The Student Room Group

The Oxford TSA thread - 2016 applicants - 4th November 2015

The highly anticipated Thinking Skills Assessment is slowly approaching and I thought that we could use a specific thread for us taking it. :smile:

So if anyone has any advice or questions about it feel free to post it here.

2016 Results thread:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3831321

General information:
http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/thinking-skills-assessment/tsa-oxford

Suggested reading:
Thinking Skills by Butterworth, John and Thwaites, Geoff
Critical Reasoning: A Practical Introduction by Thomson, Anne
Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide by Kemp, Gary & Bowell, Tracy
Critical Thinking for Students by Van Den Brink-Budgen, Roy
Thinking from A to Z (2nd Edition) by Warburton, Nigel
Critical Thinking: An Introduction by Fisher, Alec
The Logic of Real Arguments (2nd Edition) by Fisher, Alec
Think You Can Think by Tanna, Minesh
Cracking The Thinking Skills Assessment by Desai, Mitesh
Ace the Thinking Skills Assessment by Burton, Neel

TSA threads from last year:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2745951
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3083097
(edited 8 years ago)

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Nice and early this year! Good luck to everyone taking the dreaded TSA, it certainly was the dementor hanging over my winter term last year...
Original post by the1akshay
Nice and early this year! Good luck to everyone taking the dreaded TSA, it certainly was the dementor hanging over my winter term last year...


Haha, what course/college did you apply for? (What were your scores if you don't mind me asking)
How is everybody preparing for the TSA?
Reply 4
Original post by Primum Movens
How is everybody preparing for the TSA?


I'm currently reading "Thinking Skills" by Butterworth and will read at least one more of the suggested books. I will also do all of the past papers :smile: How are you preparing?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by WinterApproaches
Haha, what course/college did you apply for? (What were your scores if you don't mind me asking)


PPE at Corpus Christi. My composite TSA score was 64.6, but I've no idea what my individual scores were.
Original post by the1akshay
PPE at Corpus Christi. My composite TSA score was 64.6, but I've no idea what my individual scores were.


Would you recommend reading any of the books?
Reply 7
Hi everyone,

I want to apply for PPE and History and Politics of Ox as my two UCAS choices but just found out both courses requires admission test. One is TSA and the other is HAT on the same day 4th November, 2015. I just want to ask is it possible for me to apply for both of them and will be there any arrangements for me about the tests?

Many many thanks
Reply 8
Hey,
I was wondering what a good score is. Is it even possible to have 90% or so? Or is 60% very high standard?
I am not from GB, and I feel like the school system in England is much more focussed on Critical Thinking and Essay writing (the main components of a PPE degree, I would say). I want to read the sugested books for all subjects and the TSA, but I still feel it is not ging to be enough since there is no support or guideline through my individual studies. Do You understand my problem? In the Time I will have read a book and thought about it appropriately, you in England will have had intense lessons with teachers who know what Oxford asks for and can guide you there, who read your Essays and help you improve them. Do you have any suggestions for me? I have now one year and a month Time to prepare.
Reply 9
Original post by Ani_Tmv
Hey,
I was wondering what a good score is. Is it even possible to have 90% or so? Or is 60% very high standard?
I am not from GB, and I feel like the school system in England is much more focussed on Critical Thinking and Essay writing (the main components of a PPE degree, I would say). I want to read the sugested books for all subjects and the TSA, but I still feel it is not ging to be enough since there is no support or guideline through my individual studies. Do You understand my problem? In the Time I will have read a book and thought about it appropriately, you in England will have had intense lessons with teachers who know what Oxford asks for and can guide you there, who read your Essays and help you improve them. Do you have any suggestions for me? I have now one year and a month Time to prepare.


I don't really know how to help you as I'm in the same situation as you. However, on past papers I've got 87% on average on the Critical Thinking bit (I'm not from the UK).
The TSA seems to be a good discriminator for my course (Econ & Management) and effectively whittles applicants down to be interviewed so I'm really going to work at it. Think I'm going to read Tanna's 'Cracking the Thinking Skills Assessment' and then just practice...
Original post by Ecconomist
The TSA seems to be a good discriminator for my course (Econ & Management) and effectively whittles applicants down to be interviewed so I'm really going to work at it. Think I'm going to read Tanna's 'Cracking the Thinking Skills Assessment' and then just practice...


