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If you are thinking of studying a mathematics degree at university, we have a range of courses available to build your maths problem-solving abilities, as well as information about university admissions tests.
One of the maths degree entry requirements for many universities is for students to take one or more of the maths admissions tests – STEP, MAT and TMUA.
Our free courses have been created by maths experts and include in-person, live online and on-demand options. They are aimed to support students from knowing nothing about the tests they might need to take, to targeted support for a specific admissions test.
On this page, you will find out more information on the tests and which course is best for you.
University Test Information
Explore our pages on university admissions tests
Start here
Setting out in Problem Solving
This free course helps students start to build strategies to approach unfamiliar problems and provides information on what entrance exams are out there.
Who is this for: Year 12 (but year 13 welcome)
When: Nine sessions throughout the year
Format: One 90 minute online session
Build your problem solving
Problem Solving Matters
A free course for Year 12 students from state-funded schools, academies and colleges designed to prepare students for the way they will have to think to achieve success in the MAT, TMUA and other problem-solving mathematics examinations, including STEP, by developing their mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Who is this for: Year 12
When: June Year 12 to September Year 13
Format: Three in-person days, summer worksheet with assigned mentor support and supporting further online sessions.
Specific Entrance Exam Support
Preparing for the STEP (Sixth Term Examination Papers)
Online specialist tuition to support student preparing for the STEP. A free course for Year 13 students from state-funded schools, academies and colleges in the lead up to STEP.
Audience: Year 13 When: 9 Feb Format: 10 online sessions Cost: Free
Preparing for the MAT (Mathematics Admission Test)
Specialist tuition to support students preparing for the MAT which takes place in the lead up to the tests for students in state-funded schools, academies and colleges.
Audience: Year 13 When: Sept Format: 7 online sessions Cost: Free
Preparing for the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission)
Specialist tuition to support students preparing for the TMUA which takes place in the lead up to the tests for students in state-funded schools, academies and colleges.
Audience: Year 13 When: Sept and Nov Format: 7 online sessions Cost: Free
Preparing for the MAT (Mathematics Admissions Test) – On Demand
Prepare for the MAT at your own pace, explore key ideas, complete interactive tasks and questions with feedback throughout, covering the most common topics of the tests.
Audience: Years 12 & 13 When: On demand Format: 7 online modules Cost: Free
Preparing for the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) – On Demand
Prepare for the TMUA at your own pace, explore key ideas, complete interactive tasks and questions with feedback throughout, covering the most common topics of the tests.
Audience: Years 12 & 13 When: On demand Format: 7 online modules Cost: Free
Frequently asked questions
For a student in year 12 who is just starting out on their problem-solving journey and who does not know what they want to do after leaving school, Setting Out in Problem Solving is a good place to begin. It covers some key problem-solving techniques that are useful across the board and provides information about admissions tests that students may find useful when they are deciding what to do next.
For a student nearing the end of year 12 who has decided that they would like to apply for a course that requires a mathematics admissions test, Problem Solving Matters is the ideal course. It covers the key techniques and skills that are essential for the MAT and TMUA papers and is a good starting point for STEP.
For a student who is entering year 13 and who has discovered that they will need to take either the MAT or the TMUA, our online tutored courses provide an essential grounding in the key topics and techniques they will need.
For students who will need to take the MAT or TMUA, but who want to work at their own pace, our on-demand courses provide the techniques, skills and practice essential for success.
For students in year 13 who are holding offers from a university that requires success in one or two of the STEP papers, our tutored STEP course is designed specifically to help, with modules covering key topics, ideas and the in-depth problem-solving skills required for these challenging examinations.
Students are welcome to apply for more than one of our courses, although for students who gain places on the Problem-Solving Matters course, we will not accept them on one of our tutored online MAT or TMUA courses. This is to allow us to provide support for as many students who need to sit the MAT and TMUA as possible. Students following the Problem-Solving Matters course will already be receiving a comprehensive preparation for the examinations, and they will have their own online sessions in the weeks running up to the papers.
All eligible students are welcome to complete the on-demand courses alongside any other course we offer.
Our courses are designed to cover the content for the admissions test that a student will be taking but the materials for each course are unique to that course. Many of the problems that the students will see on a course will have been written especially for that course. The only repetition of problems that occurs is where specific past paper questions have been used for a particular topic. There are not that many past MAT and TMUA papers to work from so some repetition of problems is unavoidable.
Our courses are generally open to any student who attends a state funded school or college. For the Problem-Solving Matters course, where we work with university partners, we use postcode data to identify students from areas that have traditionally had low participation in higher education. Students from these areas have priority. This is common practice amongst university widening participation departments.