TMUA Grade Boundaries and University Cutoffs

How to set your target score using the published bands and what each university actually looks for.

What "grade boundaries" mean on the TMUA

The TMUA is reported as a SCALED SCORE from 1.0 to 9.0, in 0.5 increments. There is no pass/fail. Each of the two papers is scaled separately and the OVERALL SCORE is the average of the two, rounded to the nearest 0.5. The scaling is set so that raw marks needed for each band shift year to year with paper difficulty — the band itself is the boundary that matters.

Historical scaled score bands

Approximate share of candidates reaching each overall band across recent sittings. Treat as a rough guide — exact distributions are published by the test provider each year.

• 6.5+ — roughly the top ~10% of candidates. The cutoff most competitive courses pay attention to.
• 6.0+ — roughly the top ~20%.
• 5.0+ — roughly the top half.
• 4.5 — sits around the median in most years.

The raw mark needed to hit 6.5 has varied year to year. In easier papers it has sat near 18/20; in harder papers closer to 14/20. Don't chase a raw mark — chase the band.

Known university target scores

Most universities do not publish a hard cutoff. The numbers below are the figures applicants consistently report as competitive for offer-holders. Check each course page for the current year.

• CAMBRIDGE (Economics, Maths-adjacent courses) — competitive applicants typically score 6.5+. Some colleges have indicated 6.5 as a working guideline.
• LSE (Economics, Econometrics & Math Economics, Financial Maths) — 6.5+ is the band that aligns with offer-holders; the TMUA is part of the holistic review.
• IMPERIAL (Maths, JMC, Maths with Stats / Finance) — 6.5+ is the working target for shortlisting on courses where TMUA is used.
• WARWICK (Maths, MORSE, Economics) — 6.5 is the commonly cited bar; 6.0 is typically the lower threshold for further consideration.
• DURHAM (Economics, some Maths combinations) — 6.5 is commonly cited as competitive where TMUA is required or recommended.

These are guidelines reported by past applicants, not official cutoffs. Always verify against the admissions page for the exact course and cycle you are applying to.

How to set your target score

1. Pick the most competitive course on your list. Take its reported band (usually 6.5).
2. Add half a band of headroom. If 6.5 is the bar, train to land 7.0 in mocks. Test-day variance is real.
3. Back-solve the raw mark. Use the prior year's raw-to-scaled table as your working assumption (e.g. ~16/20 per paper for 6.5 in a typical year).
4. Set weekly raw-mark targets on past papers in timed conditions. Track the average, not your best.

What this means for prep

The marginal point on the TMUA is almost always the difference between 6.0 and 6.5. That gap is two or three questions per paper. It is won by ELIMINATING SLOPPY ERRORS on questions you can already do, not by drilling harder material. See How to Prepare and Metacognition for the protocol.

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