📚 UK University Admissions Tests: A Complete Guide | 英国大学附加考试全解析
For students aiming at competitive UK universities, the UCAS form is only half of the story. A large number of courses - medicine, law, mathematics, physics, history, philosophy, economics and more - also require an admissions test: a subject-specific exam sat before or around the application deadline, designed to show tutors how you think under timed conditions. This guide walks through the main admissions tests used by UK universities, explains what each one actually assesses, and shows you how to check the requirements for your target course before you start preparing.
对于目标是英国竞争激烈院校的学生来说，UCAS 申请表只是故事的一半。大量专业——医学、法律、数学、物理、历史、哲学、经济学等——还会要求参加附加考试（Admissions Tests）：一门在申请截止日期前后进行的学科专项笔试，目的是让导师看到你在限时条件下如何思考。本文将系统梳理英国大学主要使用的各类附加考试，说明每一项考试真正考查什么，并教你如何在备考之前核准目标专业的具体要求。
1. What UK Admissions Tests Actually Are | 英国附加考试到底是什么
An admissions test is an external, standardised exam taken outside school. It is sat in a test centre or online under supervised conditions, marked centrally, and the result is sent directly to the universities you apply to. Crucially, it is not part of your A-Level, IB or AP qualification - it sits alongside them as an extra piece of evidence.
附加考试是一种在校外参加的、外部标准化的考试。它在考试中心或线上于监考条件下进行，由机构统一阅卷，成绩直接发送给你申请的大学。关键在于，它不属于你的 A-Level、IB 或 AP 学历体系，而是作为额外的一份证据与它们并列存在。
Most tests are now delivered on computer, and most are taken in the autumn of Year 13 - typically October for Oxford and Cambridge courses, and between July and September for medical tests such as the UCAT. Administration has shifted over the years: some tests were previously run by Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, while today many are delivered through commercial testing partners or run directly by the university itself.
目前大多数考试采用机考形式，且多数在 Year 13 的秋季进行——牛津、剑桥相关专业通常在 10 月，而 UCAT 等医学类考试则在 7 月至 9 月之间。考试的组织方多年来也在变化：部分考试过去由 Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing 承办，如今许多考试改由商业考试合作机构承办，或由大学自行组织。
Because arrangements change from year to year, the single most important habit is to verify details on the official page for your specific course, not on a forum or an old blog post.
由于安排每年都可能调整，最重要的习惯就是：去你目标专业的官方页面上核对信息，而不是依赖论坛或过时的博客文章。
2. Why Universities Set Them | 大学为什么要设置附加考试
The first reason is volume. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL and many medical schools receive far more strong applications than they have places. Predicted grades alone cannot separate thousands of candidates who all look similar on paper.
第一个原因是申请量。牛津、剑桥、帝国理工、LSE、UCL 以及众多医学院收到的优质申请远超其学位名额。仅凭预估成绩，无法把成千上万份纸面上看起来差不多的申请区分开来。
The second reason is predictive power. Research and institutional experience suggest that performance on a well-designed admissions test correlates with how a student copes with the pace and independent thinking required at degree level. A test score is a common yardstick applied to every applicant, whatever school they attended.
第二个原因是预测效度。研究与院校经验都表明，在精心设计的附加考试中的表现，与学生在本科阶段应对学习节奏和独立思考要求的能力相关。无论申请人来自哪所学校，考试分数都是一把统一的尺子。
The third reason is fairer access. Interviews and personal statements can be shaped by a student's background, school support or coaching. A blind-marked written test gives candidates from less advantaged schools a chance to demonstrate raw ability.
第三个原因是促进机会公平。面试和个人陈述往往受学生背景、学校支持或培训资源影响。而匿名阅卷的笔试，则给了来自资源较弱学校的学生一个展示真实能力的机会。
Practical implication: treat the admissions test as a genuine academic subject, not a formality. It is often worth 20 to 40 percent of the decision at the shortlisting stage.
实践意义是：把附加考试当成一门真正的学科来对待，而不是走过场。在筛选阶段，它往往占据录取决定权重的 20% 到 40%。
3. BMAT - Biomedical Admissions Test | BMAT：生物医学入学考试
The BMAT was the classic entrance exam for medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, and for a long period it was used by Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL and several other institutions. It assessed whether a candidate had both the scientific grounding and the reasoning maturity required for a clinical or bioscience degree.
