TARAQuestions

Every question in the TSA archive, 850 from 17 papers. Open one to answer it and watch its walkthrough.

850 questions

Throughout history, gold has been revered and used for expensive jewellery and ornamentation. But in the future, it will be prized for its practical uses rather than for its aesthetic appeal. It wasn't until early in the last century that gold's electrical conductivity properties were discovered. Solid state…TSA 2022 · Question 1 · Main Conclusion · Save
A quiz consists of 7 rounds, each of which contains 20 questions. Each question is worth one point. At the end of the quiz, but before any of the answers or scores are revealed, each team is allowed to select one of the rounds and the score for that round is tripled. In addition, the scores for the rounds immediately…TSA 2022 · Question 2 · Logic · Save
Whether known as the high street, main street, or market square, central shopping districts in many towns throughout the world are in danger of disappearing. The decline in some downtown shopping areas began decades ago because of various social and economic trends, including an increase in the number of women working…TSA 2022 · Question 3 · Assumption · Save
I have always said that owners of expensive cars are less considerate drivers, and now a study has proved me right. The study showed that they are less likely to stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow someone to cross the road than drivers of less expensive cars – in fact, their likelihood to do so decreased by about…TSA 2022 · Question 4 · Identify Flaws · Save
You only win an election if you gain a majority of votes. You must have gained a majority of votes because you were named the winner in the election.TSA 2022 · Question 5 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
Rob has two different mixtures of apple juice and orange juice. Rob wants to use these two mixtures to make 6 litres of a juice mixture which is 50% apple juice and 50% orange juice.TSA 2022 · Question 6 · Logic · Save
The extension numbers needed to contact eight different departments in a university depend on whether the caller is calling as a student, parent, lecturer, journalist or researcher. The appropriate numbers are shown below. Fran is a lecturer and regularly needs to contact all of the departments in the university.TSA 2022 · Question 7 · Logic · Save
Over the past decade the popularity of coffee has soared in the United Kingdom. As a result, the number of coffee shops across the UK has risen. The table below shows a breakdown of the number of chain and independent coffee shops in East London between 2013 and 2019.TSA 2022 · Question 8 · Best Fit · Save
Bicycle owners have a duty to have their bicycles maintained properly. This is to ensure the safety both of the rider and of other road users. If an injury is caused to another person as a result of a failure to maintain a bicycle properly, then the injured person should be entitled to compensation from the owner of…TSA 2022 · Question 9 · Principle · Save
Despite ranking top of gender equality lists, Sweden is like practically every other country in terms of having an unequal division of labour for unpaid housework. Perpetuating stereotypes about who should be responsible for cleaning tasks, women still perform more domestic chores than their male partners. To address…TSA 2022 · Question 10 · Weakening Arguments · Save
People are attracted to cities because of the job opportunities that they bring. At the same time, house prices tend to push people away from urban centres. The draw of healthy living and green environments similarly pulls people towards less urban environments, further from city centres. The limiting factor in…TSA 2022 · Question 11 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
The shampoo that I normally buy costs £1.96 for a 500ml bottle and always lasts for 40 days. Last month I decided to try a new brand that is 36p cheaper and contains 550 ml. However, because of the amount that I have had to use to wash my hair properly, it has run out after only 25 days.TSA 2022 · Question 12 · Logic · Save
Kate and Tek are choosing a cottage to rent for their family holiday. They have searched online and reduced their choice to five cottages. The facilities offered by these cottages are shown in the following table. Ideally, Kate and Tek would like a cottage with at least three bedrooms, a large garden, wifi, parking,…TSA 2022 · Question 13 · Logic · Save
Alex and Anita play a game where they need to form words from letters. The value of each letter is a whole number of points (which can be 0). Alex and Anita earn points by adding together the value of the letters in the words they form. The value of the last three words they formed is shown in the table below. Anita…TSA 2022 · Question 14 · Logic · Save
