The Oxford TSA thread - 2015 applicants - 5th Nov 2014

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Hey haiderraider,

I can remember the answer to Q24...

Q24: old ratio was 5 tea packets in 5 weeks. New ratio is 6 packets in 5 weeks. That is why there used to be 5 people before gran-gran came over...

Hope that helps.
What was your raw mark in the specimen test?

Best regards
David

I understand 5 packets/ 5 weeks but how do you get the second ratio since it says:two packets every 5th week and one otherwise?

Thanks

Reply 261

chughes17

Before:

n+1 spoons = 5 packs in 5 weeks (1 pack a week)

Now:

n+2 spoons = 6 packs in 5 weeks (6/5 packs a week)

n+2=6/5(n+1)

5n+10=6n+6

n=4

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Reply 262

chughes17

or:

n+2=6/5x equation 1

n+1=1x equation 2
6/5n+6/5=6/5x equation3

1/5n - 4/5 = 0
1/5n = 4/5
n=4

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Reply 263

chughes17

Original post by Teddysmith123

Hi, I had a quick maths related question:

If it is 2 o'clock on a standard analogue clock and, after a power surge, the hour hand turns 4335 degrees clockwise (with the minute hand also turning accordingly), what time will the clock show?

This is from the 3rd practice test in the think you can book question 34.

The answer is half past 2 and initially I divided 4335 by 36 to get about 12 which according to the book is correct in which case it would be 2 o'clock, but it also says the minute hand is turning and I don't understand the explanation in the book and was wondering if someone on here could help me?

4335/360 = 12 remainder 15.

12 complete cycles brings it back to 2 o clock.

15 extra degrees, whats the significance of that, well each segment of 1 hour =

360/12= 30 degrees.

we have 15 degrees, so the hand has moved enough for an extra half an hour.

so you add half an hour on to the 2 o clock, half past 2

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Reply 264

MacDaddi

Original post by milkman94

Firstly, please do a quick glance through this thread ( I answered Q8 at the top of this thread and Q50 recently ) before you ask such questions. Its does not reflect well upon yourself if you are unable to conduct a preliminary inquiry before asking.

Secondly, I think it's opportune to inform you that being able to answer a type of question does not mean that you will be able to answer future ones. TSA qns seek to test a principle, and these principles manifest in different variations but never wholly so.

If you wish to answer future questions, it will be better to be train how quickly you can think on your feet- and people accomplish this through years of study and work experience and so on.

This is not a spoon-feeding thread. Again, if you attempted to browse through the previous pages, you will have noticed that even when we ask questions, we tend to put forth our own answers first. At least then, it is possible for mentors to see where you are coming from and try to help you.

Who are you to speak to that guy like that? They asked for some help, if you don't want to then don't. Don't put someone down a little over a week before the TSA

Reply 265

Harshil1

I have tried to work this thrice over but I still think the answer should be 32 rather than the given answer i.e. 40. Any help?

The coffee machine in our office offers a choice of regular or decaffeinated coffee; blackor with one of three sorts of milk (full, semi-skimmed, skimmed); and, for those who wantsweetening, either one or two spoonfuls of sugar or one or two non-sugar sweeteningtablets.

How many different kinds of coffee can be made?

A 11B 24C 32D 40E 48

Reply 266

tomixox

Guys, I don't know if anyone can help me :frown:

I'm really struggling with the TSA! To the extent whereby I'm getting in the 30s if I'm lucky! I have the Think You Can Think book but it just doesn't seem to be helping. Does anyone else have any good revision tips for this test? Any help would be really appreciated!I really want to do well! Thanks

Reply 267

ventus

Original post by Harshil1

I'm not sure, but I got the answer assuming that you can also opt for no milk as an option. So caff/decaf = 2, 3 milks/no milk = 4, 2x2 sweeteners or no sweetener =5
Therefore, 2x4x5=40

Reply 268

Harshil1

Original post by ventus

I'm not sure, but I got the answer assuming that you can also opt for no milk as an option. So caff/decaf = 2, 3 milks/no milk = 4, 2x2 sweeteners or no sweetener =5
Therefore, 2x4x5=40

Oh. I think I missed the 'non-sweetening' group of people. I was doing 2*4*4 earlier. :/ Thanks!

