ESAT grade boundary estimator
ESAT has no published grade boundaries. See how many marks out of 27 would reach a target score under each of our scenarios, as a practice target.
ESAT Mathematics 1 · target 7.0
About 24/27 (range 22 to 26)
On the 2023 papers, 24/27 is the first mark that reaches 7.0; the item model says 25/27. ESAT publishes no grade boundaries, so use these as practice targets.
Old-paper method
24/27
Item-model method
25/27
- Old-paper method
- Item-model method (blue line)
- Old-paper target
- Your practice mark
- Target range
Not an official grade boundary. Each ESAT paper is scaled separately, so a harder paper needs fewer marks for the same score and an easier one more.
2023 ENGAA and NSAA grading tables and 2025-26 scaling constants · UAT-UK ESAT Technical Report, August 2026
ESAT · 2027 entry
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How we estimate
Scope, source, method, uncertainty, dates and what the answer can and cannot tell you.
How we estimate
Scope, source, method, uncertainty, dates and what the answer can and cannot tell you.
What it covers
Practice targets for each ESAT module (27 questions) and the target scores 4.5, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, built from the same two scenarios as the score converter.
Sources
- Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (FOI release): ENGAA and NSAA 2023 grading tables, Attachment 'ENGAA and NSAA 2023 Grading Tables.xlsx', all ten sheets. Official document, public copy.
- UAT-UK: ESAT Technical Report 2025-26, Table 5 (score distributions), scaling constants and anchors, reliability tables. Official.
- UAT-UK: ESAT Technical Report 2024-25, Table 5 (score distributions), scaling constants and anchors (page 7), reliability tables (page 34). Official.
- UAT-UK: ESAT explanation of results, October 2025 and January 2026. Official.
Method
- Old-paper method: for each mark from 0 to 27 we carry the share of marks to the matching 2023 NSAA or ENGAA section and read its official table, then find the first mark that reaches your target. That is the central target.
- The range repeats this allowing for scoring 2 marks higher or lower across the matching sections: the lower end is the first mark whose best case reaches the target, the upper end the first whose worst case does.
- Item-model method: the first mark whose item-model estimate (UAT-UK's 2025-26 scaling with a middle-difficulty made-up paper) reaches the target.
- If you enter a practice mark, we show how many marks it is from the central target.
Uncertainty and limits
- No real ESAT marks paired with official scores were available, so no target has been checked against real results.
- The methods can disagree by several marks, and Mathematics 2 has no close 2023 equivalent.
- Each ESAT paper is scaled separately, so a harder paper needs fewer marks for the same score and an easier one more.
Dates and versions
- ENGAA and NSAA 2023 raw-to-scaled grading tables: data version 2026-09-26.1, checked 26 September 2026 (historical).
- ESAT score distributions, scaling and reliability, 2025 and 2026 entry: data version 2026-09-26.1, checked 26 September 2026.
- Page last changed 26 September 2026.
What the answer means
A sensible mark to aim for in timed practice if you want a given scaled score. These are not official grade boundaries, which do not exist for ESAT, and not a promise: more practice marks do not guarantee a higher official score.
Practice targets for every module
The first mark out of 27 that reaches each score under the old-paper scenario, with the item-model scenario in brackets. Scenarios, not official grade boundaries.
| Module | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics 1 | 16 (16) | 20 (20) | 21 (22) | 23 (24) | 24 (25) | 25 (26) | 27 (27) |
| Mathematics 2 | 10 (14) | 13 (17) | 14 (19) | 15 (20) | 17 (22) | 19 (24) | 22 (25) |
| Physics | 13 (16) | 17 (19) | 18 (20) | 19 (21) | 20 (22) | 23 (24) | 25 (25) |
| Chemistry | 13 (15) | 15 (19) | 16 (20) | 18 (21) | 19 (23) | 21 (24) | 25 (26) |
| Biology | 14 (17) | 16 (19) | 17 (20) | 18 (21) | 19 (22) | 21 (23) | 25 (24) |
Questions people ask
Does the ESAT have grade boundaries?
No. UAT-UK publishes no marks-to-score table or grade boundaries. Each paper is scaled after the test onto the 1.0 to 9.0 scale, so any boundary you see online is an estimate.
How many marks out of 27 is a 7?
It depends on the module and the paper. Under the old-paper scenario, a 7.0 needs about 24/27 in Mathematics 1, 20/27 in Physics, 19/27 in Chemistry and Biology, and 17/27 in Mathematics 2, where the scenario is weakest. Pick a module above for its range.
Why does Mathematics 1 need so many marks?
On the 2023 NSAA Section 1 Maths paper, a 7.0 took 18 of 20 marks, more than any science section, where 12 to 16 was enough. The scenario carries that pattern over, so it asks for more marks in Mathematics 1. Real ESAT papers may differ.
Sources
- Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing (FOI release): ENGAA and NSAA 2023 grading tablesOfficial document, public copyAttachment 'ENGAA and NSAA 2023 Grading Tables.xlsx', all ten sheets. Published 2024. Checked 26 September 2026. The official workbook released under FOI, read from its public WhatDoTheyKnow copy.
- UAT-UK: ESAT Technical Report 2025-26OfficialTable 5 (score distributions), scaling constants and anchors, reliability tables. Published 2026-08. Checked 26 September 2026.
- UAT-UK: ESAT Technical Report 2024-25OfficialTable 5 (score distributions), scaling constants and anchors (page 7), reliability tables (page 34). Published 2025-09. Checked 26 September 2026.
- UAT-UK: ESAT explanation of results, October 2025 and January 2026OfficialPublished 2026-02. Checked 26 September 2026.
ENGAA and NSAA 2023 raw-to-scaled grading tables: version 2026-09-26.1, First published version, transcribed by script from the 26 September 2026 ESAT research snapshot. ESAT score distributions, scaling and reliability, 2025 and 2026 entry: version 2026-09-26.1, First published version, transcribed by script from the 26 September 2026 ESAT research snapshot.