The ESAT is the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, a multiple-choice admissions test run by UAT-UK / Pearson VUE and used by UK universities to help decide who to make offers to. It is sat on screen at a test centre in the autumn of the year you apply, and it is separate from your A-levels.

How long is the ESAT?

40 minutes per module. You sit 2 to 3 modules, so between 80 and 120 minutes in total.

How many questions are on the ESAT?

27 per module, and you sit 2 to 3 modules.

Is the ESAT multiple choice?

Yes, every question. You select an answer rather than write out a method, and no working is marked, so a correct answer reached by a shortcut scores the same as one reached the long way.

Can you use a calculator in the ESAT?

No. Every question is designed to be answered by hand, which changes which methods are worth using: exact values, factorising and sensible estimation beat decimal arithmetic almost every time.

Is there negative marking in the ESAT?

No. A wrong answer scores the same as no answer, so there is never a reason to leave a question blank. Eliminating even one or two options before you guess turns a blank into real expected marks.

How is the ESAT scored?

Each module is reported on a scale from 1.0 to 9.0, in steps of 0.1. There are no grade boundaries and no pass mark: universities read the score alongside the rest of your application.

The ESAT format

The ESAT is 5 modules, of which you sit 2 to 3: Mathematics 1 is compulsory and the rest are chosen to match the course you are applying to. Each is 27 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, taken on screen at a test centre. There is no calculator and no negative marking, which means a wrong answer costs exactly what a blank costs: nothing.

The 5 modules

Module	Questions	Time	Per question
Mathematics 1compulsory	27	40 min	1 min 29 s
Mathematics 2optional	27	40 min	1 min 29 s
Biologyoptional	27	40 min	1 min 29 s
Chemistryoptional	27	40 min	1 min 29 s
Physicsoptional	27	40 min	1 min 29 s

What each module actually asks

Mathematics 1

The one module every candidate sits, whatever the course. Number, algebra, ratio, geometry and the manipulation you are expected to do accurately without a calculator. Nothing in it goes beyond AS-level; the difficulty is entirely in the pace.

Mathematics 2

The advanced maths module: functions, coordinate geometry, sequences and series, trigonometry, logarithms, differentiation and integration. Most engineering and physics courses ask for it alongside Mathematics 1, so check your course before you plan around skipping it.

Biology

Cells, physiology, genetics and inheritance, ecosystems and variation, at roughly A-level standard. Chosen mostly by Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine applicants, and the only module where recall carries real weight.

Chemistry

Atomic structure, bonding, energetics, kinetics, equilibria, organic chemistry and quantitative work. The calculations are where the time goes, and you have no calculator for them, so fluency with moles and ratios by hand matters more here than anywhere else on the paper.

Physics

Mechanics, electricity, magnetism, waves, radioactivity and matter. Nearly every engineering course and Physics itself require it, so for most candidates it is a third compulsory module in practice rather than a choice.

How much time you get per question

Maths 1 gives you 1 min 29 s a question, Maths 2 gives you 1 min 29 s a question, Biology gives you 1 min 29 s a question, Chemistry gives you 1 min 29 s a question, Physics gives you 1 min 29 s a question. That average is the whole shape of the test. The content is not beyond A-level, but a method that takes twice the average has already cost you the question after it. Practising under the real clock, rather than untimed, is the single change that most reliably shows up in a score.

The rules that change how you prepare

No calculator: Every question is written to be answered by hand. That rewards exact values over decimals, factorising over expanding, and estimating an answer to eliminate options over computing it precisely. If your A-level habit is to reach for a calculator, the first thing to fix is arithmetic fluency.
No negative marking: A wrong answer and a blank score identically, so leaving anything unanswered is simply a mark thrown away. Two minutes before the end, fill in every remaining question, and rule out whatever options you can first: a guess down to two options is worth far more than a blind one.
Multiple choice, no working marked: Nobody reads your method, which makes backwards work legitimate: substituting the options into the question, testing a value, or ruling out answers by sign or magnitude are all full-credit routes. Under this much time pressure they are often the fastest ones.
Sat on screen at a test centre: You register yourself with UAT-UK / Pearson VUE and book a slot at a test centre rather than sitting it at school. Slots at individual centres are limited, so registering early gives you more choice of location and time. See ESAT dates and deadlines.

How the ESAT is scored

Each module is reported on a scale from 1.0 to 9.0, in steps of 0.1. Raw marks are converted onto that scale so that a given score means the same thing from one year to the next, which is why there are no grade boundaries to look up and no pass mark to clear. What counts as a good ESAT score depends entirely on where you are applying.

What is on it

The content is fixed and published, and it is narrower than most candidates assume. The full ESAT syllabus lists every topic that can come up, with notes on each one.

Sit a real one under real timing

The format stops being abstract the first time you run out of time on question 14. Every past paper on this site can be sat to the clock, with a full worked solution for each question afterwards.

ESAT past papers Read the notes

ESAT format: frequently asked questions

What is the ESAT?: The ESAT is the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, a multiple-choice admissions test run by UAT-UK / Pearson VUE and used by UK universities to help decide who to make offers to. It is sat on screen at a test centre in the autumn of the year you apply, and it is separate from your A-levels.
How long is the ESAT?: 40 minutes per module. You sit 2 to 3 modules, so between 80 and 120 minutes in total.
How many questions are on the ESAT?: 27 per module, and you sit 2 to 3 modules.
Is the ESAT multiple choice?: Yes, every question. You select an answer rather than write out a method, and no working is marked, so a correct answer reached by a shortcut scores the same as one reached the long way.
Can you use a calculator in the ESAT?: No. Every question is designed to be answered by hand, which changes which methods are worth using: exact values, factorising and sensible estimation beat decimal arithmetic almost every time.
Is there negative marking in the ESAT?: No. A wrong answer scores the same as no answer, so there is never a reason to leave a question blank. Eliminating even one or two options before you guess turns a blank into real expected marks.
How is the ESAT scored?: Each module is reported on a scale from 1.0 to 9.0, in steps of 0.1. There are no grade boundaries and no pass mark: universities read the score alongside the rest of your application.