There is no denying the unwanted consequences of car emissions, burning of fossil fuels, chemical effluent, and other pollutants. Their negative effects include the increasing incidence of respiratory, skin, and heart conditions. But 'environments' consist of more than just the elements of air, earth, and water.…TSA 2022 · Question 15 · Main Conclusion · Save
The past couple of decades have been fairly tricky for many countries due to economic challenges and political and social uncertainties. The UK has certainly been amongst such countries. But life there is getting better, according to the World Happiness Report, and indeed the latest findings of this annual review are…TSA 2022 · Question 16 · Assumption · Save
People complain about the fact that newspapers are often full of recycled articles about celebrity gossip, but they forget that real news costs money – investigative reporters need to go out into the world and unearth new information. The trouble is, those who complain are also unprepared to pay to read newspapers,…TSA 2022 · Question 17 · Principle · Save
Sean is taking his car to Sunny Island. He lives 38 miles away from the mainland terminal where the seaport and airport are based. He has researched the travel costs and come up with two possible options. The ferry ticket (car and passenger) is $80. A lt er na t i v e l y, a pl an e t i c k e t i s$ 50 and the seaport company will…TSA 2022 · Question 18 · Logic · Save
A youth club is open six evenings every week. There are nine volunteers who run the club. Each evening three of the volunteers are on duty. When the rota is drawn up for any week, the following conditions must be met as seen below. Next week's rota has just been published, as shown below. Fay wants to swap her Tuesday…TSA 2022 · Question 19 · Logic · Save
Students studying geography at college were tested at the start of the year and at the end of the year. Their marks are shown in the following table.TSA 2022 · Question 20 · Logic · Save
Some people have such good natural stamina that they can run a marathon with no training. John was able to run a marathon on Saturday. It is possible he did no training in preparation.TSA 2022 · Question 21 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
In a recent UK news broadcast, a white reporter appeared to mistake a Labour Member of Parliament (MP), who is Black, for another MP who is also Black. This shows the dangers of a lack of diversity in workplaces. It is not the first time that such a mistake has occurred: a week earlier the same television channel had…TSA 2022 · Question 22 · Assumption · Save
Recent figures issued by the UK Department of Education have revealed that the proportion of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who have reached the expected level of educational achievement by the time they leave secondary school is lower than that of the population as a whole. The…TSA 2022 · Question 23 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Iman and Maya ran a 100 metre race. Iman started 2 seconds after Maya and finished 3 seconds before her. If each girl ran at a constant speed throughout the race, and Iman's speed was 25% faster than Maya's, for how many seconds did Iman run?TSA 2022 · Question 24 · Rates · Save
Five popular makes of fishcake are shown in the table below, with comparisons of their ingredients, the weight of each type and the cost for a pack of two. Ester wants to buy the fishcakes that contain the greatest amount of fish per pound spent.TSA 2022 · Question 25 · Logic · Save
The following chart shows the average salary of politicians in selected countries in absolute terms on the left (in thousands of dollars) and as a multiple of their country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per person on the right.TSA 2022 · Question 26 · Logic · Save
Trains in the UK are operated by private companies approved by the government and awarded a franchise for which they must meet certain standards, for example on punctuality. SuperRail, which operates the trains in one part of the country, has a poor record to date and has been warned that if it again exceeds the…TSA 2022 · Question 27 · Identify Flaws · Save
If you arrive late for work, you will definitely get fired. You lost your last job so you must have arrived late for work.TSA 2022 · Question 28 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
'Progressive' teaching methods – used in schools for the last 40 or 50 years – put an emphasis on collaborative ways of learning. It is time to reconsider the idea that this constitutes best practice in the classroom. Collaborative learning appeals to those with extrovert personalities, but much less so to introverts.…TSA 2022 · Question 29 · Main Conclusion · Save
