17 July 2026

Updated 20 July 2026

TMUA.co.uk team

How to Register for the TMUA 2026: Step-by-Step Walkthrough

TMUA 2026 appointment booking is open. Create or check your UAT-UK account, select TMUA to generate a Test Card, then use it to book a Pearson Professional Test Centre appointment for one day inside the 12-16 October window. Booking closes 28 September at 6pm BST.

That is the whole process in one paragraph. The rest of this post is the detail that catches people: the UCAS-details matching trap, why booking in July improves your choice of centre and time, and the three separate deadlines that are not the same date.

The steps below follow UAT-UK's live published registration and booking process for the 2026 cycle.

Table of contents

Every deadline in one table

Date What happens
1 June 2026, 3pm BST UAT-UK accounts, bursary applications and access-arrangement requests opened
20 July 2026, 3pm BST October appointment booking opened
14 September 2026, 6pm BST Access arrangements deadline
21 September 2026, 6pm BST Bursary application deadline
28 September 2026, 6pm BST Booking closes
12-16 October 2026 Test window at Pearson VUE centres
16 November 2026 Results released

Three deadlines, not one. If you need adjustments, your real deadline is 14 September. If you need the bursary, it is 21 September. Everyone else has until 28 September, and nobody should use it: the sensible booking date is the week of 20 July.

Candidates sitting in China, Hong Kong or Macau have a restricted window of 15-16 October only, so the book-early logic applies twice over there.

For the wider timeline and a month-by-month prep plan built around these dates, see TMUA 2026: Key Dates, Registration and the 28 September Deadline.

Step 1: create or check your UAT-UK account

The TMUA is run by UAT-UK and delivered at Pearson Professional Test Centres. The process starts on the official UAT-UK candidate page, not through your school. Unlike GCSEs and A-levels, no exams officer enters you for this test. Booking is entirely your job.

UAT-UK account creation opened on 1 June, and appointment booking opened at 3pm BST on 20 July. Now:

  1. Create or log in to one UAT-UK account. Your full name must exactly match the photographic ID you will present on test day.
  2. Check that your personal details match UCAS. You can add your UCAS ID later if you do not have it yet.
  3. If you need a bursary or access arrangements, apply and wait for approval before booking. UAT-UK cannot add either retrospectively to a paid or existing appointment.
  4. Select TMUA in your dashboard. A Test Card should appear; open it to continue to Pearson's booking system.

That is the easy half. The details you enter next are where the process can quietly go wrong.

Step 2: enter your details, and make them match UCAS

The portal asks for your personal details, including your UCAS ID (the 10-digit number on your UCAS Hub). This is how your score reaches the universities that use it: UAT-UK matches your test record to your UCAS application using the details you type here.

The gotcha: the match depends on your details agreeing with UCAS exactly. Same name, same spelling, same date of birth, same UCAS ID. If you are "Alexander" on UCAS and register as "Alex", or you transpose two digits of your UCAS ID, your score may not attach to your application automatically. That can create avoidable support work when results are matched to your application.

The fix costs two minutes: open your UCAS Hub in another tab and copy the details across character by character. Do not type them from memory. If you have not started your UCAS application yet in July, you can still register; add your UCAS ID as soon as you have one, and check UAT-UK's guidance for how to supply it after booking.

Step 3: book your seat with Pearson VUE

With the UAT-UK half done, open the Test Card, continue into Pearson's booking system, enter a postcode, choose an available Professional Test Centre, then pick a day and time inside the 12-16 October window.

This is where July booking earns its keep. UAT-UK explicitly advises booking early: the earlier you book, the more likely you are to find an appointment at your preferred centre. Waiting until September can mean travelling farther or choosing from fewer times. The test is hard enough without avoidable travel stress in front of it.

When picking a day, the honest advice is that there is no clever play. Papers across the window are designed to be comparable, so pick the day that dodges your school's October commitments and the time of day that matches when you have done your timed practice. More on that in the dates post.

Step 4: pay, or apply for the bursary by 21 September

You pay the test fee at booking. It is £78 at test centres in the UK or Republic of Ireland and £133 elsewhere. The price follows the test-centre location, not your nationality or home address.

If you are an eligible UK candidate, a UAT-UK bursary covers the full fee. Apply before booking and wait until approval appears in your dashboard. UAT-UK cannot refund the fee if you pay first. The October bursary deadline is 21 September at 6pm BST, but applications can take up to five working days, so do not leave it that late.

Access arrangements: the 14 September deadline

If you get extra time, rest breaks, a separate room, modified papers or any other adjustment at school, you need the equivalent formally approved for the TMUA. It does not carry over automatically, and a Pearson VUE centre cannot grant it on the day.

The deadline for access arrangements for the October 2026 sitting is 14 September 2026 at 6pm BST. That is two weeks before the standard booking deadline, and UAT-UK says requests can take up to ten working days to review, advising you to apply at least ten working days before you intend to book. Work backwards from that and the practical deadline is really late August.

Evidence may need to come from a medical professional or a qualified specialist such as your school's SENCo. Ask for it before the summer break. Wait for UAT-UK approval before booking because approved arrangements cannot simply be added to an existing appointment afterwards. Standard requests can take up to ten working days; non-standard requests may take longer.

After you book: a five-minute checklist

  • Confirmation. Check your UAT-UK dashboard and Pearson confirmation email. Pearson says its email lists your test date, time, centre address, telephone number and directions. Check every detail.
  • Details audit. Read your name, date of birth and UCAS ID back against your UCAS Hub one more time. Two minutes now versus a support-ticket queue in November.
  • Calendar. Put the test date in, plus the 14 September and 28 September deadlines if anything is still pending.
  • Travel. Look up the route to your centre once, now, so exam morning has no unknowns.
  • Then stop thinking about admin. Registration is a July task so that August and September belong to actual preparation. If you have not measured where you stand yet, the free diagnostic is the place to start, and the 16-week prep plan turns the time between now and 12 October into a schedule.

Frequently asked questions

How do I register for the TMUA 2026? Create or log in to your UAT-UK account, select TMUA to generate a Test Card, then use that card to choose and pay for a Pearson Professional Test Centre appointment. Booking is open and closes 28 September at 6pm BST.

Do I choose my own TMUA test centre? Yes. Pearson's booking system shows available Professional Test Centres, dates and times near the address you enter. UAT-UK advises booking early because that makes an appointment at your preferred centre more likely.

What happens if my TMUA registration details do not match UCAS? Your score is matched to your UCAS application using the details you enter at registration. If your name, date of birth or UCAS ID do not match your UCAS record exactly, your score may not reach your universities automatically. Copy the details from your UCAS Hub rather than typing them from memory.

What is the TMUA access arrangements deadline for October 2026? 14 September 2026 at 6pm BST, which is two weeks before the standard 28 September booking deadline. UAT-UK advises applying at least 10 working days before you intend to book, so gather your school's evidence in July rather than September.

How much does the TMUA cost in 2026? The fee is £78 at test centres in the UK or Republic of Ireland and £133 elsewhere. It is based on test-centre location. Eligible UK candidates can receive a full-fee bursary, but must apply and wait for approval before booking.

Do I need bursary or access-arrangement approval before booking? Yes. Apply through your UAT-UK account and wait for approval before booking. UAT-UK cannot add a bursary to a test you have already paid for or add approved access arrangements to an existing appointment.

Sources: UAT-UK key dates, registration and booking, access arrangements, bursary scheme, and Pearson VUE UAT-UK delivery. Last updated 2026-07-20.