The short version
If you are applying to a relevant Oxford course for 2027 entry, the admissions test you should be preparing for is TARA — the Test of Academic Reasoning and Attainment. The Thinking Skills Assessment, or TSA, is the earlier test. It should not be described as the current Oxford test for those courses.
This matters practically. If you prepare from a guide written for the TSA and assume nothing has changed, you may prepare for the wrong balance of tasks.
What TARA contains
Always confirm the current structure, timing and format from the official sources listed at the end of this guide, for your own course and entry year.
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- A writing task
How to check whether you need it
- Open the official Oxford admissions-tests page for your entry year.
- Find your exact course, not a similar one.
- Note the test name, the registration deadline and the test date.
- Check the same details on your course page, because requirements change between cycles.
Using legacy TSA material sensibly
Legacy TSA critical-thinking and problem-solving questions remain good reasoning practice, and past papers are widely available. Treat them as supplementary practice and label them as legacy in your own revision plan, so you do not mistake them for the current specification.
Free official practice material for the current test is published by UAT-UK. Use that as your primary reference for format and timing.
What nobody can honestly tell you
- A pass mark. Scores are interpreted in context by the university, not against a published threshold you can revise towards.
- That tuition is required. The test owner does not require preparation courses, and free official materials are available to every candidate.
- Your likely score. Anyone offering a prediction is guessing.
A four-week practice pattern you can run yourself
- Week 1: one official practice section under time, then review every wrong answer and write why you chose it.
- Week 2: critical thinking only. Slow, untimed accuracy work, then one timed set.
- Week 3: problem solving only, with a written note of the method you used for each question.
- Week 4: two writing tasks under time, and one full timed practice with a next-step list.