The NSAA tests your science and maths skills and knowledge.
You need to take the NSAA if you are applying for:
- Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
- Natural Sciences
- Veterinary Medicine
You must be registered in advance and the test will take place on 18 October 2023.
How to register for the NSAA
You need to register for the NSAA by 29 September 2023.
If you are not registered on time, you will not be able to take the test and your application to Cambridge will not be considered.
You will need to ask your test centre (the place you take the test, usually your school or College) to register you for the assessment. Make sure you ask them to do this well in advance so that they have enough time to meet the relevant deadlines.
Learn how to register on the Cambridge Assessment website.
NSAA Costs
There is no entry fee for the NSAA.
However, you may need to pay your test centre (the place you take your test) an administration fee.
Check the Cambridge Assessment website for advice and details of costs.
How to prepare for the Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment
To prepare, we recommend that you revise relevant topics and familiarise yourself with the format of the test.
Have a go at some Natural Sciences specimen or past papers, restricting yourself to the time that you would have during a real test. This will help you to understand what is expected and prepare you to approach questions in an exam environment..
We don’t expect you to get every question right – you can learn more about how your performance fits into the rest of your application on the admissions assessment page.
Assessment format
- Section 1: Multiple choice questions in mathematics plus one science (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) (60 minutes)
- Section 2: Extended multiple choice questions in Biology, Chemistry or Physics (60 minutes)
Find out about the assessment format and topics by reading the 
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment Specification 2023
Changes to the assessment format
Please be aware that Section 2 Biology was updated in 2022. Section 2 Biology now tests knowledge of advanced topics, bringing it in line with Section 2 Physics and Chemistry. You should take this into consideration when looking at past papers.
In addition, the following changes were made to the Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment (NSAA) in 2020.
|
NSAA |
From 2020 |
In previous years |
|---|---|---|
|
Section 1 |
|
|
|
Section 2 |
|
|
Natural sciences specimen and past papers
Specimen papers:
Natural Sciences - Section 1 Question Paper (new format for 2020)
Natural Sciences - Section 1 Answer Sheet (new format for 2020)
Natural Sciences - Section 1 Answer Key (new format for 2020)
Natural Sciences - Section 1 Explained Answers (new format for 2020)
Natural Sciences - Section 2 Question Paper (updated for 2022)
Natural Sciences - Section 2 Answer Key (updated for 2022)
Natural Sciences - Section 2 Answer Sheet (updated for 2022)
Natural Sciences - Section 2 Explained Answers (updated for 2022)
Past papers:
(Q&A papers combined)
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment 2022
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment 2021
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment 2020
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment 2019
Natural Sciences Admissions Assessment 2018