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Oxford PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Students and Applicants

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nickybol
Hi guys,

I quickly went through the specimen paper section 1 and I scored 41 out of 50. What is supposed to be a reasonable score?


The average Cambridge applicant gets around ~60%
hey folks

was wondering if any other past papers are available for the TSA apart from the one of their website, surely from past years since it's been going for a while?

if so could you give me a link

cheers
The test this year is in a different format though - years gone asked to distinguish between terms etc whilst the new one asks completely different questions.
Reply 663
Avatar for LoveEng
LoveEng
Yes, but anyway, I think that would be such a huge help.

Anyone here who has a link ?
SamOW
The test this year is in a different format though - years gone asked to distinguish between terms etc whilst the new one asks completely different questions.


I agree. The skills required on the old test are completely different to the those needed on the new one.
The new test is comparatively easier. IMO the old one was very difficult, even for the brightest students.
Reply 665
Avatar for Stanway
Stanway
Entirely agree - having looked at some of the old papers, it appears to be considerably harder and there is definitely a discrepancy in terms of whether or not preparation is a requirement, or, as with the new one, merely advisable. I tried the sample test and got 49/50, and am not especially worried about the multiple choice. The essay section, however, seems challenging given the time involved and the wide array of possible approaches to the questions, equivalent to a wide array of possible screw-ups
can u give me a link to your old past papers for the tsa
.. didn't we just go through this charade?

I'm pretty sure there were some links on the first couple of pages of this thread - guess you can't've been that eager if you didn't check huh?
Not a link to old TSA Cambridge past papers, only the old PPE pre-interview past papers; i need the TSA past papers
There aren't any available.
Have you not looked on the PPE test website for the specimen?
Do the test, learn from your mistakes (if you made any) and leave it at that. End of.
Reply 670
Avatar for lissanne
lissanne
Re the written work, does it have to be an essay? For Philosophy, I was thinking of sending in one of the tests I did, but it's a couple of long answers (3-5 paragraphs) instead of just one question and an answer. Is that ok? I may have an essay-length answer in one of the other tests; will have to look it up.
I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem. Contact the admissions tutor if you're unsure.
does anyone have any good PPE essay type questions i can practice for, as i have already finished the essay questions ...

any good suggestions?
Reply 673
Avatar for Budgie
Budgie
12
miltonkeynes
The average Cambridge applicant gets around ~60%


Does anyone know what the average score of a successful applicant is?
Budgie
Does anyone know what the average score of a successful applicant is?


One would guess that there is no average score, this being the first year as a trial run for the test. If it's anything like the LNAT then maybe you'll get told what you were compared to the average when you get the results in Jan.
Reply 675
Avatar for Budgie
Budgie
12
SamOW
One would guess that there is no average score, this being the first year as a trial run for the test. If it's anything like the LNAT then maybe you'll get told what you were compared to the average when you get the results in Jan.


Yeah, I meant for the courses where the TSA is used in Cambridge. Just out of interest :smile:
AFAIK in Cambridge they use the TSA for economics, engineering, compsci and natsci. The average score for accepted candidates is ~60%. So I would be aiming for 60+% which I expect shouldn't be a problem for the majority of people.
I hope all of you overly confident people dont completly tank it on wednesday, i got 86% on the practice paper but i forgot to time it but i'm still not thinking its going to be a doss, i guess i'm one of the weaker candidates then. The essays look harsh for a 30min time frame
Freeradical
I hope all of you overly confident people dont completly tank it on wednesday, i got 86% on the practice paper but i forgot to time it but i'm still not thinking its going to be a doss, i guess i'm one of the weaker candidates then. The essays look harsh for a 30min time frame

Nah I agree with you. Really pushed for time on the test. I too didn't time myself when I practised the test. I figured out that you have 1min48 on average (yes, I'm sad) to do each question :eek:
I just find it rather annoying how applicants keep on coming on this thread asking the same question again and again. I know it's rather blunt and I know I'm hardly omniscient but we're all on the same boat and have to make do with what we do know and the resources at our disposal.
Apart from that...I hope we all do amaaaazingly on the test and do brilliant in the interview and get into Oxford :smile:
Reply 679
Avatar for Aj_deity
Aj_deity
4
Test scores aren't being used for admissions this year- the tutors won't be able to see what marks you get until after they've made their decisions, so they can see how fair an indicator of ability the thing actually is (26/10 ACTUALLY I STAND CORRECTED HERE- they're not being used for interview selection, but the tutors get them before they make final decisions. That'll teach me not to double-check my sources before I go trying to be "helpful" :X). So don't worry about all the people acing it, as it's not actually going to be of any benefit to them whatsoever- harsh, but they do need to make sure the test works before they actually start using it, and you guys got guinea pig year.

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