The flagship exam · Test of Mathematics for University Admission
The TMUA is now the single highest-leverage exam an aspiring mathematician or economist will sit — and it rewards a way of thinking the A-level syllabus never teaches. I prepare you for it one-to-one, the way I have for twelve years.
2
papers — Knowledge & Reasoning
75 min
each, 20 questions, no calculator
9.0
top of the scoring scale
Oct
sat in the autumn, before offers
Why it decides everything
The TMUA tests two things the A-level rewards far too little: fluent, flexible mathematical knowledge, and rigorous reasoning — logic, proof, and the ability to spot the elegant line through a problem. It is multiple-choice, but the options are designed around the exact mistakes strong students make under time pressure.
That's why raw ability isn't enough. Brilliant students routinely under-perform because nobody has trained them in the specific techniques the paper rewards — eliminating options fast, reasoning backwards, and staying calm without a calculator. Those techniques are entirely learnable. That's the whole job.
Who asks for it
For Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science and related degrees — and the list grows every year.
Requirements vary by course and year — I'll confirm exactly what your target needs on our call.
What's on the paper
Twenty multiple-choice questions testing how fluently you apply core pre-university mathematics — algebra, functions, sequences, geometry, calculus — at speed and without a calculator.
Twenty questions on logic and proof — implication, necessary and sufficient conditions, counter-examples and the structure of an argument. This is the paper that catches strong students off guard.
75 minutes per paper · 2.5 hours in total · scored on a scale up to 9.0.
The preparation
We build the logic toolkit Paper 2 demands — the part no school course covers properly.
Elimination, estimation and back-solving — how to find the answer without grinding the full working.
Mental agility drilled until 75 minutes feels like enough — because timing is where scores are lost.
Timed papers reviewed question by question, tracking the exact patterns in your mistakes.
Why me for the TMUA
I see this test from the admissions side of the desk, I've spent 14,000 hours coaching it one-to-one, and it's one of only three exams I prepare. When we work together, you're not getting a maths tutor who also does TMUA — you're getting a specialist who does little else.
TMUA questions
Emphatically yes. The reasoning paper relies on a body of logic and proof technique that can be taught directly, and the knowledge paper rewards speed habits that only come from structured practice. Preparation is the single biggest lever on the score.
For the strongest results, several months — starting over the summer before the autumn sitting. Shorter, intensive runs in the final weeks still help, and on our call I'll tell you honestly what's achievable in the time you have.
It depends on the university and course, and requirements change year to year. Tell me your target on the call and I'll confirm exactly where it stands — required, recommended, or a way to strengthen a borderline application.
Take the first step
Pick a time that suits you on the calendar — you'll get an instant confirmation and a video-call link in your inbox. Fifteen minutes, no obligation: we'll look at where you stand and exactly how I'd help.