Universities · Imperial College London · 2027 entry
Applying to Imperial, one stage at a time.
Which test your course needs, whether it interviews and how, every date left in this cycle, and free practice for each stage. Written by a current Imperial student, with every fact linked to the official page it came from.
simplytk is independent: it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Imperial College London, UAT-UK or UCAS. The practice questions here are original and are not real interview or test questions. Dates and requirements were last checked on 10 November 2026 and can change, so follow the link before you act on one.
Step 1
Find your course.
Each department sets its own test and its own kind of interview. These are their own descriptions for 2027 entry, shortened. The full list of admissions tests and the interviews page are Imperial's.
- TMUAInterview
Economics, Finance and Data Science
- Test:
- Required, with no minimum score.
- Interview:
- An online interview with an academic, 20 to 30 minutes, about motivation, analytical thinking and communication. No prior knowledge of the subjects is expected, and no interview dates are published.
- TMUANo interview
Mathematics
- Test:
- Required for all eight Mathematics courses.
- Interview:
- Interviews are not part of the regular admissions process.
- TMUASometimes
Computing, and Mathematics and Computer Science
- Test:
- Required.
- Interview:
- Interviews are not standard, but may be offered to some candidates at the admissions tutors' discretion.
- ESATInterview
Electrical and Electronic Engineering (including Electronic and Information Engineering)
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
- Interview:
- An online interview of 25 to 30 minutes with a member of academic staff: a conversation that mixes problem solving with your motivation.
- ESATInterview
Aeronautical Engineering
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
- Interview:
- One online interview of about 25 to 30 minutes, usually scheduled after the ESAT, with roughly a week's notice.
- ESATInterview
Mechanical Engineering
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
- Interview:
- An online interview of 25 to 30 minutes with a member of academic staff, held on Wednesday afternoons between November and March, covering your personal statement and some maths and physics.
- ESATInterview
Design Engineering
- Test:
- Two modules only: Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2.
- Interview:
- An online interview with questions and problems, typically between November and March. You may show a piece of your own work for up to two minutes.
- ESATRecorded video
Civil Engineering
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
- Interview:
- No live interview. Applicants are sent an online video submission of about 15 minutes to complete within 48 hours.
- ESATSometimes
Chemical Engineering
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry.
- Interview:
- The department says it plans to hold interview days and will publish the details on its course page.
- ESATNo interview
Physics
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics.
- Interview:
- The department does not generally hold interviews.
- ESATNo interview
Life Sciences (Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and related courses)
- Test:
- Mathematics 1, Chemistry and Biology.
- Interview:
- The department does not generally hold interviews.
- No testSometimes
Bioengineering (Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Bioengineering)
- Test:
- No admissions test.
- Interview:
- You may be invited to an online interview.
- No testInterview
Chemistry
- Test:
- No admissions test.
- Interview:
- An online academic interview that starts from your personal statement and moves to unfamiliar problems. Decisions are sent after all interviews are complete, by early March.
- No testInterview
Materials Science and Engineering
- Test:
- No admissions test.
- Interview:
- An applicant day, held on Wednesdays between November and March, which includes a 30 minute one-to-one interview with a lecturer.
- UCATInterview
Medicine
- Test:
- The UCAT is sat between July and September, before you apply.
- Interview:
- Multiple mini interviews. Invitations go out on a rolling basis from December and the interviews run through January and February.
Step 2
Know the dates.
The 2027 entry cycle in order. Times are UK time. Interviews are not on this list because most departments publish no dates: they run between November and March, and invitations arrive by email, sometimes with about a week's notice.
12 to 16 October 2026
First TMUA and ESAT sitting
The October test window. Imperial accepts either sitting, and you can sit each test only once in a cycle.
15 October 2026
UCAS deadline for Medicine
18:00. The earlier UCAS deadline, which covers Medicine at Imperial and all courses at Oxford and Cambridge.
16 November 2026
October test results released
Scores for the October sitting appear in your UAT-UK account. Universities receive them directly.
7 December 2026
Access arrangements deadline for the January sitting
18:00. Apply before this if you need extra time or other adjustments in the test.
14 December 2026
Bursary deadline for the January sitting
18:00. The bursary covers the whole test fee for eligible UK candidates, and it has to be approved before you book.
21 December 2026
Booking closes for the January sitting
18:00. After this you cannot book the TMUA or ESAT for 2027 entry.
4 to 8 January 2027
13 January 2027
UCAS equal consideration deadline
18:00. Applications received by this time are guaranteed equal consideration. Your personal statement has to be finished by now.
8 February 2027
January test results released
Scores for the January sitting appear in your UAT-UK account.
25 February 2027
UCAS Extra opens
If you have used all five choices and hold no offers, Extra lets you add one more choice at a time.
31 March 2027
Imperial aims to have made its decisions
Departments make decisions right up to the end of March, so applying in October does not mean hearing early.
5 May 2027
Reply deadline, if all your decisions arrived by 31 March
Choose your firm and insurance offers in UCAS by this date.
2 June 2027
Reply deadline, if all your decisions arrived by 12 May
The later reply date, for applicants whose last decision came after 31 March.
2 July 2027
Clearing opens
For applicants without a place. Applications sent after 30 June go straight into Clearing.
Step 3
Practise each stage.
The official source comes first in every box, because it is free and it is the authority. What we add is practice.
Before you apply
Year 12: build the evidence
Summer schools, work experience and access programmes give you something real to write and talk about, and several are free.
Official: Imperial's undergraduate courses
The application
Personal statement
Three questions, one character limit. Imperial reads it alongside your grades and test score, and interviewers often start from it.
Official: UCAS dates and deadlines
The test
TMUA or ESAT
The official past papers and practice tests are free and are the real preparation. Our drills train the speed and the reasoning underneath.
Official: UAT-UK's free preparation materials
The interview
The conversation with an academic
Where a department interviews, it is usually one online conversation of 20 to 30 minutes. For Economics, Finance and Data Science we have original practice with feedback on your reasoning.
Official: Imperial's interview advice
Who wrote this, and where it comes from
simplytk is run by Tanuj Kakumani, a current student on Economics, Finance and Data Science at Imperial. This section covers Imperial only for now, because that is the application he has been through.
Nothing here is inside information, and nobody selling preparation has any. The requirements and dates were read from Imperial, UAT-UK and UCAS on 10 November 2026. The interview practice is built on what Imperial and its students have published about the format, and every question in it is original.
Imperial says no particular preparation is needed for its interviews, and UAT-UK says its free materials are all you need for the tests. Practice here is for getting comfortable thinking out loud, and it is for before the interview, never during it: universities do not allow any help while you are being interviewed.