Oxford University Abandons All In-House Admissions Tests for Key Humanities Subjects
In a significant overhaul of its admissions procedures, the University of Oxford has confirmed today that it is completely eliminating its own bespoke entrance examinations for a range of subjects. This major shake-up will see the university phase out several in-house admissions tests with no direct replacements planned.
Which Courses Are Affected by the Changes?
The subjects losing their Oxford-specific admissions tests entirely include Classics, Philosophy, and all modern languages. Additionally, the Archaeology and Ancient History course will also see its dedicated test discontinued. These changes follow the earlier phasing out of tests for History and English Literature over the past two years.
Effective for applicants seeking entry in 2027, this decision represents a fundamental shift in how Oxford assesses prospective students for these disciplines. The university stated the move is part of a bid to 'streamline' the overall application process.
New Testing Arrangements for Other Subjects
While some subjects lose their tests completely, sixteen other courses—including Mathematics, Physics, and the renowned Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) programme—will transition to using generic admissions tests. These standardised examinations are already employed by other leading universities and will be administered online through the Pearson testing platform.
The university has emphasised that courses which have lost their entrance tests will maintain what it describes as a 'rigorous' selection process. This will continue to include the traditional Oxford interview, which remains a cornerstone of their admissions approach.
Academic Criticism and Concerns About Standards
The decision has sparked considerable criticism from some academic quarters. Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert at Buckingham University and Oxford alumnus, expressed strong reservations about the changes.
'These latest changes are simply appalling,' Professor Glees stated. 'The risk that students will suffer by finding themselves studying and paying for courses for which they have no aptitude will be a very expensive mistake for them.'
He further argued that 'dropping standards, discarding benchmarks, brushing aside youthful schoolkid brilliance and hard graft at 6th form level can only subvert Oxford’s global pre-eminence as a unique place of great learning and academic excellence.'
Specific Tests Being Discontinued
The in-house Oxford tests that are being phased out without replacement include:
- The Classics Admissions Test (CAT)
- The Philosophy Test (PhilAT)
- The Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT)
- The Ancient History and Classical Archaeology Admissions Test (AHCAAT)
These join the History Aptitude Test (HAT), which was discontinued in 2025, and the English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), dropped in 2024.
Accessibility Concerns Behind the Decision
While the university has not provided explicit reasons for the decision, it follows longstanding concerns about the accessibility of certain courses. Many state schools lack the resources to provide extensive preparation in less mainstream subjects like Classics, Philosophy, and languages.
This disparity has contributed to a notable dominance of privately-educated students in some subjects. For instance, in Classics, students from private schools constitute 57% of the intake despite representing only 44% of the university's overall student population.
The old subject-specific entrance exams, which required familiarity with particular disciplines, were seen by some as favouring applicants from educational backgrounds where such preparation was more readily available.
Expert Analysis on the Admissions Shift
Evelyn Pike, a specialist in Oxbridge applications at William Clarence Education, offered insight into the implications of these changes. 'These tests were typical of those where forms of rote learning could sometimes provide an unfair advantage to students from excellent educational backgrounds,' she noted.
'Their scrapping doesn’t mean that it’ll be easier to get a place at Oxford, not whilst interviews are still being used and, as we’ve seen in the last five years, increasing in complexity and difficulty,' Pike added. 'Many Oxford interviews already use unseen text interpretation and response, akin to an admissions test but “live,” so we expect to see more of that, as well as more challenging logic puzzles for philosophy, for example.'
Pike suggested this shift 'implies that Oxford may be on the search for more “raw talent” from a wider pool of applicants, whilst also trying to avoid the pitfalls of students using AI as a crutch in the admissions process.'
New Standardised Testing System
The sixteen courses transitioning to new examinations will utilise three tests provided by UAT-UK, a partnership between Cambridge University and Imperial College London. These are:
- The Engineering and Science Admission Test (ESAT)
- The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA)
- The Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA)
It is understood that Oxford is adopting this new examination system to create a more streamlined process for applicants. Prospective students will now only need to sit one standardised test to apply to multiple top-tier universities, reducing the assessment burden.
University's Official Statement
An Oxford University spokesperson provided the institution's official position on the changes: 'Oxford’s undergraduate admissions process is rigorous and designed to identify academic potential. The university is continually reviewing its admissions processes and practices to ensure they best meet the needs of the University, schools, and applicants. Our approach varies according to subject and considers a range of information as evidence of a candidate’s ability to thrive here.'
The spokesperson further emphasised: 'All those offered a place to study at Oxford have been interviewed and every year more than 20,000 interviews for approximately 10,000 applicants are conducted, allowing tutors to assess directly a candidate's ability to think independently and engage with new ideas – qualities that underpin learning at Oxford.'
This comprehensive restructuring of Oxford's admissions testing represents one of the most significant changes to the university's selection procedures in recent years, with implications for thousands of prospective students annually.
