What is the MLAT and do I need to take it?
The MLAT (Modern Languages Admissions Test – previously the Modern Languages Aptitude Test) is a computer-based assessment that all students applying to study a modern languages course at Oxford will be required to sit.
These courses are:
- European and Middle Eastern Languages
- Classics and Modern Languages
- English and Modern Languages
- History and Modern Languages
- Modern Languages
- Modern Languages and Linguistics
- Philosophy and Modern Languages.
The test is made up of ten sections – but you will only have to answer questions in the section relevant to the language you are applying to study. In the real test, the Pearson VUE platform will know which course you are applying for and tailor your choices specifically for you.
Each section is 30 minutes. There is a section each on:
- Czech
- French
- German
- Italian
- Modern Greek
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
Language sections now comprise 20 multiple choice questions, and 10 English-translation questions.
In addition, there is a Language Aptitude Test (LAT) – also 30 minutes - for those applying for Russian on its own or as a beginner, and courses with Polish.
There is also a 60-minute Philosophy test section, for those applying for Philosophy and Modern Languages.
Those applying to study more than one language will need to sit a maximum of two sections. You can find out which using the tables on this page.
Candidates applying to study Modern Languages at Cambridge will instead have to sit the Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment (MMLAA), whose structure differs slightly from the MLAT. Read our guide to the MMLAA to find out further details.
When and how do I register for the MLAT (Modern Languages Admissions Tests)?
This Oxford admissions test is now computer-based and you will need to take this at an authorised Pearson Vue test centre local to you. Since these new tests were introduced in 2024, the tests themselves have taken place in late October of the year preceding entry to your choice of university course, with specific dates changing each year. These are revealed on the website each year and it is worth checking regularly to stay ahead of the game. With registration opening as early as mid-August the same year, the whole process starts very early, especially when compared to entrance procedures at non Oxbridge colleges.
Where can I find past papers for the MLAT?
The test platform for the MLAT has changed in recent years, though the content of the past papers Oxford provide is apparently very similar, so working through them will still be valuable preparation.
There is also an updated MLAT practise test provided by the University so you can rehearse skills in the new online format. In recent years candidates have had to wait until the registration portal opens to be able to access this. Once it opens, you can take this test and practise 20 multiple choice questions in your language of study, plus 10 English-translation questions.
How to prepare for The Oxford MLAT
The MLAT is testing your technical and grammatical knowledge of the language(s) you want to study, so a solid, comprehensive knowledge of grammar is essential.
Do:
- Revise the grammar you have studied as part of your IB/A-Level course. Make sure you know all the basics but also review exceptions to the rules.
- Revise vocabulary. This includes not only vocabulary you will use regularly at IB/A-Level but also common vocabulary you looked at when you first started studying the language but don’t use often in your studies now. I have heard an Oxford tutor lamenting that a majority of candidates one year did not know how to translate ‘pillow’, so be prepared!
- Complete some past papers for practice. On its website, Oxford provides papers from the past few years as well as the solutions for some of them and these are crucial to understanding what you will be asked to do during the test. The Pearson test might be in a different and more streamlined format, but the content will be essentially the same. Complete at least two of them in timed conditions and look up any grammatical rules or vocabulary which you are unsure of afterwards.
- Be sure to answer all questions as the test is positively marked: there is no penalty for an incorrect answer. As a last resort you should guess the answer as this is better than leaving the section blank.
Don’t:
- Miss anything out when translating. The absolute key thing in a translation is to convey the whole message so make sure you haven’t missed anything out from your translation that will affect meaning. If there’s a word you don’t know, try and find a synonym or use a more general term (‘bird’ rather than ‘pigeon’, for example). If you’re really stuck, use a different word that’s vaguely similar or even just fills the gap – it’s better than leaving a blank.
- Translate too literally. At IB and A -Level, translation exercises are often a way of checking that you’ve understood a passage in the target language. Oxford are expecting you to not only show that you have understood the sentence and all its grammatical quirks, but that you can render it in natural-sounding English. At a minimum, this means no translating word-for-word. A good test is ‘does this sound like it was originally written in English?’ If it doesn’t, jiggle it around until it does. To really get high marks, though, you can be a little bit creative with your English. If there is an idiom in the original sentence, for example, try and find a similar idiom in English which conveys the same meaning.
How do I prepare for the Language Aptitude Test (LAT)?
This is only for students applying to study Russian or a course with Beginner's Russian or Polish. This section takes 30 minutes and is designed to test your ability for taking up a new language.
This involves the consideration of an imaginary language (a new one is invented for the test each year) and invites candidates to map and apply patterns and rules which govern that language. Students will be given some information about the imaginary language, as well as rules, examples and translations. They will then be given a series of increasingly challenging translation exercises, back and forth into English. This is a kind of ‘code breaking’.
Tutors will interested to see how students respond to an unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar, their ability to spot patterns, and whether they can deduce and apply rules they have learned.
More information, as well as practise tests and solutions, can be found on the Oxford website.
Is the MLAT difficult?
Candidates who are studying or have studied a language up to IB/A-Level tend to find some elements of the MLAT challenging but not inconceivable.
What is a good score on the MLAT?
The test for each language is typically out of 100 marks and there is no strict ‘pass mark’ so to speak.
It is important to remember that the MLAT is just one part of the Oxford admissions process; a candidate’s MLAT score will be used in combination with the rest of their application when deciding who is invited to interview, and who receives an offer. To hone in on this point, here are some statistics provided by the Vice Chancellor’s and Registrar’s Office at the University of Oxford showcasing real candidates from the 2019/20 intake:
Candidate A: scored 88% on MLAT, not invited to interview
Candidate B: scored 52% on MLAT, invited to interview, received an offer
Candidate C: scored 90% on MLAT, invited to interview, no offer
Tutors for the MLAT
Keystone has a range of specialist tutors who can assist students approaching university aptitude tests for Oxford University including the MLAT. Our Modern Languages Admissions Test tutors have extensive experience with the MLAT, both through having successfully sat the test and then gone on to tutor it. Contact us to find out more.