Reply 269

Teddysmith123

Original post by chughes17

Ok see I understand the logic a part from the 15 degrees equating to half an hour

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Reply 270

Stillreading

Original post by chughes17

Yeah, I mean I'm hitting mid-high 40s but my GCSEs aren't great..

5A* 4A 1C

No idea which is more important, but I can only do what I can now..

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Oh I have the opposite situation, where my GCSEs are strong but my TSA score is not. Your TSA score is amazing! That must be in the high 70s, right? Good luck with it, we can only do the best we can now :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 271

Stillreading

Original post by ooftar

Last year for PPE the score you needed to get an interview was 61 (Keble website) so if you hit around that with a strong GCSE/A level record you'll get an interview I presume. Good luck!

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Oh ok, I think I can just about get 61 (on a good day!) Hopefully I'll at least get to the interview stage. Thanks, good luck to you too if you're taking it :smile:

Reply 272

chughes17

Original post by economicsrocks

My best score is 49/50 which is 97ish.. But I doubt i'll be able to pull that off on the day. Good luck, just practice tbh!

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Reply 273

1144876

Getting consistently 70-80s on the TSA, knowing me I'll manage to mess it up on the day under pressure though.

Just did the 2010 one, getting 46/50- dropping the last 2 marks :frown:

Anyone have a clue how to do Q49? I get it could be 588011 or 58011X (X being number 0-9) but that makes 11 numbers, with the answer being 12.

Thanks guys :smile:

Reply 274

chughes17

Original post by nich01as

Getting consistently 70-80s on the TSA, knowing me I'll manage to mess it up on the day under pressure though.

Just did the 2010 one, getting 46/50- dropping the last 2 marks :frown:

Anyone have a clue how to do Q49? I get it could be 588011 or 58011X (X being number 0-9) but that makes 11 numbers, with the answer being 12.

Thanks guys :smile:

My favourite TSA question I've seen to date.

Numbers are symmetrical horizontally, flip it upside down and you can have 581108.

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Reply 275

tomixox

Original post by chughes17

My best score is 49/50 which is 97ish.. But I doubt i'll be able to pull that off on the day. Good luck, just practice tbh!

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Original post by nich01as

Getting consistently 70-80s on the TSA, knowing me I'll manage to mess it up on the day under pressure though.

Just did the 2010 one, getting 46/50- dropping the last 2 marks :frown:

Anyone have a clue how to do Q49? I get it could be 588011 or 58011X (X being number 0-9) but that makes 11 numbers, with the answer being 12.

Thanks guys :smile:

PLEASE can you share any tips and techniques you have for the TSA because my academic profile is strong but my TSA is poor! I am consistent dropping 20+ marks and it's driving me crazy!! I have done like four papers and nothing seems to be improving!!

Reply 276

1144876

Original post by tomixox

I would say revise Critical Thinking A2- I did the whole A2, getting an A in it, and I think that may have helped a lot. Besides that, I guess it's timing (If that's a problem for you) Practice doing maths questions etc. I bought 'Cracking The Thinking Skills Assessment' also, which is quite useful.

Original post by chughes17

My favourite TSA question I've seen to date.

Numbers are symmetrical horizontally, flip it upside down and you can have 581108.

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Genius, I love it :biggrin:

Thanks for that :P

Reply 277

giojiho96

Guys, could anybody help me with the last two problems from TSA 2011? I can't seem to figure out how to work them. Thanks!

Yeah that number one got me too, it's not too difficult to solve knowing the answer, but I don't know how you can be expected to pick up on that in the test - not having 11 as an answer would make it a fair question, it is answerable but it is so much more difficult than anything else in the paper.

As for how to improve, I haven't found the books as helpful as others have suggested. I thought the explanation on the critical thinking section was alright and you can probably improve it with practise (I've improved this section quite a bit going from ~40 to ~45 the difference being in critical thinking). However, the problem solving is difficult to improve, apart from getting a feel for the questions and understanding the use of combinations and that sort of thing, you're pretty much going to flatline in terms of score. I mean, this is the intention of the TSA is that it doesn't discriminate according to preparation, so while you can familiarise yourself with the test, you won't be able to work yourself up to 50/50 with hard work like you might another test.

Reply 279

Lindisfarne100

I found "Ace the Thinking Skills Assessment" very useful for improving critical thinking (the text passages). The CT questions in the practice papers in the book are maybe harder than in the past papers, but I think that's a good thing & the explanations are very useful and detailed.