Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)

Required for 

• Oxford: PPE, Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, History and Economics, Geography, Human Sciences, PPL
• Cambridge: Land Economy

Format

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Section 1
- 90 minutes
- 50 multiple-choice questions on

• ​Critical Thinking  
• Problem Solving

Section 2
- 30 minutes
- 1 essay 

• 4 essay questions to choose from ​
• Assessing ability to organise and communicate ideas clearly and concisely

Do I have to do both sections?
Section 1 only: Economics and Management, History and Economics, Land Economy 
Section 1 and 2: PPE, Experimental Psychology, Geography, Human Sciences, PPL

General  Advice

• PRACTICE! It really does make a difference!
• For Section 1: use all the TSA past papers, then work through BMAT papers. If you can, buy a TSA practice question book. 
• For Section 2: create an essay plan for every question. Practice writing some under timed conditions.
• ​Always practice under timed conditions. 

Section 1

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• General
  • Read the question first, before the main information/passage. 
  • The time is precious. If a question takes more than 2 mins, move on. 
  • Identify weak spots. Note down questions that you got wrong and return to them after a while. 
• ​Critical Thinking
  • ​Annotate the passage: circle, underline, highlight, etc 
  • Identifying the main conclusion: What is the purpose of the passage?  Often a recommendation: "should", "must"
  • Drawing a conclusion: Not stated in the passage. The passage gives you good reasons to believe this statement is true. 
  • Parallel reasoning: simplify the structure into algebra (e.g. If A, then B. Therefore C)
  • Assumptions: not stated in the passage; if false, the passage's conclusion is no longer true. 
• Problem Solving
  • ​Practice your mental maths skills. Learning times tables up to 18 helps. 
  • Do not be overwhelmed by the information. 
  • Spatial reasoning questions: try drawing the shape in 3D from different angles. 
  • Do not do too much maths in your head. Silly mistakes add up quickly. 

SECTION 1 QUESTION GUIDE

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Short, motivating.

Long, goes through all the key question types with recommendations. 

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Section 2

• Choose the question you can write the best essay for​. It doesn't matter if it is not relevant to your subject. 
• The test is about you ability to think and write, not show off your knowledge in the subject. Only use knowledge where relevant.
• PLAN! ​5 minutes is advisable. May structure into "for" and "against"; around different themes; etc. Don't sit on the fence. 
• Introduction: Keep short and simple. Define key terms if necessary. 
• Main content: Balanced + concise. Back up points with examples (e.g. contemporary events, hypothetical scenarios, etc)
• Conclusion: Summarise your argument. No new ideas. Connect to a wider theme (optional)
• Review your essays. If possible, get a teacher to look over them too. 
• After actual exam: make a note of what you have written, you may be asked about it at interview. 

section 2 guide

TSA Section 2 - Example Essay Plan 

TSA Section 2 - Tips

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Past Papers

PAPER	Explained Answers	Score	Statistics
Specimen - Section 1 | Section 2	Link	Value	Value
2008 - Section 1 | Section 2	Video	Link	Link
2009 - Section 1 | Section 2	Link	Link	Link
2010 - Section 1 | Section 2	Value	Link	Link
2011 - Section 1 | Section 2	Valu	Link	Link
2012 - Section 1 | Section 2	Value	Link	Link
2013 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2014 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2015 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2016 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2017 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2018 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2019 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link
2020 - Section 1 | Section 2		Link	Link

Track your progress

DOWNLOAD

What is a good score?

First, how does scoring work?
In Section 1, every question gets 1 mark. Then your total marks (for critical thinking, for problem solving, and overall)  get converted into scores.   
Section 2 is marked separately. Score information is largely unhelpful here. 
​
What is a good score?
The typical applicant scores around 60.
Scores over 70 are comparatively high.
Very few exceptional candidates will score above 80.

But... the score you need will depend on your course:

Applying for

• Experimental Psychology 
• PPL

Mean scores for candidates applying in 2019 at each stage. 

_	Critical Thinking	Problem Solving	Overall
All Applicants	62.96	64.11	63.40
Shortlisted for interview	68.68	70.05	69.04
Offered a place	70.42	72.26	70.93

Source

Applying for:

• Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
• Economics and Management

Scores you needed to get shortlisted for interview in 2019 (for PPE).

_	Overall Score
Almost certainly shortlisted	n  >= 73.26
Probably shortlist	70.45 <= n < 73.26
Marginal	68.37 <= n < 70.45
Probably deselect	n < 68.37

​Source