TSA score needed for PPE?

JP0458B

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

will_cash

Not sure, generally about 63 if your grades are good.

Reply 2

RayApparently

I know people who got interviews with 60+ but I think that, especially given the competitiveness of the subject, just scraping 60 doesn't put you in the most comfortable position. In the end you just got to do as well as you can and remember that it's just one part of the process. Good luck.

Reply 3

BrasenoseAdm

Official Rep

Original post by RayApparently

We would agree with this. The exact threshold across the University depends on how well the application cohort does but it is rare in practice to be interviewed with an overall score below 60. Most of the field fall into the 60-69 range & anything 70+ is a stand-out.

Reply 4

will_cash

Original post by BrasenoseAdm

I'm someone applying for PPE, with a strong set of GCSEs and predicted grades. However, I come from a relatively 'privileged' background, as I've been at private schools my whole life. Do I therefore need a higher score in the TSA to qualify me for interview?

Reply 5

user 42005

60+ for an interview, generally offer holders have at least 65, many have 67-72 or higher. This will apply to everyone except under exceptional circumstances.

Reply 6

BrasenoseAdm

Official Rep

Original post by will_cash

Please see JRKinder's response above, which we would concurr with (adding the caveat that this is based on previous cohorts).

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 7

Whasupman

Original post by BrasenoseAdm

Please see JRKinder's response above, which we would concurr with (adding the caveat that this is based on previous cohorts).

I am sorry if this had been answered before, but if you get high enough grade to go to an interview, i.e. 60+, is the matter of your application being successful or not start to be completely based on the outcome of an interview, or is everything considered together?
Reason for asking being that I have a middle-range profile for PPE - (3A*s AS, 8A*, 2As GCSE) and I feel quite confident in an interview like situation, but the TSA kind of puts me off, as English is my second language and it takes be a bit longer to process in it, which is no good considering the difficulty of the test itself, but also the time conditions.

Reply 8

BrasenoseAdm

Official Rep

Original post by Whasupman

PPE provide the following guidance to applicants:
http://www.ppe.ox.ac.uk/index.php/admissions-criteria

"Final decisions about offers of places will use the full range of evidence available, including past and predicted exam results, the school report, the personal statement, the TSA admissions test and the interviews. Entry is competitive, which means that not all candidates who satisfy the admissions criteria will receive offers."

We think that, unless extenuating circumstances affect interview performance, a successful candidate would have to show sufficient potential at interview to benefit from Oxford teaching. However, the final decision, as the above statement makes clear, is not taken solely on the basis of interview rankings. Particularly in cases where interview rankings are similar (or identical), other factors come into play.

TSA Section 1 is taken by a range of candidates for different subjects, including overseas candidates whose first language is not English. English as a second language may be more of an issue in Section 2 but the role played by essays and written assignments in PPE is significant in both formative and summative assessment. This is another reason why final decisions are not taken solely on the basis of interviews.

Students with English as a 2nd language are successful every year in gaining places for PPE across the University, so this is something to bear in mind if you are feeling anxious.

Brasenose Admissions

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 9

Hampy

Original post by Count Bezukhov

60+ for an interview, generally offer holders have at least 65, many have 67-72 or higher. This will apply to everyone except under exceptional circumstances.

Do they separate your score into problem solving and critical thinking?

Reply 10

Jeremy Xu

Is there a rough percentage that corresponds to score of 60 or 65? If I am scoring about 75% am I in the right place to get interview?

Reply 11

Jeremy Xu

Original post by BrasenoseAdm

Is there a rough percentage that corresponds to score of 60 or 65? If I am scoring about 75% am I in the right place to get interview?

Reply 12

youyouxue

Original post by Jeremy Xu

Is there a rough percentage that corresponds to score of 60 or 65? If I am scoring about 75% am I in the right place to get interview?

It varies by year - you can see the scoring criteria on Cambridge Assessment's website. Questions are scored on a curve, so you can't say you got 75% - it doesn't translate well between different years.

Let's take the November 2020 sitting for an example. If you got "75%", so 37 questions right, your score would be 72.8. If you look at the PPE admissions feedback (https://www.merton.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/PPE%20Admissions%20Feedback%202020.pdf) you can see that you would have been struggling to get invited to interview. You'd have to have spectacular grades, an extremely strong recommendation letter, or special considerations.

60 or 65 will definitely not cut it. This is an extremely low score, and as PPE gets more and more competitive, you won't be selected for interview. 60 was 25/50 questions right, and 65 was 30/50 questions right (on the November 2020 administration).

If you need help with your TSA, you should urgently attend the TSA Workshop series here: https://forms.gle/uHimYQ49LHncSyPU9