In a prize draw, tickets are printed with 3-digit numbers from 001 to 999. Contestants pay to take a ticket at random. A major prize is awarded for all tickets where the product of the 3 digits on the ticket drawn is 8 and a minor prize is awarded when the product is 12. For example 143 wins a minor prize because 1 ×…TSA 2022 · Question 30 · Optimisation · Save
The table shows the cost of hot drinks in a local café. Belle bought a number of hot drinks, including at least one of each tea, coffee and chocolate. She was charged £32.00.TSA 2022 · Question 31 · Optimisation · Save
I have a wooden cube with edges that are 5 cm long. I paint it in the following way:TSA 2022 · Question 32 · Logic · Save
The UK has one of the world's highest levels of regional inequality, according to a recent report. Of the 30 nations studied, only 2 had higher levels of inequality. The main disparity is between those living in the poorer north and the wealthier south of the country. To address this, the government has been working…TSA 2022 · Question 33 · Assumption · Save
A right is not an excuse. The fact that you have a right to do something cannot count as justification for doing it. I may have a right to walk along behind someone in the street, mimicking their walk. Does that mean I ought to go around doing this? In fact, when deciding how to act, it isn't really rights we should…TSA 2022 · Question 34 · Principle · Save
It is no surprise to hear that we are more likely to help someone we like than someone we don't. But another factor that influences our behaviour towards others is a sense of reciprocity – the sense that you ought to do something good for someone if they have done something good for you. Psychologists have measured…TSA 2022 · Question 35 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Grandma has spent £60 on five books which she is intending to give to her three grandchildren, Miya, Harriet and Mehran. She is going to give the books in a way that relates the cost to the time they normally spend reading (i.e. spend the most on the child who reads the most). Miya reads for an hour a day. Harriet…TSA 2022 · Question 36 · Logic · Save
In a ball game points are accumulated by different combinations of four winning shots called a chop, a creamer, a glink and a yip. Playing the game for the first time, the only knowledge I have about the scoring system is that a chop is worth one point more than a creamer, and a creamer is worth twice as many points…TSA 2022 · Question 37 · Combinations · Save
At the beginning of the day, a showroom had 32 vehicles for sale. The vehicles were advertised in five categories: hatchback, saloon, utility, estate car and people carrier. By the end of the day, 24 vehicles had been sold. The first chart shows a comparison of the numbers of vehicles in each category in the showroom…TSA 2022 · Question 38 · Logic · Save
If someone tries to rescue someone from a burning roof, slips, drops them, and they die, we don't class them as a murderer. This is because we believe that judgements should be based on the intention behind an action, not the outcome. Whether or not we like to admit it, however, our moral judgements are sometimes…TSA 2022 · Question 39 · Main Conclusion · Save
Should we be worried about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? On the one hand, there are big names that have expressed major concern. Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking have all argued that AI poses the single biggest threat to mankind's existence. At the same time there are people such as Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook…TSA 2022 · Question 40 · Identify Flaws · Save
In recent years, televised debates between political candidates have taken on increasing significance in the elections held in various countries. Meant to encourage public participation in elections and help voters evaluate the candidates seeking their support, these events are not much more than noisy distractions.…TSA 2022 · Question 41 · Assumption · Save
In my currency, there are six types of coin in circulation: [image of the six coin types] I start with two coins. I visit a shop and purchase two bars of chocolate and pay using the two coins. My change consists of two coins. The next day I re-visit the shop and purchase another one bar of chocolate with that change.…TSA 2022 · Question 42 · Logic · Save
In a game, players take it in turns to place tokens onto squares of a grid. The squares on the grid are coloured white and grey. When a player places a token they score one point for every token on an adjacent square (either horizontally or vertically). For every adjacent square that is white an extra point is scored.…TSA 2022 · Question 43 · Optimisation · Save
In Cat and Mouse, a game for two players, 16 cards are shuffled and then placed face down on a table as shown below. Cats are pictured on 8 of the cards and mice on the other 8. Both players pick up two cards at each turn, taking care not to show the cards to the other player. If the two cards are a cat and a mouse,…TSA 2022 · Question 44 · Logic · Save
