For some university courses, applying through UCAS is only part of the admissions process. Your child may also need to take an admissions test. These tests give universities additional information to help distinguish between applicants, alongside the rest of their UCAS application.

The requirements aren't the same for every course or university. One student applying for Law might need to take the LNAT, while another might not. It depends on the courses and universities they are applying to.

Admissions tests have their own registration and testing dates. They can also mean additional preparation alongside A-level study, the application itself and other commitments.

That doesn't mean a student in Year 12 needs to start preparing for a test now. Knowing that a likely course requires one, however, gives them time to understand what will be involved and plan for it alongside everything else Year 13 brings.

An admissions test may be required for a subject at one university but not at another, so check the individual course page for the specific admissions requirements.

Depending on the course and university, your child may come across one of the following admissions tests. They don't all assess the same things: some focus on skills relevant to particular subjects, while others assess broader reasoning or aptitude. The links take you to the official test providers, where you can find details of where and how each test is taken:

UCAT – University Clinical Aptitude Test
Used by universities in the UCAT Consortium as part of the selection process for relevant Medicine and Dentistry courses.

LNAT – Law National Aptitude Test
Used by some universities as part of their admissions process for Law.

TMUA – Test of Mathematics for University Admission
Used for some Mathematics and mathematics-related courses, including some Economics and Computer Science courses. For some courses it is compulsory; for others it may be optional.

ESAT – Engineering and Science Admissions Test
Used for specified Engineering and Science-based courses at a number of universities.

TARA – Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions
A non-subject-specific test used for specified courses across a range of subject areas.

If university research is only just beginning in your family, When Does The University Journey Really Begin? looks at what can be useful to explore during Year 12.

Most admissions tests take place between August and November in the year before university entry. Each test has its own registration and testing dates, which do not necessarily align with UCAS application deadlines.

For students currently in Year 12 and expecting to start university in 2028, the dates for their application cycle are not yet available. At this stage, the useful step is simply to identify whether any of the courses they are considering require a test.

As their university choices become clearer, check the individual course page and official test provider for the dates that apply to their application cycle. This will give your child time to plan for registration, the test itself and any preparation alongside A-level work, their UCAS application and other commitments.

If you're still getting familiar with the wider application process, A Parent’s Quick Guide to UCAS explains how the main stages fit together.

If your child needs access arrangements, check the relevant test provider's guidance early. Test providers have their own processes and evidence requirements, and some arrangements need to be approved before the test is booked.

Admissions tests are one example of why researching universities and specific courses is such an important part of the UCAS process, rather than assuming that applying for the same subject will involve the same requirements everywhere.

Especially for parents of students in Year 12, knowing that these differences exist is enough for now. As your child begins to narrow down their university choices, make the admissions requirements, including any potential need to take a test, part of the course research.

👉 Know another parent who'd find this helpful? Feel free to share this article with them. If they'd like more evidence-based guidance throughout the university journey, they can subscribe here to receive the next guide.