Free preparation resources
ESAT Past Papers
Every free official ESAT paper, the NSAA, ENGAA and PAT archives that map onto the current test, and how to use them without wasting the real thing.
The ESAT was first sat in October 2024, so only a small number of real papers exist. The good news: UAT-UK publishes free official practice materials, and the ESAT inherited its question style from predecessors with nearly a decade of past papers between them. Used in the right order, that is more timed practice than most applicants ever finish.
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Official ESAT practice materials
UAT-UK, the consortium that runs the ESAT, publishes free official practice papers that mirror the real computer-based format. These are the only materials written to the current specification, so treat them as gold: sit them under exam conditions, late in your preparation, rather than browsing them early.
The real test is three 40-minute multiple-choice papers in one sitting. Mathematics 1 is compulsory; your course determines two further papers from Mathematics 2, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. There is no negative marking, and each paper is scored from 1.0 to 9.0.
The volume source
The predecessor archive: NSAA, ENGAA and PAT
The ESAT replaced Cambridge’s subject admissions tests from 2024 entry, and Oxford’s physics-cluster courses have since moved to it too. The old papers remain the closest published match to ESAT question style, and there are years of them.
NSAA
2016 to 2023 · Cambridge Natural Sciences
Section 1 mirrors the ESAT’s mathematics and science papers almost question-for-question. Section 2 runs slightly harder than ESAT level: use it as stretch material for the science papers.
NSAA guide →ENGAA
2016 to 2023 · Cambridge Engineering
Both sections track the ESAT Mathematics and Physics papers closely. The single best volume source if your course requires Mathematics 2 and Physics.
ENGAA guide →PAT
Oxford physics cluster, pre-ESAT
Oxford’s Physics, Engineering Science and Physics and Philosophy applicants now sit the ESAT. PAT papers remain excellent physics problem-solving practice at the right level of difficulty.
PAT guide →Method
How to use past papers properly
- 1
Content first
The ESAT tests fluency in A-Level (or IB Higher Level) material, not new knowledge. Secure the syllabus before you burn papers: a paper sat before the content is solid teaches you very little.
- 2
Timed 40-minute blocks from day one
Every module is 40 minutes and the pace is roughly two minutes a question. Never do practice questions untimed: pacing is the skill the test actually selects for.
- 3
Predecessors for volume, official papers for calibration
Build skill on NSAA, ENGAA and PAT papers. Save the newest official ESAT materials for full-dress mocks, with the final one in the last week before your test date.
- 4
Keep an error log
Log every dropped mark by topic and re-test weak areas a week later. Score gains come from the error log, not from the raw number of papers completed.
ESAT past papers: common questions
Are there any real ESAT past papers?
Very few: the ESAT was first sat in October 2024. UAT-UK publishes free official practice materials written to the current specification, and the NSAA, ENGAA and PAT archives fill the volume gap because the ESAT inherited their question style.
Are NSAA and ENGAA papers still worth doing?
Yes. The ESAT was introduced to replace them and the question style carries over largely unchanged. NSAA Section 1 and both ENGAA sections are the closest published match to current ESAT papers.
Where do I download the official materials?
From UAT-UK’s official ESAT pages, free of charge. Our ESAT guide walks through the format, key dates and registration alongside them.
What about worked solutions?
A mark scheme tells you what was right, not why you went wrong. Our ESAT question bank pairs exam-style questions with full worked solutions, and 1-to-1 tutoring closes the gaps a mark scheme cannot.