If he was telling the truth about the incident, then we would not expect him to look so nervous talking to the police. The fact that he looks so nervous suggests he is probably lying.TSA 2022 · Question 45 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
On Sports Day at St Jude's College points are awarded in each event as follows: [image of table] Each student may enter a maximum of three events.TSA 2022 · Question 46 · Optimisation · Save
One vision dominating much of urban planning worldwide is that of the 'smart city', whereby urban areas are pre-planned and designed to be managed via digital technology with efficiency prioritised as the top objective. But planners cannot foresee how cities will need to develop depending on cultural trends, changes…TSA 2022 · Question 47 · Main Conclusion · Save
My three friends bought food at the supermarket. When I asked them, they did not remember the prices of the items, only the final amount they paid. I want to buy 1 bread roll, 1 apple and 1 chocolate bar.TSA 2022 · Question 48 · Logic · Save
The government has recently announced that the method by which the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is funded will be changed, leading to speculation that public funding for the organisation could soon be withdrawn. One of the complaints is that BBC TV and radio presenters “make their profile at public expense”,…TSA 2022 · Question 49 · Weakening Arguments · Save
There are five towns at various positions along a major ring road that encircles a city. Traffic travelling clockwise around the ring road is provided with information in the form of five 'distance' signs at various points along the road as shown. One of the signs contains an error in one of the distances indicated.TSA 2022 · Question 50 · Spatial · Save
'How much does an aeroplane weigh?'; 'Why are manhole covers round?'. Despite the popularity of bizarre questions like this in interviews for jobs in the big technology companies, they have been proved to give little insight into the applicant's ability or personality. Applicants faced with such questions would be…TSA 2021 · Question 1 · Main Conclusion · Save
The fairy lights on a Christmas tree are in three colours, blue, green and silver. The blue lights flash every 5 seconds, the green lights flash every 8 seconds and the silver lights flash every 12 seconds. The lights have all just flashed at the same time.TSA 2021 · Question 2 · Logic · Save
A supermarket chain is to remove traditional plastic bags for loose fruit and vegetables from its stores by spring next year and 5p single-use plastic bags by March, replacing them with compostable bags in each case. This will save 134 million plastic bags, the equivalent of 500 tonnes of plastic a year, and make it…TSA 2021 · Question 3 · Identify Flaws · Save
There is often talk of this or that job being 'exploitative' or of people on low wages being 'exploited' by their employers, as if there were something deeply unjust about paying someone poorly. But this misses a fundamental point about injustice. You cannot be unjustly treated voluntarily: if you agree to the action,…TSA 2021 · Question 4 · Principle · Save
Genuine apologies are an expression of regret and repentance on the part of the person who has acted wrongly. However, in some recent cases government ministers have apologised for unjust policies of previous governments, in which they personally played no part; some of these actions occurred before the person…TSA 2021 · Question 5 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
I have received the following message that is encrypted with a Caesar cipher: JYMDWEFTQEBAF. This Caesar cipher replaces each letter of the plaintext (the message to be encrypted) with a letter that is a certain fixed number of positions along the 26-letter English alphabet. Knowing this fixed number of positions (the…TSA 2021 · Question 6 · Logic · Save
Gordon's family are keen cyclists and regularly cycle around town (urban) and a nearby forest (rural). He has become concerned recently that the air they are breathing whilst cycling is causing his family respiratory problems. He has decided to buy his whole family anti-pollution cycling masks, by buying two adult and…TSA 2021 · Question 7 · Rates · Save
A signal transmitter transmits a message in binary form. (In other words, the message is coded in 'bits'. Each bit is represented either by the digit '1' or by the digit '0'.) To add an element of security, the signal is embedded within other random bits (so that there are other 1s and 0s before and after the…TSA 2021 · Question 8 · Probability · Save
Part-time undergraduate numbers have fallen by more than 50% since 2010 – this represents a lost opportunity for people wanting to improve their job options. More needs to be done to provide support for people to take short, flexible part-time courses. A survey was conducted of 830 people who had considered studying…TSA 2021 · Question 9 · Main Conclusion · Save