BMAT 曾是医学、牙科和兽医专业最经典的入学笔试，长期被牛津、剑桥、帝国理工、UCL 等多所院校采用。它考查申请人是否同时具备临床或生物科学学位所需的科学功底与思维成熟度。
It had three sections. Section 1 tested aptitude and skills: problem solving, critical thinking and data analysis, using verbal, numerical and spatial material rather than syllabus content. Section 2 tested scientific knowledge and applications across biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, roughly at a strong GCSE to early A-Level standard. Section 3 was a writing task in which candidates chose one of several prompts and produced a short essay under timed conditions.
它由三个板块组成。第一板块考查能力与技能：问题解决、批判性思维和数据分析，材料以文字、数字和图形为主，而不依赖课本知识。第二板块考查科学知识与运用，覆盖生物、化学、物理和数学，难度大致在扎实的 GCSE 到 A-Level 初期水平。第三板块是写作任务，考生从若干命题中选择一个，在限时条件下完成一篇短文。
Sections 1 and 2 were scored on a scale from 1 to 9, with roughly 5.0 being a competitive score in most years; Section 3 was marked by two examiners on quality of content, quality of argument and quality of written English.
第一、第二板块按 1 至 9 分制计分，多数年份 5.0 左右属于有竞争力的分数；第三板块由两位考官从内容质量、论证质量和英语写作质量三个维度评分。
Important update: the BMAT was discontinued after the October 2023 sitting, and universities that previously required it moved to the UCAT or to their own arrangements. If you find an old article telling you to register for the BMAT, check the current requirement on your course page before believing it.
重要更新：BMAT 已于 2023 年 10 月最后一次考试后停考，此前要求 BMAT 的院校已转向 UCAT 或自行安排。如果你看到旧文章让你报名 BMAT，请先在专业官网上核对当前要求再决定。
4. UCAT - University Clinical Aptitude Test | UCAT：大学临床能力测试
The UCAT is now the dominant admissions test for medicine and dentistry in the UK, used by most medical schools including Oxford, King's College London, Edinburgh, Manchester and many others. It is a computer-based test of roughly two hours, usually taken between July and late September.
UCAT 目前是英国医学与牙科专业最主要的入学考试，被牛津、国王学院、爱丁堡、曼彻斯特等大多数医学院采用。它是机考形式，时长约两小时，通常在 7 月至 9 月下旬之间参加。
The UCAT has five subtests. Verbal Reasoning tests your ability to read passages quickly and answer questions about them. Decision Making tests logic, probability and argument evaluation. Quantitative Reasoning tests numerical problem solving. Abstract Reasoning tests pattern recognition. Situational Judgement tests your judgement about professional behaviour in clinical scenarios.
UCAT 分为五个子测试。语言推理考查快速阅读文段并回答问题的能力；决策判断考查逻辑、概率与论证评估；定量推理考查数值问题解决；抽象推理考查图形规律识别；情境判断考查你对临床情境中职业行为的判断力。
Each cognitive subtest is scored from 300 to 900, giving a total between 1200 and 3600 for the first four subtests. Situational Judgement is reported separately in bands from Band 1 (highest) to Band 4. Many medical schools use a cut-off score, and some combine the UCAT with GCSE grades or contextual data.
四个认知类子测试各按 300 至 900 分计分，前四项总分为 1200 至 3600。情境判断单独以 Band 1（最高）到 Band 4 的分档报告。许多医学院设置分数线，也有院校将 UCAT 与 GCSE 成绩或背景数据结合使用。
Because the UCAT is sat only once per cycle and cannot be improved by resitting within the same year, timing and practice volume matter enormously. Most successful candidates begin familiarisation three to four months in advance.
由于 UCAT 每个申请周期只能考一次，且同一年内无法通过重考提分，所以备考节奏和练习量极为关键。多数成功申请者会提前三到四个月开始熟悉题型。
5. LNAT - National Admissions Test for Law | LNAT：法学全国入学考试
The LNAT is designed specifically for law applicants and is required by a number of leading law schools, including Oxford, UCL, LSE, King's College London, Durham, Bristol, Glasgow and Nottingham, among others. It does not test legal knowledge at all - it tests whether you can reason like a lawyer.
LNAT 专为法学申请者设计，被牛津、UCL、LSE、国王学院、杜伦、布里斯托、格拉斯哥、诺丁汉等多所顶尖法学院要求。它完全不考查法律知识，而是考查你是否具备像律师一样推理的能力。
Section A is a reading comprehension test: 42 multiple-choice questions based on 12 passages, to be completed in 95 minutes. Passages are drawn from a wide range of subjects and the questions probe inference, the author's reasoning, assumptions and weaknesses in argument.
