Undergraduate · Oxford Economics and Management
Oxford's Economics and Management requirements have one subject rule and one test rule that are easy to misread. Mathematics is the required subject and Oxford recommends no other, and the TARA is compulsory, with a Writing Task exemption that applies only to candidates who apply to no other university course that requires the TARA. This guide is written for families planning 2028 entry. Everything cycle-specific in it was last verified for 2027 entry, because Oxford has not yet published requirements or dates for 2028 entry.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
Taken from Oxford's official Economics and Management course page and Admissions Guide and last verified on 19 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement and date below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Oxford's 2028-entry figures, fees and dates are awaiting publication.
The entry qualifications are A*AA with Mathematics at A or A*. At Advanced Higher they are AA or AAB; at IB, 39 points including core points with 766 at Higher Level. For BTEC, the National Extended Diploma needs DDD together with an A-level in Mathematics at A*.
Mathematics is required: A* or A at A Level, A at Advanced Higher, or 6 or 7 at IB Higher Level or an equivalent. Oxford recommends no other subject.
Every applicant takes the TARA. In the 2027-entry cycle the sitting was 12–16 October 2026, and it has passed. Candidates applying only to Oxford for Economics and Management, and not applying to any other university course that requires the TARA, need not complete the Writing Task: they take Critical Thinking (40 minutes) and Problem Solving (40 minutes) only.
In the 2027-entry cycle, shortlisted candidates are invited to at least one online interview, expected in December. Tutors look for interest in and motivation for studying the organisation of businesses and the economy, the capacity to construct and critically assess arguments, and clear written and oral expression. The interview is not primarily a test of existing knowledge.
In the 2027-entry cycle the UCAS deadline was 15 October 2026 and has passed. Oxford's decisions for 2027 entry are due on 12 January 2027 via UCAS.
The course is a three-year BA, UCAS code LN12. Course fees for 2027 entry are £10,050 a year for Home students and £46,210 a year for Overseas students.
Official sources
Checked on 19 October 2026 against Oxford's Economics and Management course page and Guide for applicants; the course page was re-read on 19 October 2026 with no change. Oxford can update its pages during the interview period, so confirm the details in your own invitation.
Planning for 2028 entry
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Oxford has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means the 2028 value is not yet published.
The entry qualifications, the Mathematics requirement, the TARA, the conditional Writing Task exemption and the interview criteria in the official information above are the best guide to what to prepare. Oxford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Registration opened on 1 June 2026, the booking window ran from 20 July to 28 September 2026 (6pm UK time) and the sittings were 12–16 October 2026. Treat this as the shape of the calendar, not as dates: do not move it forward by a year.
Oxford has not yet published these. Check Oxford's Economics and Management page and the UAT-UK key dates for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
The figures and fees in this guide are Oxford's 2027-entry figures. Oxford's 2028 figures and fees are unpublished.
TARA
The exemption is easy to misstate, so it is worth reading it exactly as Oxford frames it.
Only candidates applying to Oxford Economics and Management and not to any other university course that requires the TARA. They finish after Critical Thinking (40 minutes) and Problem Solving (40 minutes).
Because the exemption depends on every course you apply to, decide the whole list before you plan for the test.
Reading Oxford's figures
Oxford publishes admissions figures for the course. They describe past cohorts, not requirements or predictions.
On average 18% of applicants were interviewed and 5% were successful, for an intake of 82. These are Oxford's figures, last verified for 2027 entry.
Interview
For Economics and Management, Oxford says shortlisted candidates are invited to at least one online interview and that it is not primarily a test of existing knowledge. The points below come from Oxford's guidance on interviews for all of its courses.
Invitations usually go out between mid-November and early December, sometimes with a week's notice. Interviews are online on Microsoft Teams, cannot be rearranged, and are typically with two tutors; you are quite likely to have more than one.
Oxford's top tip is to practise thinking out loud. It also publishes subject-specific sample questions, written by the tutors who conduct the interviews, and demonstration interviews with their commentary.
Oxford's code of conduct for interviewees rules out sharing interview content, researching pre-interview material online unless permitted, using assistive technology (including AI and automatic transcription) beyond what the subject requires or a disability adjustment, recording, impersonation and observers. A breach puts an offer at serious risk of being withdrawn.
If you are in the 2027 cycle
For 2027 entry, the UCAS deadline and the TARA sitting have passed. Interviews are expected in December 2026 and decisions are due on 12 January 2027.
The application is in and the TARA has been sat. The next steps are the invitation, if you are shortlisted, and the interview.
How Avandy supports Economics and Management applicants
Avandy is a specialist academic and university admissions advisory organisation. Economics and Management candidates are supported through the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model. A Strategic Admissions Consultant keeps the strategy consistent with the whole application, a PhD-level Academic Mentor oversees academic quality, and a Subject-specific Tutor takes the candidate through the discipline. Experienced advisers and doctoral-level specialists tailor the plan to the candidate's course and profile.
The course list, the test each course needs and the intended year of entry are weighed together within one advisory plan.
Preparation for the TARA sits inside the same plan and is rehearsed, reviewed and calibrated to the candidate.
Candidates practise reasoning aloud on unfamiliar problems from their own subjects, and take part in mock academic interviews that end with subject-specific feedback.
Questions
Not yet. Everything cycle-specific in this guide was last verified for 2027 entry. The 2028-entry deadline, TARA dates and booking window, interview period and decision date are awaiting publication.
Yes. Mathematics is required: A* or A at A Level, A at Advanced Higher, or 6 or 7 at IB Higher Level or an equivalent. Oxford recommends no other subject.
Not if you are applying only to Oxford Economics and Management and not to any other university course that requires the TARA. In that case you take Critical Thinking and Problem Solving only. The exemption does not apply if you apply to another course that requires the TARA.
Oxford requires Mathematics and recommends no other subject, and it says the interview is not primarily a test of existing knowledge.
No. No written work is submitted for this course.
Students and families
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Mathematics, the other courses they are considering, the intended year of entry and whether the TARA has been taken or booked. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare. Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Oxford or any College, and no outcome is promised.
