Undergraduate · Imperial Chemical Engineering
Imperial's Chemical Engineering MEng asks for A* in both Chemistry and Mathematics, the ESAT with Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry, and an interview stage that the page said was still to be announced. The question for a mathematically strong Chemistry student is whether they want to apply their science to the design of processes and plants, rather than to chemistry itself or to biotechnology. Everything cycle-specific here is Imperial's wording for 2027 entry; nothing below is a confirmed 2028 requirement.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
Taken from Imperial's Chemical Engineering MEng course page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Imperial's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
The minimum A-level standard is A*A*A, to include A* in Chemistry, A* in Mathematics and an A in Biology, Business Studies, Economics, Further Mathematics or Physics. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.
The IB entry standard is 40 points, including 7 in Mathematics and 7 in Chemistry at Higher Level and 6 in Biology, Business Management, Economics or Physics at Higher Level. Either Mathematics syllabus is accepted.
You must sit the Engineering and Science Admissions Test, and to be eligible for selection you need Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry. Each module has 27 multiple-choice questions and lasts 40 minutes.
The Department planned to hold interview days as part of the selection process, with details to be announced.
The degree is a four-year MEng, UCAS code H801, accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers. Study reaches Master's level in the fourth year, culminating in a substantial research project.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Imperial's Chemical Engineering MEng course page, which describes 2027 entry. Imperial's separate ESAT page, fees, the Year Abroad variant's own rules, the interview-day arrangements (the page says they were still to be announced) and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
Imperial describes the course as applying scientific, engineering and business principles to complex practical problems, with a strong foundation in science, mathematics and engineering and a 'mastery' concept running through the first years. The first-year core modules include Mastery 1, Process Analysis, Chemical Engineering Practice, Transfer Processes, Thermodynamics, Separation Processes, Chemistry, Mathematics Fundamentals and Physical Chemistry. Environmental effects of chemical operations and safety engineering are highlighted throughout. Study reaches Master's level in the fourth year, with a substantial research project and the design of a chemical plant. The degree is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Choosing between courses
A strong Chemistry student has several good options. The question is which activity they want to spend four years doing.
you want to use chemistry, mathematics and thermodynamics to design and analyse processes and plants, and you are interested in engineering judgement, safety and scale.
your interest is molecules and reactions for their own sake. The Oxford Chemistry guide in this series sets out a chemistry course with its own rules.
you want to combine process engineering with biological systems. The Cambridge Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology guide covers that course, which is a different programme from Imperial's.
Imperial's Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering have their own guides and subject rules. Do not assume one engineering offer transfers.
Reading the offer
The A-level requirement is A*A*A with A* in both Chemistry and Mathematics, plus an A in one of Biology, Business Studies, Economics, Further Mathematics or Physics. A candidate offering Physics with Mathematics but without Chemistry does not meet the stated requirement. The IB requirement is 40 points with 7 in Mathematics and 7 in Chemistry at Higher Level, and Imperial says that either IB Mathematics syllabus is accepted. If you are made an offer, you will need to pass the practical endorsement in each science subject that forms part of it. Imperial also notes that typical offers can be higher than the minimum entry standard.
The ESAT and the interview
The ESAT is a computer-based, multiple-choice test run by UAT-UK. For this course you need Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry, each with 27 questions in 40 minutes. For 2027 entry, Imperial's page gave two test windows, in October 2026 and January 2027, and noted that applicants in China, Hong Kong and Macau could only sit on specific dates within each window. Those dates are cycle-specific and are not 2028 values. Imperial said the Department planned to hold interview days and that details would follow, so this guide does not describe an interview format.
A decision framework
This is Avandy's own framework, not Imperial's.
Process analysis and transfer processes are about how things move and change at scale. Try a mass or energy balance problem and see whether it appeals.
Both are required at A*. Check where you stand now.
Two mathematics modules and a chemistry module are all needed. Plan preparation across all three.
Planning for 2028 entry
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Imperial has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Imperial published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Imperial has not yet published it.
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Imperial has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Check Imperial's Chemical Engineering course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
Secure Chemistry and Mathematics at A*, look at the ESAT specification for the three modules, and begin practice under timed conditions.
Support
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Imperial College London or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Chemistry and mathematics mentoring and ESAT preparation help a student prepare for the test; they do not supply questions or predict content. No outcome is promised.
Questions
A*A*A at A level with A* in Chemistry and A* in Mathematics, or 40 IB points with 7 in Mathematics and Chemistry at Higher Level. This is Imperial's wording for 2027 entry.
Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Chemistry. Each module has 27 multiple-choice questions and lasts 40 minutes.
Imperial says it is professionally accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Imperial says Analysis and Approaches, or Applications and Interpretation, will be accepted at Higher Level with no preference.
Imperial said the Department planned to hold interview days as part of selection, with details to follow. The format was not described on the page read.
No. They are Imperial's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Imperial publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Chemistry and Mathematics and their ESAT readiness, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.
