About the ESAT
The ESAT was introduced in the 2024–25 admissions cycle, replacing both ENGAA and NSAA. It assesses problem-solving in unfamiliar contexts, demanding more than A-Level recall alone.
Scores are reported on a scale of 1.0–9.0 per module and used by Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, and UCL to shortlist candidates for interview or as part of holistic assessment.
Oxford is using ESAT for the first time in 2026, significantly expanding the pool of applicants who need to prepare.