Key points

  • We can't point you to a set of released ESAT past papers, but UAT-UK publishes the specification, subject guides and Pearson specimen and practice tests for free.
  • UAT-UK also links older ENGAA and NSAA papers, with notes on which questions fall outside the current ESAT specification.
  • There isn't much official material, so sit each paper timed, go through every mistake and keep some papers back for the last few weeks.

Are there ESAT past papers?

We can't point you to a set of released ESAT past papers. What UAT-UK does publish is the ESAT specification, a guide for each subject, Pearson specimen and practice tests, and links to older ENGAA and NSAA papers.

A past paper is a paper that was set in a real sitting of a test. A specimen or practice test is written to show you the format and style of the questions, and to let you try the software before the day. Both are useful, but they do different jobs.

If UAT-UK adds anything new, it will be on its ESAT preparation materials page, so check there before you plan your practice.

What official ESAT material is there?

All of the official material is free from the UAT-UK website. Here's what you can get:

  • The ESAT content specification, which lists the topics each of the five modules can test.
  • The ESAT Guide for Mathematics 1, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with examples and exercises (the answers are at the end of each section).
  • Notes on Mathematics, which covers ESAT Mathematics 2 as well as TMUA Paper 1.
  • Pearson specimen and practice tests, which show the style of question and use the same on-screen software as the real test.
  • Links to older ENGAA and NSAA papers, with notes on which questions are outside the current specification.

What are the ENGAA and NSAA papers?

They're older admissions test papers that UAT-UK links from its ESAT preparation page as extra practice. UAT-UK marks which of their questions fall outside the current ESAT specification.

That means you can't treat every question in them as fair game. Before you sit one, read the notes and cross out the questions marked as out of scope. If you get one of those wrong, it tells you nothing about how ready you are for the ESAT.

An older paper may also differ from the current test in its format. The ESAT has 27 multiple-choice questions in each 40-minute module, with no calculator, which works out at just under 89 seconds a question. If an older paper is laid out differently, give yourself a time limit that matches that pace for the questions you're answering.

How should you use the specimen and practice tests?

Use them on a desktop or laptop, not a phone. The ESAT is a computer-based test, and UAT-UK recommends getting used to the software before the day. Learn how to move between questions, flag one to come back to and change an answer.

Sit at least one of them under real conditions: 40 minutes for the module, no calculator, no pausing and a few sheets of paper for working, since you'll get an erasable booklet in the test centre.

UAT-UK doesn't give a scaled score for specimen and practice tests. They're there to show you the format, and the real scale depends on how the live cohort performs. Pay attention to your raw mark, the questions that took too long and the ones you guessed.

How to get the most out of each paper

Each official paper can be used more than once in different ways. Sit it timed first. Then, before you look at the solutions, go back to every question you got wrong, guessed or took too long over and try it again slowly.

Sort what went wrong. Was it a topic you didn't know, a method that was too slow, a question you misread, or time lost on a question you should have left? The answer decides what you practise next week.

Keep a list of which papers you've sat and when. If you sit the same paper again soon, you'll remember some of the answers, so your mark will say more about your memory than your maths. Leave a few weeks before you come back to one.

When to use the official papers

Don't use everything in the first fortnight. A sensible order is to read the specification, try the Pearson software, then sit one official paper as a starting point and go through it carefully.

After that, spend most of your time on the topics and habits that paper showed up, and keep at least one unseen official paper for the last few weeks. That gives you a fair check of how far you've come, close to the real test.

Where original mocks fit

The official material won't last a whole preparation period, so you'll need more questions written to the current specification. Check that whoever wrote them says where they come from, and avoid anything that claims to be live or leaked test content.

The mocks on Noetra are original papers written to the public ESAT specification. They aren't past papers, we don't copy real past-paper questions, and we're not affiliated with UAT-UK, Pearson VUE or any university. The free ESAT paper on this site is one full Mathematics 1 module if you want to start there.

Questions students ask

Does UAT-UK publish ESAT past papers?
We can't point you to a set of released ESAT past papers. UAT-UK publishes the ESAT specification, subject guides, Pearson specimen and practice tests, and links to older ENGAA and NSAA papers. Check its ESAT preparation materials page for anything new.
Are ENGAA and NSAA papers still useful for the ESAT?
Yes, as extra practice. UAT-UK links them and notes which questions fall outside the current ESAT specification, so leave those questions out when you sit and mark them.
Do the ESAT specimen tests give you a score?
They don't give a scaled score. UAT-UK says they're for getting used to the format and style, and the real scale depends on how the live cohort performs. Use your raw mark and your mistakes to decide what to practise.
Are the mocks on this site ESAT past papers?
No. They're original papers written to the public ESAT specification. We don't reproduce real past-paper questions and we're not affiliated with UAT-UK or Pearson VUE.

Official sources

Current details were checked against these primary sources on the date shown above.