Checked 25 September 2026. From UAT-UK's 2027-entry key-dates page, its Candidate Handbook and FAQ, the Cambridge, Imperial and Oxford admissions pages, and UCAS. Dates are fixed for this cycle; check your UAT-UK account for your own appointment.
The ESAT — the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, run by UAT-UK for Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford and UCL — has two sittings for 2027 entry, and the first booking deadline is close: Monday 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time, which is 10:30pm in India. Anyone applying to Cambridge or Oxford must sit in October. Everyone else can choose October or January — but only one of them, because the ESAT can be taken once per admissions cycle. This guide sets out every date and the rules on which sitting you may use.
UAT-UK key dates for 2027 entry; UAT-UK FAQ.
ESAT 2027-entry countdown
Every official deadline for the 2027-entry cycle, counted from today in your own time zone.
Dates from UAT-UK's 2027-entry key-dates page and UCAS. UK deadlines are 6pm UK time: British Summer Time until 25 October 2026 (10:30pm in India), Greenwich Mean Time after (11:30pm in India).
The October 2026 sitting
| Event | Date (UK time) |
|---|---|
| Account creation; access-arrangement and bursary requests open | 1 Jun 2026, 3pm |
| Booking opens | 20 Jul 2026, 3pm |
| Access-arrangement requests close | 14 Sep 2026, 6pm |
| Bursary requests close (UK residents) | 21 Sep 2026, 6pm |
| Booking closes | Mon 28 Sep 2026, 6pm |
| Test window | 12–16 Oct 2026 (any day, outside China, Hong Kong and Macau) |
| Results | Mon 16 Nov 2026 |
From UAT-UK's 2027-entry key-dates page. In China, Hong Kong and Macau the ESAT runs only on 12 or 13 October; there is no such restriction for India, so any day of the window can be booked, subject to seats.
The January 2027 sitting
| Event | Date (UK time) |
|---|---|
| Access-arrangement and bursary applications re-open | 5 Oct 2026, 3pm |
| Booking opens | 26 Oct 2026, 3pm |
| Access-arrangement requests close | 7 Dec 2026, 6pm |
| Bursary requests close | 14 Dec 2026, 6pm |
| Booking closes | 21 Dec 2026, 6pm |
| Test window | 4–8 Jan 2027 |
| Results | 8 Feb 2027 |
From UAT-UK's key-dates page. Booking closes at 6pm GMT, which is 11:30pm in India.
Deadlines in India time
| Deadline | UK time | India time |
|---|---|---|
| October booking closes | Mon 28 Sep 2026, 6pm (BST) | Mon 28 Sep 2026, 10:30pm |
| UCAS — Oxford and Cambridge | Thu 15 Oct 2026, 6pm (BST) | Thu 15 Oct 2026, 10:30pm |
| January access-arrangement requests | Mon 7 Dec 2026, 6pm (GMT) | Mon 7 Dec 2026, 11:30pm |
| January booking closes | Mon 21 Dec 2026, 6pm (GMT) | Mon 21 Dec 2026, 11:30pm |
| UCAS — all other courses | Wed 13 Jan 2027, 6pm (GMT) | Wed 13 Jan 2027, 11:30pm |
Our conversion: India is 4½ hours ahead of British Summer Time and 5½ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (the UK changes on 25 October 2026). Do not leave any of these to the last hour — payment problems at 10pm are not a reason UAT-UK accepts.
Who must sit in October
UAT-UK: "Most applicants to the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford will be required to sit the test in October." The exceptions are mature applicants to a Cambridge mature college with a January deadline and applicants to Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year. Cambridge puts it plainly: "If you're applying at the 15 October deadline, you must take the test in this first sitting." Applicants to Imperial and UCL only can choose: "There is no advantage to sitting in either session, but you can only sit once within an admissions cycle." Imperial adds: "Only your first test score will be considered."
| If you are applying to | Sit in | UCAS deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge or Oxford (ESAT courses) | October (book by 28 Sep) | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Imperial and/or UCL only | October or January | 13 Jan 2027 |
| Oxbridge plus Imperial/UCL | October — one score goes to all | 15 Oct for Oxbridge |
| Cambridge mature college (Jan deadline) or Oxford Astrophoria | January allowed | As stated by the university |
From UAT-UK's key dates and FAQ and the Cambridge, Imperial and Oxford pages. A cancelled or missed October booking is not a sitting, so UAT-UK says your eligibility to sit in January is not affected (Candidate Handbook §4.4) — though January is too late for most Oxbridge applicants.
How the dates fit UCAS
Our arithmetic on the official dates.
Three consequences follow. An Oxbridge applicant applies before knowing the score: the UCAS deadline is 15 October and results come on 16 November, and the test itself can fall a day after the UCAS form has gone in. An Imperial or UCL applicant who sits in October sees the score before the 13 January UCAS deadline, so can still adjust choices. And one who sits in January gets the result on 8 February, after UCAS has closed. Scores reach universities automatically through UCAS matching — add your UCAS Personal ID to your UAT-UK account when you have it, but "please do not guess".
Where other pages get this wrong
The 2027-entry ESAT windows are 12–16 October 2026 and 4–8 January 2027, with results on 16 November 2026 and 8 February 2027.