A 部分是阅读理解测试：基于 12 篇文章的 42 道选择题，限时 95 分钟完成。文章题材广泛，题目重点考察推断能力、作者的论证逻辑、隐含假设以及论证弱点。
Section B is a single essay chosen from three prompts, written in 40 minutes. Tutors read the essay to judge clarity of argument, use of evidence and quality of written expression. Section A produces a score out of 42, while Section B is assessed by the universities themselves rather than given a numerical mark.
B 部分是从三个命题中选一个写一篇议论文，限时 40 分钟。导师通过这篇文章判断论证是否清晰、证据运用是否得当、语言表达是否准确。A 部分给出满分 42 的分数，B 部分则由各大学自行评估，不给出具体数字分数。
A distinctive feature of the LNAT is that passages are deliberately unfamiliar. There is no syllabus to revise, so preparation focuses on reading widely, practising timed comprehension, and building the habit of asking what a writer's argument actually assumes.
LNAT 的一个显著特点是文章刻意选择陌生题材。由于没有考纲可背，备考重点在于广泛阅读、限时训练阅读理解，以及养成追问“作者论证预设了什么”的习惯。
6. TSA - Thinking Skills Assessment | TSA：思维能力测试
The TSA is the admissions test used for humanities and social science courses, most famously Oxford's Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, Human Sciences and Geography. It measures reasoning rather than subject content.
TSA 主要用于人文与社会科学类专业，最著名的是牛津的哲学、政治学与经济学（PPE）、经济与管理、实验心理学、人文科学以及地理。它衡量的是推理能力，而非学科内容。
Section 1 consists of 50 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, split between problem solving and critical thinking. Problem solving covers numerical reasoning, spatial reasoning and logical puzzles; critical thinking covers identifying assumptions, drawing valid conclusions and spotting flawed reasoning.
第一板块为 90 分钟内完成 50 道选择题，分为问题解决与批判性思维两部分。问题解决涵盖数值推理、空间推理和逻辑谜题；批判性思维涵盖识别隐含假设、推出有效结论和发现推理漏洞。
Section 2 is a 30-minute writing task on a general social or cultural question. It is not marked numerically but is read by tutors as evidence of how you organise an argument and handle abstract ideas.
第二板块是 30 分钟的写作任务，题目涉及一般性社会或文化议题。它不给出数字分数，但会被导师阅读，作为评估你组织论证和处理抽象概念能力的依据。
Because the TSA rewards precision over knowledge, students who enjoy debating, solving puzzles and reading opinion journalism often adapt quickly. The most common mistake is rushing Section 1 and leaving no time to check the logic-heavy questions.
由于 TSA 更看重精确性而非知识量，喜欢辩论、解谜和阅读评论文章的学生往往适应得较快。最常见的失误是第一部分做得太快，没留下时间检查逻辑较重的题目。
7. PAT - Physics Aptitude Test | PAT：物理能力测试
The PAT is the admissions test for physics and physics-related degrees, notably Oxford's Physics, Physics and Philosophy, and Engineering Science, and it has been used by other institutions as well. It is a single paper of about two hours.
PAT 是物理及物理相关学位的入学考试，尤其用于牛津的物理、物理与哲学以及工程科学，其他院校也曾采用。它是一份约两小时的试卷。
The test combines mathematics and physics in roughly equal measure. The mathematics content covers algebra, trigonometry, calculus basics, vectors and graph interpretation. The physics content covers mechanics, waves, electricity, thermal physics, and sometimes astronomy or modern physics elements.
试题中数学与物理比重相当。数学部分涵盖代数、三角、微积分基础、向量与图像解读；物理部分涵盖力学、波动、电学、热学，有时还涉及天文或近代物理元素。
Questions are typically structured as multiple choice followed by longer written or typed answers requiring full working. Because there is no formula sheet, candidates must be fluent in rearranging equations and comfortable with units, significant figures and estimation.
题目通常先以选择题形式出现，随后是需要完整推导过程的长答题。由于不提供公式表，考生必须能熟练变形公式，并对单位、有效数字和量级估算有良好把握。
Typical preparation involves working through past papers under timed conditions, revising A-Level mathematics alongside physics, and getting used to explaining reasoning in writing rather than just arriving at a number.
典型备考方式是限时刷历年真题、同步复习 A-Level 数学与物理，并习惯把推理过程写清楚，而不只是算出答案。
8. HAT - History Aptitude Test | HAT：历史能力测试
The HAT is the classic aptitude test for history applicants, used by Oxford and some other selective history departments. Like the LNAT and TSA, it does not test how many dates you have memorised - it tests how you handle evidence.
