TSA PAST PAPERS
TSA Past Papers (2008–2023)
Thinking Skills Assessment. The TSA Section 1 archive that UAT-UK provides on its TARA preparation materials page covers 2008 to 2023, with answer keys. That is the set held here. FrontierVUE hosts all 13 papers we hold, each sat online in a timed interface with worked solutions.
- Past papers
- 13
- Questions
- 650
- Years covered
- 2008–2023
What the TSA was, and why it still matters
Oxford used it for courses such as PPE, Economics & Management and Experimental Psychology, and other universities used it for comparable subjects. The TARA has since taken over that role at Oxford, which makes the TSA the closest relative the TARA has.
The TSA had two parts: Section 1 was 50 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes covering problem solving and critical thinking; Section 2 was a writing task. Section 1 is what is held here, and it is the part UAT-UK provides. Unlike the BMAT, the TSA format never changed across the archive: 50 questions in 90 minutes throughout.
Why UAT-UK lists these papers as TARA preparation
“the Critical Thinking and Problem Solving components of the Test of Academic Reasoning (TARA) share a common history with the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) Section 1 and the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA). On that basis, candidates wishing to access more preparation materials may find the BMAT papers below useful.”
That is the wording from UAT-UK's own TARA preparation materials page, unedited. UAT-UK hosts the TSA archive and its answer keys on that same page. It does not mean official TARA past papers exist: UAT-UK has never released one, and this site does not call these papers TARA past papers.
What TSA papers do for your TARA preparation
UAT-UK names the TSA alongside BMAT Section 1 on its TARA preparation materials page, on the basis that they share a common history with the TARA’s Critical Thinking and Problem Solving components.
On pacing the TSA is the closest match of all: 50 questions in 90 minutes is an average of 1 minute 48 seconds each, against roughly 1 minute 49 for a TARA module of 22 questions in 40 minutes. One second apart. The TSA also mixes critical thinking and problem solving within a single paper, exactly as the TARA does, so it trains the switching between the two that no other archive reproduces as well.
Which TARA module each TSA part maps to
| TSA part | TARA module | Why it maps |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 · Problem Solving | Problem Solving | One of the two components UAT-UK names. TSA problem solving leans on pulling quantitative relationships out of tables, diagrams and scenarios, which is where the TARA also sits. |
| Section 1 · Critical Thinking | Critical Thinking | The other component. Analysing arguments, finding assumptions and judging what weakens or strengthens them, the area where overlap with the TARA is highest. |
This table describes continuity of content and question style, not an official equivalence. The TARA has its own specification, so always check the UAT-UK specification before you sit it.
Before you use this archive
Section 2 (the writing task) is not held here. The TARA does have a writing task, but the requirements are not the same, so TSA essay questions are not a substitute for TARA writing practice. The TSA was also paper-based, so the on-screen experience has to come from TARA-format mocks. And again the point that matters most: these are real TSA papers, not TARA papers. UAT-UK has never released a TARA past paper.
All 13 TSA past papers
| Year | Paper | Questions | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2022 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2021 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2020 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2019 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2018 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2017 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2016 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2015 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2011 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2010 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2009 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
| 2008 | Section 1 | 50 | Premium |
Sharper than a stack of PDFs
Exam-style pacing: the TSA was a paper test and the TARA is sat on screen. Here every paper runs in a timed interface with instant marking, so there are no answer keys to check by hand.
Worked solutions: every question comes with a full solution, and mistakes can be saved to a review list for repeat practice.
Performance analytics: accuracy and timing are broken down by topic, so weak areas are visible rather than guessed at.
Complete by year: the whole TSA archive is organised by year and paper, so you can sit a full timed paper or drill a single year.
Always current: for a year after purchase, new TARA papers and solutions are added at no extra cost; everything already unlocked stays available afterwards.
FAQ
Is the TSA still running?
Are TSA past papers useful for TARA preparation?
How many TSA past papers are on FrontierVUE?
Which TARA module should I practise with TSA papers?
Before you use the TSA archive
Related pages
FrontierVUE is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson, OCR, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, or any official admissions-test owner.
FrontierVUE 是独立的备考练习平台，与 UAT-UK、Pearson、OCR、剑桥大学、 帝国理工学院或任何官方入学考试主办方均无隶属或背书关系。
Start practising TSA papers
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