Free TARA guide, no signup, sources named and linked
What is a good TARA score?
UAT-UK says a typical candidate scores around , while approximately score higher than . Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are separate results. The Writing Task is sent to universities unscored.
Start with the two numbers that exist
TARA reports each scored module from to , to one decimal place. UAT-UK gives two useful anchors: a typical score around , and roughly one candidate in ten above .
- Around is central in the tested cohort. It is not a school-style pass mark.
- Above is above the typical score, but the decimal alone does not reveal a course decision.
- Around and above is upper-tail evidence in that module. It is not a admission chance.
Keep the two scores separate
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are equated and scaled separately. Adding and to make creates a number UAT-UK does not report. Averaging them to is tidier, but still unofficial.
The Writing Task belongs in another column. UAT-UK does not mark it. A copy goes to each participating university where your course requires TARA, and that university decides how to use it.
A practice mark is not a scaled score
Each multiple-choice question earns one raw mark and wrong answers lose no marks. After the sitting, UAT-UK uses a Rasch model to account for item difficulty and small differences between forms. It does not publish a fixed rule such as .
| Claim | What it supports | What is still missing |
|---|---|---|
| I scored in practice | Raw accuracy on that set | An official live-form conversion |
| My Critical Thinking score is | A reported scaled module result | A university-specific threshold |
| My Problem Solving score is above | Upper-tail module evidence | A guaranteed interview or offer |
| My essay felt strong | A useful reflection prompt | A UAT-UK essay mark, because none is issued |
Worked example Choose only the conclusion the evidence supports
Noor receives in Critical Thinking and in Problem Solving. UAT-UK says typical candidates score around and approximately score higher than . Which conclusion is safest?
- Noor has passed TARA.
- Noor is in the overall top after combining the scores.
- Noor is above the typical score in both modules, with especially strong upper-tail evidence in Problem Solving.
- Noor's Writing Task must also be strong.
- Noor must receive an interview.
Why this works: The third conclusion keeps the reported modules separate and stops where the published evidence stops.
Why the tempting route fails: The other claims invent a pass mark, an overall ranking, an essay result or an admissions outcome.
Course pages change the meaning
Oxford and UCL use TARA for different course groups. UAT-UK sends results to participating institutions on a course-by-course basis, and universities may weigh them differently beside the rest of the application.
No official source named here publishes one offer-holder average or cut-off for every TARA course. Check the exact course and entry year before treating any target as relevant.
Set a target that points to work
- Moving towards : finish all questions, remove blanks and secure direct inference or arithmetic marks.
- Moving above : isolate repeated misses in assumptions, flaws, evidence impact and relevant selection.
- Moving towards : reduce avoidable misses while preserving reach. Do not spend four minutes proving you can solve one item.
Sources
UAT-UK, TARA Explanation of Results. Separate scores, the typical anchor, the share above and the unscored Writing Task. Read the official PDFhttps://uat-wp.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/11111431/TARA_Explanation_of_Results-October2025_and_January2026.pdf
UAT-UK, Test Results. Equating, separate module scaling and the absence of grade boundaries or a pass mark. Read the official pagehttps://esat-tmua.ac.uk/test-results/
Oxford and UCL admissions pages. Current course routing for the named entry year. Check Oxfordhttps://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying/guide-for-applicants/admissions-tests
UCL tests, tasks and interviews. Current UCL test requirements by course. Check UCLhttps://www.ucl.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/school-teachers-and-counsellors/tests-tasks-and-interviews
Course rules are time-specific. Recheck the live course page before registering. UniGenius is independent.