TARA practice platform
Sit timed Critical Thinking and Problem Solving papers in the real 22-question, 40-minute format, write the Writing Task against the clock and get an indicative mark with feedback, or take all three modules as one 120-minute mock. Results are mapped to the reasoning skills the test measures, so you know exactly what to practise next.
Real timings and question counts for all three modules, so your practice translates on test day.
Answer-key marking with an explanation for every Critical Thinking and Problem Solving question; an indicative AI mark with feedback on the Writing Task.
See readiness and accuracy by skill, then follow the next best action.
The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions (TARA) is the admissions test used by certain Oxford and UCL courses; the dated guide below lists which, and links to the official sources. ExamPrepIQ is an independent practice platform — not connected to the test provider or any university, and not a test centre — that gives you realistic, timed practice in the three-module structure and shows you, skill by skill, what to work on.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are each 22 multiple-choice questions in 40 minutes, marked against the answer key on submission with an explanation for every question. The Writing Task gives you three statements to choose from and 40 minutes to write a single essay, which is assessed by AI and returned with an indicative mark and feedback. The complete mock runs all three modules in exam order and reveals a combined readiness report at the end.
Between papers, Concept Practice lets you drill questions tagged to a specific skill — evaluating arguments, numerical reasoning, working with diagrams — and Focused Sprints turn a weak skill into a short, timed session with a target.
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Start for free
Every exam on ExamPrepIQ is free to start. Sign in with Google to save your attempts.
Free papers are marked in the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving lists so you can try the format and timing before choosing a plan.
Free papers are scored against the answer key straight away, with the correct answer and an explanation for every question you attempted.
Verifying your phone number with a one-time OTP — free, and required before any AI grading — credits a one-time bonus of coins, so you can see AI feedback on a real Writing Task essay before spending anything.
Attempts are saved to your account, so readiness and accuracy by skill start building immediately.
What you practise
Question counts and timings follow the current test. Every multiple-choice question is tagged to the skill it tests.
Multiple-choice questions testing how you evaluate arguments — identifying conclusions, assumptions, flaws and the effect of additional evidence.
Questions using basic maths, tables and figures to solve novel problems — selecting the relevant information and reasoning with numbers and diagrams.
Write a single argumentative essay on one of three statements, then get an indicative AI mark and feedback on argument, structure and clarity.
All three modules in exam order, with the combined result and a readiness report revealed only at the end.
Inside the platform
Practise a skill, test it under exam conditions, use the progress report to find the next weak skill, then repeat.
Target one reasoning skill with focused questions or a short, timed Sprint.
Take Critical Thinking, Problem Solving or the Writing Task separately under exam timing.
Complete all three modules in one realistic 120-minute exam simulation.
See overall readiness, module performance and your skill-level trends.
Find the reasoning skill with the weakest recent evidence and practise it next.
Then return to Concept Practice
Marking, feedback and readiness
Universities set their own requirements and use TARA results in their own ways. ExamPrepIQ helps you prepare; it cannot predict or guarantee an outcome.
Each answer is checked on submission. You see your score per module, the correct answer and an explanation for every question, plus the skill tag it was testing.
Your essay is assessed by AI against the qualities an argumentative essay is read for — a clear position, structure, use of examples and clarity — and returned with an indicative mark and written feedback. It is a study aid, not the test provider's or a university's assessment.
Because every multiple-choice question carries a skill tag, the progress report shows accuracy per skill and module — not just an overall score — and how each is trending.
Readiness is a score out of 100 that combines skill coverage, recent accuracy, recency and consistency, with a confidence level showing how much evidence sits behind it. It describes preparation, not a predicted TARA score.
The report names the skill with the weakest recent evidence and offers a Concept Practice set or a timed Sprint to work on it.
A complete mock ends with a combined summary across all three modules and a full review of every multiple-choice answer.
Free and paid
Free gives you sample Critical Thinking and Problem Solving papers with scoring and explanations, Concept Practice, and — after phone verification — a one-time bonus of coins for an AI-marked Writing Task.
A paid TARA plan unlocks the full question bank, AI-graded Writing feedback, complete mock tests and progress tracking. Plans are one-time purchases for 1, 3 or 12 months and never auto-renew.
Outside a plan, a Writing Task mark costs 40 coins. Current plan and coin-pack prices are on the pricing page.
How it works
Baseline, diagnose, practise, retest — across all three modules.
Sign in with Google and open a Critical Thinking or Problem Solving paper, a Writing Task statement, or the complete mock.
40 minutes per module, 120 for the mock. Your first result is a trustworthy baseline.
See the correct answer and explanation for each question, or the indicative mark and feedback on your essay.
The progress report names it. Drill it in Concept Practice or a timed Sprint, then retest and watch readiness change.
Official information and guides
Dates, fees, bursaries and course requirements change each admissions cycle — these guides are dated and link to the official sources.
The Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions is an admissions test used by certain Oxford and UCL courses. It has three modules: Critical Thinking (22 questions, 40 minutes), Problem Solving (22 questions, 40 minutes) and a Writing Task (one essay, 40 minutes). The dated guide above lists the courses, dates and fees for the current cycle and links to the official sources.
Yes, to start. Free Critical Thinking and Problem Solving papers come with scoring and explanations, Concept Practice is open to every signed-in user, and phone verification credits a one-time bonus of coins for an AI-marked Writing Task. The full question bank, complete mocks and progress tracking need a paid plan.
No. ExamPrepIQ's indicative mark and feedback are produced by AI as a study aid to help you write a clearer, better-structured argument. They do not predict how the test provider or any university will assess your essay.
Yes. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are 22 questions in 40 minutes each, the Writing Task is one essay in 40 minutes, and the complete mock runs all three modules in order over 120 minutes.
The multiple-choice question bank, browsable by the skill each question tests — evaluating arguments, numerical reasoning, working with diagrams and more. You can favourite questions, add notes, and run a rolling session on one skill.
No. Universities set their own requirements and use TARA results alongside the rest of an application. ExamPrepIQ is not affiliated with the test provider, Oxford, UCL or any university and cannot guarantee any score or admissions outcome.
Begin with a baseline
Your first timed paper builds the plan: a readiness score, accuracy by skill, and a clear next session. Free to start, no card required.