I have just ordered this book, along with The Ulitmaqte TSA guide and "Ace the thinking skills test". Having read the website, i think the tests are the best thing to practice. Fom my position itll be strange doing exams again, but practicing should help me.
Original post by AspirantPPE
I have just ordered this book, along with The Ulitmaqte TSA guide and "Ace the thinking skills test". Having read the website, i think the tests are the best thing to practice. Fom my position itll be strange doing exams again, but practicing should help me.


Yeh I'm going to do my PS first and then spend over a month reading and practicing all there is... the TSA really is the deciding factor.

I'm sure with these tests you can get better. Personally I find the questions where you have to assess arguments difficult but have no problem with any maths based questions where I can efficiently adopt basic algebra / a logical mathematical method.

So did you apply for PPE last year? If so did you get to interview stage?
Original post by Ecconomist
Yeh I'm going to do my PS first and then spend over a month reading and practicing all there is... the TSA really is the deciding factor.

I'm sure with these tests you can get better. Personally I find the questions where you have to assess arguments difficult but have no problem with any maths based questions where I can efficiently adopt basic algebra / a logical mathematical method.

So did you apply for PPE last year? If so did you get to interview stage?


No, this will be my first application. Im a mature student. Yes, I agree, practice makes perfect, but the personal statement is my main concern. That still leaves plenty of time to get familiar with the types of questions i can expect. Since I shant have a standard application the TSA will be the best benchmak for me against others.

Have you thought about a college choice yet?
Original post by AspirantPPE
No, this will be my first application. Im a mature student. Yes, I agree, practice makes perfect, but the personal statement is my main concern. That still leaves plenty of time to get familiar with the types of questions i can expect. Since I shant have a standard application the TSA will be the best benchmak for me against others.

Have you thought about a college choice yet?


Ahh okay.. :smile: then yes your TSA is all the more important!

I've chosen Exeter, they all look nice though. I just like Exeter's proximity to the centre.
Original post by Ecconomist
Ahh okay.. :smile: then yes your TSA is all the more important!

I've chosen Exeter, they all look nice though. I just like Exeter's proximity to the centre.


Yeah, Im thinking that college choice is probably nothing to worry about. I think Ill go for St Johns, but Im not fussy, If i get allocated another one Itll be fine.

Yeah, it will be. I think If i do a little bit every day Ill get through it fine.
Original post by Ecconomist
The TSA seems to be a good discriminator for my course (Econ & Management) and effectively whittles applicants down to be interviewed so I'm really going to work at it. Think I'm going to read Tanna's 'Cracking the Thinking Skills Assessment' and then just practice...


Massive weighting is placed on the TSA for E&M, Practice papers will help get the methodology of the test right in your head. With the TSA alot of the time its a case of picking a simple answer to questions wrapped in over-complexity. I find them quite fun especially compared to other tests, its a good feeling picking apart a question to figure out the important bits to get to your answer.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 17
First question explanation request of topic :smile: :
2010 Test, 41: The Eurovision Song Contest is coming in for increasing criticism. No matter how awfulthe song, Greece can always be relied on to give a maximum 12 points to Cyprus andRussia will vote for the Ukraine. In one year the political voting was so blatant that thecommentator for the UK described it as 'ridiculous'. With more Eastern Europeancountries competing, their power blocs are so strong that Western European countrieshave little hope of winning. The result of the Eurovision Song Contest is now determinedby geo-politics and not by music.Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?
A Britain nearly always gives high marks to the Irish song.
B The Eastern European songs are usually sung in English.
C Eastern European countries have shared tastes in music.
D Western European countries have won 75% of contests in the past.
E Poland has never won the Eurovision Song Contest.
I would say D.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 19
Original post by ylmdk
First question explanation request of topic :smile: :
... The result of the Eurovision Song Contest is now determined by geo-politics and not by music.

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?
A Britain nearly always gives high marks to the Irish song.
B The Eastern European songs are usually sung in English.
C Eastern European countries have shared tastes in music.
D Western European countries have won 75% of contests in the past.
E Poland has never won the Eurovision Song Contest.


C - The argument would be most weakened if the result was actually determined by music (i.e. what they like) and not by geo-politics.

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