<p>It genuinely helps to know roughly what score you're aiming for on the admissions tests, if only because the real targets tend to be lower than the ones we invent in our heads. Here are some ballpark averages, with the usual caveats.</p><p><strong>Why averages help</strong></p><p>Averages give you a target and, just as usefully, calm you down. Bear in mind the numbers shift year to year, so treat these as a guide rather than a hard cut-off, some are multi-year figures and some come from a single year.</p><p><strong>MAT</strong></p><p>For the Maths Admissions Test, successful applicants average around 70 on questions 1 to 5. That tells you where to focus: the earlier questions hold most of the accessible marks, so secure those before chasing the hardest parts of the paper.</p><p><strong>PAT</strong></p><p>For the Physics Aptitude Test, scoring above about 55 typically gets you to the shortlist stage. Again, that's comfortably below full marks, so the aim is to be solid rather than flawless.</p><p><strong>TSA</strong></p><p>For the Thinking Skills Assessment, the Oxford mean was around 62 in 2014, while Cambridge tends to sit in the high 50s. TSA scores are famously spread out, so a strong-but-imperfect score is very much in the mix.</p><p><strong>How to use these numbers</strong></p><p>Don't treat any of these as a pass mark, they're averages among people who got in, not thresholds you must clear. I'd use them to set a sensible target and to decide where your practice time is best spent, which is usually on locking down the accessible marks rather than agonising over the hardest questions. Much of the maths data here comes from Oxford's Merton College admissions feedback.</p><p><strong>Final thoughts</strong></p><p>The reason I find these figures reassuring is that they show you don't need perfection, you need to be strong where it counts and calm under time pressure. If you'd like a preparation plan built around realistic targets, Oxbridge Solution can help.</p>