Free. No signup. 2027 entry, dates checked 26 September 2026.

ESAT booking checklist for 2027 entry

Pick where you are applying and where you will sit. See which sitting your shortlist allows, the booking, bursary and access steps still open, the fee, and who to contact if no seat shows.
Where are you applying with the ESAT? Pick every one.
Where is the test centre you will use?

The fee and, in some places, the test days depend on the centre, not on where you live.

Pick at least one university to see your sitting, the steps still open and the dates.

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ESAT · 2027 entry

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All ESAT dates for 2027 entry

StepOctober 2026 sittingJanuary 2027 sitting
Access arrangements and bursaries open1 June 2026, 3pm5 October 2026, 3pm
Booking opens20 July 2026, 3pm26 October 2026, 3pm
Access arrangements deadline14 September 2026, 6pm7 December 2026, 6pm
Bursary deadline21 September 2026, 6pm14 December 2026, 6pm
Booking closes28 September 2026, 6pm21 December 2026, 6pm
Test days12 to 16 October (China, Hong Kong and Macau: 12 or 13 October)4 to 8 January (China, Hong Kong and Macau: 6 January)
Results16 November 20268 February 2027

All times are UK time. The January sitting is not open to Cambridge or Oxford applicants with a 15 October deadline.

Questions this page answers

When is the ESAT booking deadline for 2027 entry?

Booking for the October 2026 sitting closes on Monday 28 September 2026 at 6pm UK time. Booking for the January 2027 sitting opens on 26 October 2026 at 3pm and closes on 21 December 2026 at 6pm UK time. UAT-UK says it cannot accept bookings after a deadline.

Can I take the ESAT in January if I apply to Oxford or Cambridge?

Not for a standard application with the 15 October UCAS deadline: Cambridge and Oxford applicants must sit in October. The exceptions are mature applicants to a Cambridge mature college with a January deadline and Oxford Astrophoria Foundation Year applicants, who can use either sitting.

Can I resit the ESAT?

Not in the same admissions cycle: UAT-UK says you can sit only once per cycle, in October or January. Imperial adds that only your first test score will be considered.

How much does the ESAT cost?

£78 at a test centre in the UK or Republic of Ireland and £133 elsewhere. The fee depends on the test centre's location, not your nationality. UK candidates who meet the criteria can apply for a bursary, which covers the full fee, but only before booking.

What if I cannot find an ESAT test centre with free seats?

UAT-UK says UK candidates who cannot find a test within 40 miles of their postcode should contact Pearson Customer Services, who will help find the nearest available appointment. Oxford gives the contact as UAT-UKcustomerservice@pearson.com, or 0800 731 9905 in the UK.

Sources

Every rule and number on this page comes from the official page listed here, with the date we read it. Where a source is silent, the page says so. If a university or test body changes its page, its page wins.

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