New UCL admissions test, being curious, and the UK’s ‘newest’ university
😊 Welcome
This week we hear about a new admissions test, the TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) which UCL will require for applicants to a range of courses from 2026.
We check out some advice from three wise authors about letting your career define you, and what it means for you as you look ahead to your own career.
And we look at the UK’s most recently formed university.
💡 Did you know? #1. UCL are introducing a new admissions test for 2026 entry
University College London will be using a new admissions test for a range of mathematical and social science courses. They will also be making use of the TMUA and ESAT tests (introduced by Imperial and Cambridge last year) for a couple of courses.
Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA)
This new test will be run by UAT in conjunction with Pearson VUE (just like the ESAT and TMUA).
It is not clear as yet where the test will take place, nor is any detail available about the format or content of the test. Given it will be used for a wide variety of courses, however, it is clear that it will be a general aptitude, thinking and reasoning test, which should not require any subject-specific knowledge.
As of early March 2025, we know that applicants for the following degrees will need to take the test:
Computer Science
Mathematical Computation
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Management Science
European Social and Political Studies (inc. Dual Degrees)
International Social and Political Studies
Social Sciences
Social Sciences with Data Science
Sociology
The test is mentioned in the entrance requirements online for each of these courses, but further information is not yet available. I expect further details to be available in due course at:
Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) - new for UCL for 2026 entry
This will be required for entry to:
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA) - new for UCL for 2026 entry
This will be required for entry to:
Economics (and Economics with a year abroad)
Medicine and Law
For entry to Medicine and Law at UCL, there is no change, and the UCAT and LNAT tests above will continue to be required.
For the most up-to-date information, why not book-mark my super-useful guide to UK university admissions tests:
University Admissions Tests: Everything you need to know right now!
💡 Did you know? #2. Student Finance England Open for 2025 entry
Student Finance England have just opened so that students entering university in 2025 can apply for their tuition fee and maintenance loans now.
Apply online for student finance
Students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have to wait a little longer, with applications expected to open later in the month.
✍️ Don’t choose a career right now. Just be curious!
“Stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. They don’t have to define themselves in terms of a career. A single identity can close the door to alternatives. Instead of trying to narrow their options, help them broaden their possibilities. They don’t have to be one thing - they can do many things.”
That’s from Adam Grant, in his excellent book Think Again.
And in his wonderful recent careers book The World Needs You, JP Michel takes this starting point, and goes on to flesh out an alternative: The Challenge Mindset.
He suggests instead of deciding what job you would like to do, think about the sorts of problems you’d like to solve. (He then suggests a structured and supported way to explore those problems, the potential knowledge required to solve them, and the people currently working in that area).
Meanwhile, James Clear, in his million seller Atomic Habits, warns against fixing your identity around something that is inflexible. Why? Because a fixed identity is brittle, and easily broken if it isn’t achieved, or is taken away from you.
How does this help you as you start and develop your career?
📸 Snapshot: City St George’s, University of London
Became a university in: 1966/2024 (It’s really complicated!)
Student population: 25,655 (2022/23 combined figure for both previous institutions)
Location: Central, East and South London
Subject areas: Policy & global affairs, business, communication & creativity, health and medical sciences, science & technology, and law.
Admissions: Typically BBC (BTEC DMM), through to AAA, with interviews for medical and health related courses. Contextual offers will also be made as appropriate.
City St. George’s in its most recent guise came into being just last week (March 2025). The university as it now is, was formed last year through a merger of St George’s Medical School and (you’ve guessed it), City University! And they’ve just adopted their new name.
But what do we know about the two institutions from before the merger, and how will the merger change things?
That's all for this week. Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
