TSA Scores

Hi,

I'm thinking of possibly applying to Oxford next year for E&M and have completed AS exams and my school said I should begin to practice for the Thinking Skills Assessment. Without any prior knowledge of the test beforehand I took my first test which was 2013 and scored 61.0 and I hear a score close to the 70s is needed to be competitive and if I scored above the 70s I would be very likely to get an interview even if I got a B in physics.

Mostly true,it is usually a score close to the 70 percentile that is usually the cut-off point for the interview. However your last sentence may not be true, and even though TSA does play a significant role in determining your chances for interview, other factors such as your A level results also come into play. In my opinion, best not to second-guess the admissions process and just do your best for everything!

My question is how much can I honestly expect my mark to go up? (I did misinterpret what some questions were asking and can work on that)

I think at the very most it'll go up by 10% or so, owing to an increased familiarity with the questions and being able to work quickly and precisely. For me, I found that circling key words / figures helped. I can't remember, but I believe you're allowed to make markings on the question paper (could someone please confirm this).

Are there any resources/books I should use?

Some recommend preparatory books by third parties but I strongly believe that the past year papers are sufficient.

And is it true that you essentially will hit a point where your marks will plateau as the TSA tests skills which cannot be revised for like a typical exam?

Yup. There is essentially no content tested. I think once you are able to comfortably finish a paper in time and get a decent score, you should relax. More often than not, it is nerves on the actual day (be it carelessness, or over checking your answers), that trip people up.

Thanks

Posted from TSR Mobile

hello!!




Hope this helps! I took my TSA in Nov'14 and will be doing PPE.

Thanks a lot, that definitely has helped clear up a few things!


Posted from TSR Mobile

no worries, shoot me a PM if you need more help!