TARA Scoring Explained

How TARA raw answers become scaled scores, what the 1.0 to 9.0 scale means and how universities receive the Writing Task.

16 May 20263 min read

Quick answer

Candidates receive separate Critical Thinking and Problem Solving scores from 1.0 to 9.0, reported to one decimal place. The Writing Task is not scored by UAT-UK; the response is sent to universities for courses that require the TARA.

There is no combined TARA score and no universal pass mark.

From correct answers to a scaled score

Each multiple-choice module contains 22 questions. The starting evidence is the candidate's pattern of correct and incorrect answers, but the reported result is not a simple percentage or fixed raw-mark boundary.

UAT-UK analyses response data using the Rasch item response theory model. This places questions on a common difficulty scale and candidates on a common ability scale. Because multiple forms of a test can differ slightly in difficulty, UAT-UK uses equating to make scores comparable across forms.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are equated and scaled separately, which is why candidates receive two results.

What does the 1.0 to 9.0 scale mean?

The underlying ability scale is converted into a more readable 1.0 to 9.0 result. For a given admissions year, UAT-UK fixes the median of the October candidate distribution at 4.5 and the 90th percentile at 7.0. January results are mapped to the same scale.

This means a score should be interpreted relative to that admissions cohort, not as a percentage of questions answered correctly. Low scores are capped at 1.0 and high scores at 9.0.

Is there a pass mark?

No. UAT-UK does not publish a pass mark or university grade boundaries. Each university decides how to use the result for each course, usually alongside other application information.

A score that is competitive for one course or cycle is not guaranteed to have the same meaning elsewhere.

Are incorrect answers penalised?

No. Candidates do not lose marks for incorrect answers, so every multiple-choice question should be attempted.

What happens to the Writing Task?

UAT-UK does not mark it. The response is made available to participating universities where the candidate has applied for a course requiring TARA. Universities decide how to use it, and some courses may state that they do not use it in selection.

When are results released?

Results are released through the candidate's UAT-UK account. For 2027 entry, the scheduled dates are 16 November 2026 for the October sitting and 8 February 2027 for the January sitting.

Results are also sent automatically to participating institutions on a course-by-course basis. Candidates do not choose which relevant institutions can see them.

How to interpret a practice result

A mock raw mark is useful for tracking accuracy, but it is not an official scaled score because the live raw-mark conversion and question difficulties are not public. TaraPrep labels its converter as an Estimated TARA-style score and explains the assumptions in How TaraPrep Estimates TARA Scores.

Use an estimate to guide preparation: review the question types missed, whether time ran out and whether errors came from reading, method or arithmetic.

Official sources

Frequently asked questions

Is 9.0 the highest score?

Yes. Reported scores are capped at 9.0.

Is 4.5 a pass mark?

No. It is the median anchor on the reported scale, not a pass threshold.

Should candidates guess if time is running out?

Yes. Incorrect answers are not penalised, so leaving a multiple-choice question blank cannot improve the score.