TMUA Tutoring with Ronald - for University Entrance
I’m Ronald — a qualified maths teacher, Oxford graduate, and full-time online tutor.
For the last few years, I have specialised in tutoring for University Applicants who are planning to take the TMUA exam. My students have received high scores and gained places in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics courses at top universities - including Cambridge, Imperial, Warwick, UCL and LSE (and at Oxford via MAT tutoring!).
My process is tailored to each individual student, but it will usually involve: getting used to the different style of the TMUA questions compared to A-Level and sixth form studies, building confidence and skills to tackle the problems, preparing fully for the unusual exam situation, and studying the new logic content of Paper 2. It's most useful for me to do this alongside your A-Level Maths work, so that I can get a real sense of what you are doing well, and where you might benefit from more support.
If you'd like to book online lessons with me, let's set up a session right-away: ronald@mathswithronald.com or +31682589013 (WhatsApp available)
TMUA Tutoring with Ronald
The first time doing a TMUA paper can be a shock - the questions dive straight into subtle points of AS-Level Mathematics that you may have missed or may not have been fully taught.
When you arrange TMUA tutoring with me, we'll start by looking at where you currently are, working together and using your knowledge to figure out how to deal with the questions. We'll use this as a guide for where to go next - diving deeper into comprehending the questions, using both graphical and algebraic techniques at the same time, figuring out quicker and more effective methods, and finally reaching the correct answers - and then checking them so you can move on confidently.
It also makes sense for us to work together on more general aspects of your university applications, whenever you find this useful. Depending on where you are in the process, this can include support for: university and course selection, UCAS Personal Statement Three Questions, super-curriculars and continuing to develop an interest in your subject, Cambridge CSAT, Oxford MAT, college selection, mock interview practice, and of course A-Level Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science. In the end, your A-Level grades are probably the most important element of your application. We will think together about time management and organisation, helping you to keep up with your other commitments and get the most value out of our sessions.
I will act as your guide and we'll work together on what is best for you - my students always report fast improvements. I will mark work that you do outside the session, and I offer you complete feedback that identifies where you can improve.
It's best to start this work early, so let's begin as soon as you are ready: ronald@mathswithronald.com or +31682589013 (WhatsApp available)
TMUA General Information
Sixth Form students applying to UK universities for Maths, Computer Science, and Economics degree courses may need to take the TMUA and will need a high score to get a place at the top universities. Complete information can be found on the UAT UK website and I have summarised the most important details here:
The test sessions for 2026 entry are scheduled:
- Monday 13 October and Tuesday 14 October 2025 (registration from Thursday 31 July 2025 to deadline Monday 29 September 2025 at 6pm)
- Thursday 8 January and Friday 9 January 2026 (registration from Thursday 27 October 2025 to deadline Friday 19 December 2025 at 6pm)
Cambridge applications require results from the October session. Otherwise, students are free to choose between October or January - but you can only choose one. There are opportunities to re-schedule your booking, if you give enough notice.
The tests take place at a Pearson VUE centre (in the UK and internationally). It is worth it to register as early as possible, in order to guarantee a place at a convenient time and location, and to avoid any last-minute registration issues. Students who normally have access arrangements, such as extra time or rest breaks, will need to submit supporting documentation for this, and have an earlier deadline (Monday 8th September 2025/Monday 1st December at 6pm).
The questions are multiple-choice, displayed and answered on the screen, with no calculator and no equipment - only centre-provided pens and laminated paper for your own working, which can be super-awkward to write on. There are two sections of 20 questions in 75 minutes, so 40 questions in 150 minutes total.
The more recent digital papers since 2024 are not being made available, but older Past Papers 2016-2023 are available online. The syllabus content and style of questions is very similar and these make for good practice. The old paper questions are in approximate order of difficulty, but the current papers have questions in no particular order.
The TMUA questions come from a syllabus which requires a deep and thorough knowledge of the AS-Level Mathematics content. I think of it as A-star-star questions from AS-Level. Paper 2 also has questions requiring an understanding of logic, and logical vocabulary, which does not appear in the usual A-Level syllabus, so we will study this separately.
Scores are given on a new scale from 1.0 to 9.0 (9.0 is the best). The scoring scale has changed recently, with the effect of spreading out (and lowering) the scores. It's important to note that the available Past Papers were scored on the old scale, so that you can estimate a conversion:
- An old scale score of 8.0 is approximately equivalent to a new scale score of 8.0 (excellent in almost any situation)
- An old scale score of 7.0 is approximately equivalent to a new scale score of 6.0 (a credible score that can support a strong application)
- An old scale score of 6.0 is approximately equivalent to a new scale score of 4.5 (top one-third: but unlikely to reach interview stages)
- An old scale score of 5.0 is approximately equivalent to a new scale score of 4.0 (average score of all candidates)
That's from a high-quality pool of great candidates who have chosen to spend time working towards this exam, so an average (or lower) score already shows great mathematical ability, can still be used as supporting evidence for applications, and shows your true interest in studying maths-related subjects. It's very typical for successful students to start their revision with a lower score than this, and work hard to build their score up. We can work together to super-charge your score 😃.
TMUA scores are considered as one part of your whole application - alongside your Personal Statement, Teacher References and (Predicted) A-Level Grades - so there is no specific cut-off score which guarantees acceptance or rejection. TMUA scores are used to help universities make decisions about inviting candidates to interview, and again to make offers to the best candidates.
Don't Delay! Start Today
Ready to get to work? Let's book in your first session: ronald@mathswithronald.com or +31682589013.