Commonly published instead: "October testing 12–16 October 2025" and "results after 6 weeks".
Those are last cycle's or wrong figures: UAT-UK's 2027-entry page gives the 2026/2027 windows, and results come about four weeks after each sitting.
Clashes, deferral and reapplying
| Situation | UAT-UK rule |
|---|---|
| School exams clash with the October window | Non-Oxbridge applicants should use January; Oxbridge applicants must message UAT-UK with the clash details |
| Applying for deferred entry | "You must sit the test in the same year you submit your UCAS application" |
| Reapplying next year | You must sit again: "Previous test scores will not be available" |
| Sitting early for practice | "We would strongly discourage candidates from paying to sit the test early" |
| Need extra time or other arrangements | Request before booking — deadline 14 Sep for October (passed) and 7 Dec for January |
From UAT-UK's FAQ, Candidate Handbook §2.1 and key dates.
What happens after the test
| University | Next dates (2027 entry) |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | My Cambridge Application and transcript deadline 22 Oct 2026; most interviews in the first three weeks of December |
| Oxford | Online interviews in December 2026; decisions 12 Jan 2027 |
| Imperial and UCL | Each university sets its own interview and offer timing; the UCAS deadline is 13 Jan 2027 |
From the Cambridge application dates page and Oxford's admissions-tests page. October results (16 November) reach universities before most December interviews, though some invitations can go out around the same time.
Last cycle, for comparison
| Item | 2026 entry | 2027 entry |
|---|---|---|
| October ESAT days | 9–10 Oct 2025 only | Any day 12–16 Oct 2026 |
| October booking closed | 29 Sep 2025 | 28 Sep 2026 |
| October results | 14 Nov 2025 | 16 Nov 2026 |
| January ESAT days | 6–7 Jan 2026 | 4–8 Jan 2027 |
| Fee (outside UK/Ireland) | £130 | £133 |
| Oxford | Not an ESAT user | Uses the ESAT (replacing its PAT for Physics and Engineering) |
From the archived 2026-entry dates page, UAT-UK's technical report 2025-26 and the 2027-entry pages.
If you have not booked yet
- Create your UAT-UK account and check your modules against every course you will list.
- Book before Monday 28 September, 6pm UK (10:30pm India) if any choice is Cambridge or Oxford.
- Pick a day and a centre you can reach — outside the UK you may need to travel further.
- Bring a passport on the day: an ID without a signature needs a signed bank card as well.
Practise it, don't just read it
With three weeks to an October sitting, timed module practice matters more than new reading.
The ProSyllabus ESAT library has topic quizzes for Maths 1 (algebra, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability), Maths 2 (functions and calculus), Physics (mechanics, electricity, waves), Chemistry and Biology — the first one is free.
When is the ESAT booking deadline for October 2026?
Monday 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time (10:30pm in India).
When is the ESAT in 2026?
The October sitting is 12–16 October 2026; the January sitting is 4–8 January 2027.
When are ESAT results released?
16 November 2026 for the October sitting and 8 February 2027 for January, in your UAT-UK account.
Can I take the ESAT in both October and January?
No. The ESAT can be taken once per admissions cycle.
Do Cambridge applicants have to take the ESAT in October?
Yes, with narrow exceptions (mature colleges with a January deadline). The same applies to Oxford, except its Astrophoria Foundation Year.
Is the ESAT before or after the UCAS deadline?
For Oxford and Cambridge, the October window straddles the 15 October UCAS deadline and results come afterwards. For other courses the UCAS deadline is 13 January 2027.
Can I sit the ESAT on any day in India?
UAT-UK restricts days only in China, Hong Kong and Macau, so in India any day of the window can be booked, subject to seats.
What time does ESAT booking close in India?
10:30pm India time on Monday 28 September 2026 (6pm UK) for October, and 11:30pm on 21 December 2026 for January.
Can I defer and use this year's ESAT score?
You must sit the test in the same year you submit your UCAS application; reapplicants must sit again, as previous scores are not kept.
What if my school exams clash with the ESAT?
Non-Oxbridge applicants should use the January window; Oxbridge applicants must message UAT-UK with the clash details.
What if I miss my October ESAT booking?
UAT-UK says your eligibility to sit in January is not affected — but January is too late for most Oxbridge applicants.
Sources
- official — UAT-UK — Key dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
- official — UAT-UK — ESAT (2027 entry)
- official — UAT-UK — FAQ
- official — UAT-UK — Candidate Handbook, 2027 entry
- official — UAT-UK — Test Admission and ID Policy, 2027 entry
- official — University of Cambridge — ESAT
- official — University of Cambridge — application dates and deadlines
- official — Imperial College London — ESAT
- official — University of Oxford — admissions tests
- official — Oxford Physics — ESAT
- official — UCAS — 2027 entry deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine (15 Oct 2026)
- official — UCAS — 2027 entry deadline for all other courses (13 Jan 2027)
- official — UAT-UK key dates page, 2026 entry (Wayback, 16 Sep 2025)
- official — UAT-UK — ESAT Technical Report 2025-26
- reported — Leverage Edu — ESAT admissions test (reported; see corrections)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
