How to prepare for the TARA test? 🧠, by UCLComputerScience on YouTube. 1 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 4 weeks of short practice sess
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Read the official TARA page on the UCL Computer Science website first. Note the test sections, question types and total time so you know exactly what you are preparing for.
Accept that this is a reasoning test, not a memory test. Skip flashcards of facts and spend your time on questions that make you argue, compare and draw conclusions.
Work through free practice papers from similar admissions tests: the TSA, the BMAT and the UCAT. These give you realistic logic and critical thinking questions to attempt.
Do one section at a time without a timer at first. Read each question carefully, write down why each wrong option fails, then check your answers.
Add the clock once you are comfortable. Sit a timed block of questions and practise moving on when a question eats too much time.
Practise the writing part separately. Take a short prompt, plan for two or three minutes, then write a clear argument with a position, reasons and a counterpoint.
Sit at least one full mock on a computer, in one sitting, with no phone nearby. This gets you used to reading long questions on screen and to the online exam format.
Review every mistake and label the cause: misread question, ran out of time, or guessed. Fix the pattern that shows up most often before your next session.
On test day, note the time at the start of each section, give each question a rough limit, and move on with a guess when you hit it. Answer everything.
Handle pressure before it builds. Sleep well the night before, eat, arrive early and take a slow breath when you feel yourself rushing.
Tips and common mistakes
Do short, regular sessions of 30 to 45 minutes rather than one long cram the week before.
Never leave a question blank in a timed section, since an unanswered question scores the same as a wrong one.
Practise on the same kind of screen and keyboard you will use, so the online format feels familiar.
Time pressure, not difficulty, is what catches most people out, so rehearse your pacing in every practice run.
Questions
Can you revise for the TARA test?
Not in the usual sense of memorising content, because it measures reasoning and writing rather than knowledge. You can still prepare well by practising question types and getting used to the format.
Which other tests are useful for practice?
The TSA, BMAT and UCAT all contain reasoning and critical thinking questions that work well as practice material. Use their free past papers to build speed and accuracy.
How long should I prepare for?
A few weeks of short, regular sessions is usually enough to learn the format and improve pacing. Start early so you can fit in a full timed mock before test day.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
