Computer Science BSc and MEng STAT admissions test

Guidance about the STAT admissions test for Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng applicants applying in the 2025 UCAS cycle.

What admissions test will UCL use for the Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng in 2025?
What is the STAT?
Why is there an additional admissions test for entry to the Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng?
Who needs to sit the STAT?
How will UCL use the test to assess applicants?
Is there a cost to sit the STAT?
How do I book the STAT?
What equipment do I need to take the test?
When will the STAT take place?
Where will the STAT take place?
How can Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng applicants prepare for the test?
How will accessibility requirements and additional needs be accommodated?
When will I receive the results of the STAT?

What admissions test will UCL use for the Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng in 2025?

UCL will use the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) admissions test for Computer Science BSc and Computer Science MEng applicants.
Applicants will sit the Multiple-Choice test only and not the STAT Written English.

The STAT is an online multiple-choice test of 80 critical and quantitative reasoning questions. The test will last 120 minutes. A sample of the STAT can be found here. The Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) independently runs the STAT.

Computer Science BSc and MEng are highly oversubscribed courses. UCL Computer Science requires A* A* A at A level, with an A* in Mathematics or Further Mathematics for these two programmes. However, it is increasingly challenging to differentiate candidates when so many students attain such high A level (or equivalent qualification) grades.
UCL chose the STAT as it tests both critical and quantitative reasoning. We do not use a subject knowledge-based test, as we consider A levels (or equivalent qualifications) a sufficient measure of subject knowledge. We believe the ability to communicate and think effectively is an essential attribute for all our graduates, irrespective of their future career, be it industry, academia, government, non-profit, or social good. UCL will monitor whether STAT results are sufficiently predictive of our undergraduates’ performance and reserve the right to change admissions requirements in future years.

All applicants applying for a place for either Computer Science BSc or Computer Science MEng will need to sit the test.
Applicants applying for the two other UCL Computer Science undergraduate programmes - Artificial Intelligence and Robotics MEng and Computer Science and Mathematics – will not be required to take the STAT for entry in 2025. The new Philosophy and Computer Science BSc, run by the UCL Philosophy department, will also not require the STAT.

The STAT results will enable the Admissions team to further differentiate between the many highly qualified candidates who apply for Computer Science at UCL. The UCL Admissions team will consider your UCAS application, including academic qualifications and the personal statement, alongside the STAT test, with the goal of a holistic assessment of each applicant.

The fee for the STAT is £124. The test fee will be waived for applicants who are eligible for Access UCL. Access UCL applicants will be emailed an individual one-use code. Please note that UCL receives no money from the STAT process and pays for Access UCL applicants to sit the test.

Full instructions are sent to applicants via email on how to register for the STAT once an application has been received. This includes key dates too such as when registration opens/closes and when the test window is.
The key dates can also be found under the ‘'When will the STAT take place?" question.

Full instructions will be sent to you by ACER once you have registered for the test, but you can also find information on what you need on the ACER website.

All applicants applying for either Computer Science BSc or Computer Science MEng are required to sit the test according to the schedule below. UCL will contact applicants in mid-January 2025 with reminders about the registration and test dates.
Registrations open: Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 7:00am (GMT)
Registrations close: Tuesday 25 February 2025 at 11:59pm (GMT). No late registrations will be permitted.
Test Window: 7:00am (GMT) Thursday 27 February to 8:00pm (GMT) Monday 3 March 2025.
Requests for reasonable test adjustments to close: Thursday 13 February 2025 at 11.59pm (GMT)

The multiple-choice test will be administered online with a remote proctor. A proctor is a person assigned to supervise or oversee an exam or test to ensure that it is conducted fairly and according to the established rules. Applicants are encouraged to find a suitable location to sit the test where disruptions will be minimal. You can learn more about the remote proctoring process on the ACER website.

ACER has designed the STAT to require no additional academic preparation.
We recommend that you look at the preparation guidance on the ACER website, which includes information about the test format and test-taking strategies.
ACER have provided sample multiple-choice questions, which can be found here. Additional practice materials can be downloaded directly from the STAT website for a fee. However, practising multiple past papers is not recommended as the tests are designed to assess reasoning and comprehension skills, which develop over time through a variety of experiences.

Following registration, applicants with queries about reasonable adjustments should follow the process outlined on the ACER website. The dedicated email address for UCL applicants to contact ACER is statglobal@acer.org.

It is anticipated that you will receive your results from ACER by 24 March 2025. UCL will receive your results at a similar time, and we aim to process all decisions by the UCAS decision deadline of 14 May 2025.
Your STAT results will be sent directly to UCL; applicants do not need to send us their STAT results.