HAT 是历史专业申请者的经典能力测试，被牛津及部分选拔性历史院系采用。与 LNAT、TSA 一样，它考查的不是你记住了多少年代，而是你如何处理史料。
Candidates are given a historical source, usually an extract from a document, speech or piece of writing, and asked to write a focused analytical essay about it. The questions may ask you to assess what the source reveals, to evaluate its reliability, or to compare it with what you know about the period.
考生会拿到一份历史史料，通常是文件、演讲或文章的节选，并被要求围绕它写一篇有针对性的分析性短文。题目可能要求你评估该史料揭示了什么、评价其可靠性，或将其与你所知的该时期背景进行比较。
Assessment focuses on three things: close reading of the text and its language, the quality and structure of your argument, and the breadth of historical knowledge you bring to bear without drifting away from the source.
评分聚焦三点：对文本及其语言的细读能力、论证的质量与结构，以及你在不脱离材料的前提下调用的历史知识广度。
The most common weakness is writing a general essay about the topic rather than answering the specific question about the source. Precision and a clear line of argument matter far more than volume.
最常见的短板是写成一篇关于该话题的泛论文章，而没有回答关于这份史料的具体问题。在这里，精准和清晰的论证主线远比篇幅重要。
9. Mathematics Tests: MAT, STEP and TMUA | 数学类加试：MAT、STEP 与 TMUA
Mathematics-heavy courses use a family of tests. The MAT (Mathematics Admissions Test) is a 2 hour 30 minute paper used by Oxford for Mathematics, Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Mathematics and Computer Science, as well as by some other universities. It mixes multiple-choice and long-form questions and is notorious for rewarding insight over routine technique.
数学类方向使用一组不同的考试。MAT（数学入学考试）是一份 2 小时 30 分钟的试卷，被牛津用于数学、数学与统计、数学与哲学、数学与计算机科学等专业，也被部分其他大学采用。它混合选择题与长答题，以奖励洞察力而非套路技巧而著称。
STEP (Sixth Term Examination Paper) is used by Cambridge for Mathematics and by some other institutions including Warwick. There are two papers, STEP 2 and STEP 3, each three hours long, with candidates typically answering six questions out of twelve. Questions are long, proof-based and demand genuine mathematical writing.
STEP（第六学期考试）被剑桥数学专业采用，也被华威等院校使用。它分为 STEP 2 和 STEP 3 两份试卷，各三小时，考生通常从十二道题中选做六道。题目篇幅长、以证明为主，要求真正的数学书写能力。
The TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) is a 2 hour 30 minute multiple-choice test in two parts, testing mathematical thinking and mathematical reasoning. It is used by Cambridge for Economics and Computer Science, and by Imperial, LSE, Warwick, Durham and others for courses such as economics, computer science and mathematics.
TMUA（大学入学数学测试）是一份 2 小时 30 分钟的选择题考试，分两部分，考查数学思维与数学推理。剑桥将其用于经济学和计算机科学，帝国理工、LSE、华威、杜伦等也将其用于经济、计算机、数学等专业。
A useful rule of thumb: if your course is proof-heavy, expect STEP-style demands; if it is decision-and-logic heavy, expect TMUA-style questions; if it is Oxford mathematics, expect MAT-style insight problems.
一个实用的经验法则是：如果专业偏重证明，就要按 STEP 风格准备；如果专业偏重判断与逻辑，就要按 TMUA 风格准备；如果是牛津数学，就要按 MAT 风格训练洞察力型题目。
10. Subject-Specific Assessments and Oxbridge Interviews | 学科专项评估与牛剑面试
Beyond the well-known tests, some courses set more targeted assessments. Cambridge historically used the Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA) for Natural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine: a two-hour paper with a mathematics section plus biology, chemistry and physics sections in multiple-choice format. That assessment has since been replaced by a newer combined admissions test, so always check the current Cambridge page for your course.
除了上述知名考试，一些专业还会设置更具针对性的选拔。剑桥历史上曾将自然科学入学评估（NSAA）用于自然科学和兽医医学：一份两小时的试卷，包含数学部分以及生物、化学、物理选择题部分。该评估此后已被更新的综合入学测试取代，因此务必查阅剑桥当前针对你专业的官方页面。
Oxbridge interviews sit alongside these tests rather than replacing them. Interviews typically last 20 to 45 minutes, may happen in more than one round, and are conducted in a tutorial style: a tutor poses an unfamiliar problem, you talk through your thinking, and the tutor pushes you further.
牛剑面试与这些考试是并存关系，而不是替代关系。面试通常持续 20 至 45 分钟，可能有多轮，采用导师制风格：导师给出一个陌生问题，你口述思考过程，导师再进一步追问。
What interviewers assess is not
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
或截图后用「扫一扫 → 相册」选择本图