Study Abroad Content Writer | Updated On - Aug 17, 2026
University College London (UCL) has added the TARA admissions test to its Mechanical Engineering degrees for the 2027 entry cycle. Indian students applying to UCL’s BEng or MEng in Mechanical Engineering must sit the test in October 2026 or January 2027. The change was confirmed in UCL’s official guidance for school teachers and counsellors published for the 2027 cycle. UCL has also dropped admissions tests entirely from five undergraduate courses across Sociology and Management.
- Mechanical Engineering BEng and MEng at UCL now require the TARA, joining Computer Science and Robotics on the same test.
- Five courses no longer require any admissions test: Sociology BSc, Social Sciences BSc, Social Sciences with Data Science BSc, Management Science BSc, and Management Science MSci.
- The TARA sittings run October 12 to 16, 2026 and January 4 to 8, 2027, booked through Pearson VUE.
Admissions tests decide who gets shortlisted at UCL, so any change forces Indian applicants to redraw their prep timeline. TARA is not curriculum-based, but sitting it late can cost an offer.
Also Read: University College London UCL Admissions Requirements
What UCL Changed for 2027 Entry
UCL’s admissions team confirmed three separate shifts for the 2027 cycle. The TARA is now required for Mechanical Engineering BEng and MEng, described in UCL’s own guidance as "a new requirement." That aligns the department with UCL’s Computer Science BSc, Computer Science MEng, Computer Science and Mathematics MEng, and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng, which already use the same test.
European Social and Political Studies has moved off the TARA and now uses an internal UCL Thinking Skills Test. That version is booked through the department’s own online form, not Pearson VUE.
Key Insight: Removing tests does not soften UCL entry. The five courses now lean more heavily on Class 12 predicted grades, the UCAS personal statement, and academic references, leaving less room to recover from a weaker school profile.
Also read: UCL Courses and Fees 2026-27
Which 5 Courses Dropped Admissions Tests?
Both departments losing their test requirement sit outside STEM, where Indian demand has been climbing for Sociology and Management pathways.
| Department | Course | 2027 test requirement |
|---|---|---|
| UCL Social Research Institute | Sociology BSc | None |
| UCL Social Research Institute | Social Sciences BSc | None |
| UCL Social Research Institute | Social Sciences with Data Science BSc | None |
| UCL School of Management | Management Science BSc | None |
| UCL School of Management | Management Science MSci | None |
Also read: UCL Scholarships 2026-27
TARA Test Dates and Costs for Indian Applicants
The TARA sits at a Pearson VUE test centre in India across two windows. Booking for the October window opens on July 20, 2026, with a hard booking cut-off of September 28, 2026.
| Detail | 2027 cycle |
|---|---|
| First sitting | October 12 to 16, 2026 |
| Second sitting | January 4 to 8, 2027 |
| Fee in the UK and Ireland | £78 (about ₹8,346) |
| Fee outside the UK and Ireland | £133 (about ₹14,231) |
| Test venue | Pearson VUE centres |
| October booking deadline | September 28, 2026 (11:59pm BST / 4:29am IST next day) |
INR figures use ₹107 per GBP as of August 2026. Indian candidates pay the £133 non-UK rate, roughly one week of a fresher salary at TCS or Infosys.
What it means for Indian Students: The £55 gap between the UK and India fee is the smaller cost. The higher cost is for a rebooking, since the test runs only twice a cycle. Missing the October sitting leaves January as your only backup before UCAS closes.
How Do Indian Students Register for the TARA?
Registration opened on June 1, 2026, through the Pearson VUE portal run by UAT UK. Indian applicants must first create an account, then book a slot at their nearest Pearson VUE test centre.
The TARA runs three 40-minute modules: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and a Writing Task. Each of the first two modules has 22 multiple-choice questions scored on a 1 to 9 band. The Writing Task is one essay chosen from three options, capped at 750 words. UCL sees the writing sample even though it carries no numeric score.
The test is not curriculum-based, so no subject revision is required. Indian school boards do not teach the reasoning-first format, so students should sit at least two full timed mock papers before the sitting.
Also read: UK Student Visa Requirements for Indian Students
Indian applicants targeting UCL Mechanical Engineering for 2027 entry have a tight prep window. The TARA October booking closes on September 28, 2026, and the January sitting runs January 4 to 8, 2027. UCL will not review a Mechanical Engineering application without a valid TARA score from this cycle, so missing both sittings ends the application.
Action Plan for Indian Applicants
- Create your Pearson VUE account and file any access-arrangement requests before mid-September 2026.
- Book the October 12 to 16, 2026 slot at your nearest Pearson VUE centre by September 28, 2026.
- Sit two full TARA mock papers under strict 40-minute timed conditions per module.
- Hold the January 4 to 8, 2027 window as your backup sitting, not your first attempt.
- Submit your UCAS application by January 14, 2027 at 6 pm UK time (11:30 pm IST).
Next TARA Sitting for UCL 2027 Applicants: The October 12 to 16, 2026 sitting closes for booking on September 28, 2026. The January 4 to 8, 2027 sitting is the final chance to lodge a valid TARA score for the 2027 cycle.
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