For a variety of university-level courses, Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (formerly the Admissions Testing Service) offers admissions exams as well as evaluations of thinking abilities and traits. It is a not-for-profit component of the Cambridge Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge in England.
Here is a list of tests currently being conducted as a part of Cambridge admissions:
BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
This test is used by universities in the UK and by a few other countries for admission to Medicine, Biomedical Science and Dentistry courses.
International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT)
Developed in conjunction with the Italian Ministry of Education, this test is used by several Italian universities for entry into medicine. It is also used for surgery and related degree courses.
English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
This test is used for entry to English Literature courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP)
This test is used for admissions into mathematics courses at the universities of Cambridge and Warwick. STEP results are taken into account for conditional offers by Cambridge University and by other universities when making offers for their Mathematics courses.
Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA)
This test is used to test mathematical thinking and reasoning. It consists of two 75-minute multiple choice papers. While this test is used as the basis for conditional offers, universities like Durham University, Lancaster University, the University of Warwick, the University of Sheffield and the University of Southampton encourage students applying to their Mathematics courses to take the test.
Other admissions tests
Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing offers the following pre-interview assessments for some University of Cambridge courses:
- Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic (ASNCAA)
- Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMESAA)
- Economics (ECAA)
- Engineering (ENGAA)
- Geography (GAA)
- History (HAA)
- Human, Social, and
- Political Sciences (HSPSAA)
- Natural Sciences (NSAA)
- Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (PBSAA).
Reforms Cambridge University Testing Requirements from 2024-25
With effect from 2024–5, Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing will stop offering a number of university entrance exams. These tests include the BMAT for medical, the ENGAA for engineering, the NSAA for natural sciences, and the TMUA for mathematical skills.
Given their enormous complexity and the necessity to deliver them inexpensively to students and higher education institutions, customised examinations are operationally unsustainable in the long run.
The seven UK medical schools (Brighton and Sussex, Imperial, Lancaster, UCL, Cambridge, Leeds, and Oxford) that use the BMAT as a component of their admissions process, as well as medical and healthcare schools in other nations, will implement alternative arrangements beginning with the academic year 2024–2025. The admissions system will remain unchanged for the upcoming academic year, as Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing Services will continue to conduct the tests through 2023.
The way forward
The top objective of the university is to prevent any disruptions for students while giving higher education institutions plenty of time to implement alternatives. The delivery of these challenging, high-stakes exams on a customised, heavily manual basis cannot be sustained in the medium to long term from an operational and financial standpoint.
The University of Cambridge is looking at ways to minimise disturbance. The University now uses ENGAA (engineering), NSAA (natural sciences), and TMUA for pre-interview course selection.
There won’t be any immediate adjustments for students this year or in 2023, according to a University of Cambridge official, and all modifications starting in 2024 will be openly disclosed in advance. The main concern is a seamless transfer to an alternative arrangement. The people at Cambridge continuously strive to make sure that admissions are fair and transparent and continue to strengthen their efforts to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply for and secure places at Cambridge.
Prepare with Rostrum
At Rostrum, our mentors ensure that students build their profiles in a holistic manner so they stand out from the crowd regardless of the method of testing. Our mentors have years of experience and are constantly aware of the recent developments in admission processes. For more information, schedule a free consultation today.
