What is the Maths Admissions Test and will you need to take it to get into uni? We’ve got the important MAT questions covered.
Updated: 16 Jul 2026
Please be aware that from 2026, the Maths Admissions Test will no longer be taking place. Students will now be taking the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA).
NEXT: See our guide to the Test of Mathematics for University Admission
The Maths Admissions Test was designed to test prospective students’ mathematical ability. You had to sit the MAT to study maths or computer science at the following Russell Group universities:
Computer Science
Computer Science and Philosophy
Mathematics
Mathematics and Computer Science
Mathematics and Philosophy
Mathematics and Statistics
Any BSc and MSci Mathematics courses
It was also encouraged by the University of Warwick on mathematics courses.
The test was 2 hours 30 minutes long and consists of six questions. All students answered question 1 and then four questions from questions 2-6. Test takers were instructed on the paper which questions you need to answer, depending on what course they were applying for.
There were no calculators, formula sheets or dictionaries allowed in the test. The MAT was a hybrid test, meaning you had computer-based questions and a paper answer booklet.
The test covered a similar syllabus to AS-level maths with a few A-level maths topics. Further Maths A-level was not required to sit the MAT.
The MAT was held once a year in October. You would be registered by your test centre, so ensure they have all the information required to register you, including any access requirements.
You’ll needed to be registered for it by an authorised test centre. Your school or college might be a centre already, in which case they could register you. If not, then you could find a test centre on the Cambridge Admissions website or ask your school if they’re willing to become one.
The test centre needed your UCAS ID, full name and date of birth. You would receive a candidate number once they have these details.
If you needed any special assistance in sitting the test, you’ll needed to contact the test centre so that they could organise anything you need.
Note: Results of the test were not automatically released to students. You would need to ask the university you applied to for them as part of a normal feedback request.
There was no official fee for sitting the MAT, but the test centre might charge admin fees.
The universities who required you to take the test provided plenty of resources to help you prepare. The University of Oxford had lots of past papers to give you an idea of the types of questions you would be asked.
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