The short answer
Cambridge's Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA) and Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA) were discontinued in 2023 and replaced, from the 2024 cycle, by a single modular test: the ESAT. It now serves Cambridge, Imperial, UCL — and Oxford's science and engineering courses from 2027 entry.
What actually changed
Consolidation and delivery, more than substance. Instead of two separate Cambridge-only paper tests, the ESAT is one computer-based test at Pearson VUE centres with five modules — Mathematics 1 (compulsory), Mathematics 2, Physics, Chemistry, Biology — from which your course dictates a combination: Engineering applicants sit what is functionally the old ENGAA territory (Maths 1, Maths 2, Physics); Natural Sciences applicants assemble the sciences the NSAA covered. Multiple-choice, no calculator, 40 minutes and 27 questions per module, scored 1.0–9.0 each.
Why this is quietly good news for preparation
The ESAT is young, so its own past-paper bank is thin — but the ENGAA and NSAA archives are the ESAT's back catalogue. The question style transfers almost entirely, which means a well-prepared candidate has years of authentic practice material that many rivals don't realise still counts. We build preparation around exactly this: predecessor papers for volume, official ESAT specimen material for calibration, and timed module practice for the format. → Full ESAT preparation guide
One caution
Module combinations are fixed per course and lock at registration — a detail that didn't exist in the ENGAA/NSAA era and catches students using old advice. Check your course page, then book.
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