What replaced the TSA?
TARA. Oxford's last TSA sitting was October 2025; every Oxford course that used it now requires TARA.
TARA took over every Oxford TSA course.
History and Politics joins them.
What actually changed
| Part | TSA | TARA |
|---|---|---|
| PartReasoning | TSASection 1: 50 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. | TARACritical Thinking and Problem Solving: 22 questions in 40 minutes each, scored separately. |
| PartEssay | TSA30 minutes, sat by PPE applicants only. | TARA40 minutes, up to 750 words, sat by every candidate. |
| PartSitting | TSAOctober 2025 was the last one, for 2026 entry. | TARA12 to 16 October 2026, for 2027 entry. |
What this changes for you
Your TSA past papers still count
TSA Section 1 papers from 2008 to 2023 are free. Skip Section 2.
Everyone writes the essay now
Up to 750 words in 40 minutes, from three prompts.
Oxford sits 12 to 16 October 2026
Results on 16 November. Only the PPE Foundation Year can sit 4 to 8 January 2027.
Questions applicants ask
Is the TSA still used anywhere?
Oxford's last TSA sitting was October 2025, for 2026 entry, and its 2027-entry test list does not include the TSA. At Cambridge, Environment, Law, and Economics, which replaced Land Economy, has no admission assessment.
Did Oxford drop the TSA for 2024 entry?
No. Pages across the web say the last sitting was November 2023, and that is wrong. The TSA ran in October 2025, for 2026 entry. What changed around 2023 was delivery moving to Pearson VUE test centres.
Is TARA the TSA under a new name?
No. The question types carry over, but TARA has two separately scored 40-minute modules instead of one 90-minute section, and every candidate writes the essay.
Which Oxford courses need TARA for 2027 entry?
Economics and Management, History and Economics, History and Politics, Human Sciences, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Psychology (Experimental), and Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics. PPE with Foundation Year (Astrophoria) also lists it.