Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)

How are people preparing for it? I've really no idea what to do, as I'm saving the one past paper for nearer the time. Has anyone got more past papers, or similarly styled questions?
Also, I can't seem to find any statistics on what the average score is, what Uni's want as a minimum etc; anyone know these?

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Reply 1

nemnem

if you go to the TSA website they have a book list that supposedly helps
our school showed us; I don't think there really is anything you can really do to prepare for it though unfortunatley

Reply 2

littlemiss-sunshine

I'm doing critical thinking at school (up until the TSA at least) which is supposed to help a bit but I'm not sure that there is much to do really

Reply 3

littleshambles

I did the practice paper; about half of it is critical thinking-type questions, and about half is arithmetic and problem-solving.

I don't know about average scores or anything, you can't pass or fail. But when I got my percentage back, it said that the mean score of 153 students applying for Computer Science was about 63%. I got 78%; I don't know whether that's good or bad in comparison, it depends on the range, etc. If only they told you the mean, range, standard deviation and modal score. That would be better. Grrrrr.

Edit: I don't think the universities are looking for a particular score; I think it's just to distinguish between candidates.

Reply 4

JohnKennedy

i find the arithmetic questions the hardest, the critical thinking ones are ok.

Reply 5

Waheyyyy

Apparently you can get books on it; anyone know if this is true? Doubt there would be a whole book on one test really...

Reply 6

B.Y.

How about this one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Skills-Cambridge-University-Press/dp/0521521491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224713512&sr=8-1
I find it quite useful.

Reply 7

littlemiss-sunshine

B.Y.

How about this one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Skills-Cambridge-University-Press/dp/0521521491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224713512&sr=8-1
I find it quite useful.

Yes, I've bought that book to help me prepare for the TSA and I'd recommend it.

Reply 8

Waheyyyy

B.Y.

How about this one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-Skills-Cambridge-University-Press/dp/0521521491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224713512&sr=8-1
I find it quite useful.

Thanks - I went and bought the last copy in town (literally) earlier :smile:

Looking forward to having a look at it.

Reply 9

B.Y.

Waheyyyy

Thanks - I went and bought the last copy in town (literally) earlier :smile:

Looking forward to having a look at it.

You're welcome-good luck!

Reply 10

Waheyyyy

Does anyone know if you are allowed scrap paper in the test?

Reply 11

littleshambles

Waheyyyy

Does anyone know if you are allowed scrap paper in the test?

Lol, I hope you are. :mad:

Reply 12

FadedJade

I believe they provide it - I think its a fairly safe assumption that they will.

Reply 13

Waheyyyy

Good good. So, what sort of scores are people getting for the mock test?

Reply 14

Bugzy

Basically, I've got hold of a book which gives some practice questions on this but I have found the word structuring to be very very misleading and sloppy.

This means I'm getting a lot of questions wrong simply due to misinterpreting the question rather than not knowing what to do.

I'm just curious if anyone else is having a similar problem?

Reply 15

The West Wing

They're still using it as a trial so it's unlikely to make a huge difference. The research so far suggests there is no evidence that people who do well in it go on to do better in exams.

Reply 16

JohnKennedy

how do you know this West Wing? This is not the first time they have implemented the test , they made PPE applicats sit the TSA last year. Surely they will use it to determine who gets interviews in the same way as they use the HAT... No?