Programme Overview
At MEI, we are committed to ensuring equity and equality for students from all backgrounds accessing higher education.
Our dedicated support for students gives them both the confidence and skills to apply for mathematics-rich undergraduate courses. We provide several courses for students to develop their problem-solving skills so that they have the option to apply for a university that requires an admissions test as part of their admissions procedures. Our suite of services has options to suit the needs of a variety of students.
- Blended support with university mentors
- Online tuition with expert tutors
- Self-guided online units covering the key skills
Our support is designed for students who wish to develop both their subject knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Benefits of the Programme
Support for students who are studying A level Mathematics or Further Mathematics and wish to progress to further study
Learn to think like a problem solver
Gain insight into applying to university
Prepare for university studies
Students who attend our courses enter university with a clear idea of the expectations of a mathematics-rich undergraduate course
Explore our Student Programme Offer
Setting out in Problem Solving
Designed to help students start to build strategies to approach unfamiliar problems in mathematics along with information on what university entrance exams are out there.
Audience: Year 12
When: Open for bookings
Format: 1 online sessions
Cost: Free
Problem Solving Matters
Prepare students for success in problem solving mathematics examinations (TMUA and STEP), by developing their mathematical thinking and problem solving skills.
Audience: Year 12
When: June – Sept
Format: 3 in-person days, mentor support, and online sessions
Cost: Free
University Mathematics Interview Practice
Interview practice for students from state-funded schools who have been invited for an interview by the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.
Audience: Years 13
When: Nov – Dec
Format: 30 min session
Cost: Free
Preparing for the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission)
Specialist tuition to support students preparing for the TMUA which takes place in the lead up to the tests for students in state-funded schools, academies and colleges.
Audience: Year 13
When: Sept and Nov
Format: 7 online sessions
Cost: Free/box
Preparing for the TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) – On Demand
Prepare for the TMUA at your own pace, explore key ideas, complete interactive tasks and questions with feedback throughout, covering the most common topics of the tests.
Audience: Years 12 & 13
When: On demand
Format: 7 online modules
Cost: Free
Preparing for the STEP (Sixth Term Examination Papers)
Online specialist tuition to support student preparing for the STEP. A free course for Year 13 students from state-funded schools, academies and colleges in the lead up to STEP.
Audience: Year 13
When: Early 2027
Format: 10 online sessions
Cost: Free
“The classes were fun and very useful and definitely improved my mathematical skills. They were also good preparation for university maths.”
Student – Preparing for the TMUA

Support of teachers
If you are looking for professional development to support your teaching and student support for the University Admissions test, please check out the following pages:
- Explore our Next Steps for Your A level Students course
- Explore our On-Demand Professional Development Courses – a selection of on-demand courses for A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics teachers
Frequently Asked Questions
Your common questions and concerns answered
For Year 12 students who are just starting out on their problem-solving journey and who do not know what they want to do after leaving school, Setting Out in Problem Solving is a good place to begin. It covers some key problem-solving techniques that are useful across the board and provides information about admissions tests that students may find useful when they are deciding what to do next.
Students nearing the end of Year 12 who have decided that they would like to apply for a course that requires a mathematics admissions test, Problem Solving Matters is the ideal course. It covers the key techniques and skills that are essential for the TMUA papers and is a good starting point for STEP.
For students who are entering Year 13 and who have discovered that they will need to take the TMUA, our online tutored courses provide an essential grounding in the key topics and techniques they will need.
All students who will need to take the TMUA, but who want to work at their own pace, our on-demand courses provide the techniques, skills and practice essential for success.
For Year 13 students who have offers from a university that requires success in one or two of the STEP papers, our tutored STEP course will specifically cover modules covering key topics, ideas and the in-depth problem-solving skills required for these challenging examinations.
Students are welcome to apply for more than one of our courses, although, for students who gain places on the Problem Solving Matters course, we will not accept them on our tutored online TMUA course. This is to allow us to provide support for as many students who need to sit the TMUA as possible. Students following the Problem Solving Matters course will already receive comprehensive preparation for the TMUA examination and have their own online sessions in the weeks running up to the papers.
All eligible students are welcome to complete the on-demand courses alongside any other course we offer.
All of our courses will cover the content for the admissions test that a student will be taking, but the materials for each course are unique to that course. The problems that the students will see in a course are written especially for that course, and the only repetition of problems that occurs is where specific past paper questions have been used for a particular topic. There are not that many past TMUA papers to work from, so some repetition of problems is unavoidable.
Our courses are generally open to any student who attends a state-funded school or college. For the Problem Solving Matters course, where we work with university partners, we use postcode data to identify students from areas that have traditionally had low participation in higher education. Students from these areas have priority. This is common practice amongst university widening participation departments. Students who are not successful in gaining a place at one of the university venues are offered a place on an online version of the course that includes a forum where they can ask for help.