Book the ESAT for October 2026

The full schedule

Looking for practice? See ESAT past papers or Understand ESAT scores

Questions candidates ask

How do I book the ESAT for October 2026?

In your UAT-UK account at esat-tmua.ac.uk, the same account that handles access arrangements, bursaries and results. Booking opened 20 July 2026, 15:00 BST and closes 28 September 2026, 18:00 BST. UAT-UK advises booking as soon as you can, to sit at a convenient time at your most local test centre.

When does ESAT registration close for October 2026?

Booking closes 28 September 2026, 18:00 BST. UAT-UK cannot accept a booking after that.

How much does the ESAT cost in 2026?

£78 in the UK and Republic of Ireland, £133 elsewhere. UAT-UK runs a bursary: request it by 21 September 2026, 18:00 BST for October, allowing five working days for the review.

When is the ESAT sat and when do results come out?

ESAT runs on every day of 12–16 October 2026, except in China, Hong Kong and Macau, where it is 12–13 October only. Results reach your UAT-UK account on 16 November 2026.

When do I need to request access arrangements?

Request by 14 September 2026, 18:00 BST and you can still book once you are approved. UAT-UK takes up to ten working days to review, so apply early if you need a separate room, a reader or a recorder.

Can I sit the ESAT in January instead?

Cambridge and Oxford applicants sit in October, unless they are applying to a mature Cambridge college with a January deadline, or to the Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year. Everyone else can choose either sitting, but you only sit once in an admissions cycle. January runs 4–8 January 2027, 6 January only in China, Hong Kong and Macau, and booking closes 21 December 2026, 18:00 GMT.