deductive multiple-choice tactics to select the right answer.

MAT PREPARATION MATERIALS

In addition to the past MAT papers, we have written a series of additional mock papers. Our students have 33% more questions to practise with. Our mock MAT papers can be found here and are included with our admissions test tuition. All of our MAT tutors are highly-trained Oxbridge graduates who can share their personally insights of having sat the test. You can contact our Oxbridge-graduate Consultants on +44 (0) 20 7499 2394 or email [email protected] to discuss which of our test training would suit you best. We also have an online testing portal for students who want to sit the exam in timed, test conditions.

WHAT IS THE BEST STUDY GUIDE FOR THE MAT?

At Oxbridge Applications, we pride ourselves in providing up-to-date advice and unrivalled expertise. As well as collating information from publicly available sources, we also conduct our own research into the application process; for example, by surveying the thousands of students we support each year. Speak to an Oxbridge Applications expert.

How to pass the MAT test

The best advice we can offer to pass the MAT exam is to begin exam preparation early and practise often.

Most students who don’t get through the MAT to be invited to interview tell us that they didn’t spend enough time familiarising themselves with the type of questions that can arise. They typically say that they were caught off guard by a particular question and it put their timings off for the rest of the test.

START EARLY

Although you will require content from the first year of Maths A level, challenge yourself to get ahead of the syllabus so you can begin practising MAT questions. Some students also find it necessary to build up their mental arithmetic and speed doing calculations, since calculators are not allowed in the MAT and time is in short supply.

REFLECTION

Reflect on your personal strengths and weaknesses. No two students should have the same revision strategy for the MAT, since you all have varying abilities. Try to identify which part of the syllabus you find easiest or whether you often lose marks on either the multiple-choice section or the longer questions. Then tailor your strategy accordingly!

DON'T RESTRICT YOUR PRACTICE MATERIALS

Don’t restrict your practice materials: Once you have tried all of the real past papers, and have moved on to additional materials like our MAT papers, you should then look wider at similar materials. For example, review Maths Olympiad problems, which are of a slightly different format but still develop your problem solving skills.

COLLABORATION

Work with a friend or teacher to discuss questions and identify your own personal revision goals. Working with others can be a huge motivation and keep you on track in the weeks and months leading up to the test. We have specialist MAT tutors who can work with you one-to-one to refine your test technique.

MAT FAQs

ARE CALCULATORS ALLOWED IN THE MAT EXAM?

No, students cannot use calculators, formula sheets or dictionaries during the exam. This Is a good reminder for students to work on their mental arithmetic and the speed of their calculations. This can sometimes hold back otherwise strong mathematicians, who have been relying on a calculator.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE MAT EXAM?

The MAT is a challenging maths test, used by some of the most competitive universities in the UK to rank their applicants. Although the test is based on mathematical theory learnt at school, these concepts are presented in unfamiliar ways. Although the questions are difficult, students that prepare universally improve their score. We recommend that students revise the MAT syllabus to ensure their knowledge is secure but - more importantly - that they develop their problem-solving skills, through experience.

HOW MANY QUESTIONS ARE IN THE MAT?

There are ten multiple choice questions and six longer questions, of which candidates take four. These longer questions are made up of related sub-questions. Students cannot select which longer questions they would like to answer, rather they answer those questions in accordance with which university course they are applying for.

HOW LONG IS THE MAT?

The MAT exam is two and a half hours long. We recommend that students spend a maximum of one hour on the ten multiple choice questions, and the remaining time on the longer questions and checking work.

CAN YOU TAKE THE MAT TEST ONLINE?

The MAT test is a paper-based test. If you have a disability or specific requirement you should inform your test centre.

WHAT IS THE MAT TEST USED FOR?

The MAT is used to inform decisions to top universities in the UK, for maths-based courses, e.g. Mathematics or Computer Science. Oxford University uses the MAT to shortlist candidates for interview, the final stage of their admissions process. Imperial, Warwick, Durham and Bath universities use the MAT as additional information in their admissions process, and may choose to make lower offers to their applicants based on test performance.

DO UNIVERSITIES AUTOMATICALLY FIND OUT YOUR MAT SCORE?

If students have applied to Oxford, Imperial or Warwick University their MAT score will automatically be shared. Students can choose to share their MAT results with Durham and Bath University, depending on whether they would like the admissions office to take their score into consideration.