The mobile phone was said to be the ultimate liberating device. Rather than being forced to stay, not just inside a house, not just in a particular room, but almost literally chained to a wall, you could now go anywhere to talk to someone. The irony is, however, that mobile phones have actually made us a lot less…TSA 2021 · Question 10 · Weakening Arguments · Save
A lot of people who fear snakes imagine that their skin is slimy. Snakes are not slimy but have smooth, dry skin. Therefore, if these people were better informed, they would lose their fear of snakes.TSA 2021 · Question 11 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
Help Yourself! is a restaurant in which customers can help themselves to as much food as they wish from a buffet for a fixed price of $10 f or a d u lt s an d$ 6 for children. A Family Meal Ticket is available for…TSA 2021 · Question 12 · Logic · Save
Jason's workplace offers a special deal on any four breakfast items. He can choose from bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, tomatoes and beans. Jason will not have bacon and sausage together, nor will he have egg with beans.TSA 2021 · Question 13 · Combinations · Save
Cyclists in a small town were surveyed about their age. A table was produced to show the percentages and numbers of cyclists in five categories of their age. Some of the survey data was added to the table.TSA 2021 · Question 14 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
The government should be active in promoting marriage. Notwithstanding bad marriages, research shows that married adults are happier, have better health, are less likely to be involved in crime, and enjoy many other advantages related to their personal welfare and the welfare of their family. Research also shows that…TSA 2021 · Question 15 · Assumption · Save
Many drivers think that the laws that make it compulsory to use a seat belt are an intrusion into their private lives – a denial of an autonomous lifestyle choice. But state intervention in our freedom is justified when, because of our short-sightedness, impulsiveness or carelessness, we act in a way that actually or…TSA 2021 · Question 16 · Principle · Save
Intensive farming, designed to give the greatest food yield per hectare, is widely believed to create higher levels of pollution and damage to the environment than organic farming. But the reality is that the opposite is the case: a global research team measured what they call 'externalities' – the environmental costs…TSA 2021 · Question 17 · Identify Flaws · Save
Tim and Jerry are business partners. Tim lives in New York (Eastern Time Zone) and Jerry lives in San Francisco (Pacific Time Zone). They both agree to meet in Oklahoma (Central Time Zone). [image of table] Tim set off at 10 am local time but shortly afterwards he realised he had left his ticket at home. As a result…TSA 2021 · Question 18 · Logic · Save
Martha is hoping that her parents will agree to a family visit to Rockworld Zoo as a treat for her 16th birthday. This would include Martha, her mum and dad, her brothers aged 14, 12 and 9 years old and her grandmother, who is 62. They have looked at the price tariff for tickets and have decided that they would want…TSA 2021 · Question 19 · Logic · Save
The sales for the four departments of a store are shown in the two pie charts below.TSA 2021 · Question 20 · Logic · Save
If we were ever to detect an alien transmission from outer space, ought we to reply? There are good grounds for keeping silent. After all, how do we know that any such aliens will be peaceable? But the truth is that it is too late for such precautions. Since World War II, we've been broadcasting TV, radio, and radar…TSA 2021 · Question 21 · Main Conclusion · Save
We have long known that if women take folic acid supplements during the first months of pregnancy (and preferably just before getting pregnant too), it decreases the likelihood of babies being born with neural tube defects. Research has shown, however, that not enough women in the UK are choosing to take the…TSA 2021 · Question 22 · Strengthen · Save
Conditions in some of the UK's prisons are scandalous. Inspectors found some prisons to be dirty, vermin-infested places, with frightening levels of violence and prisoners having easy access to illegal drugs. Some critics attribute the poor management of these prisons to the fact that the government has allowed…TSA 2021 · Question 23 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
A cinema uses magnetic letters to write the title of the most popular film that it is screening on its advertisement board. A set of magnetic letters includes the letters of the English alphabet in both upper and lower cases, i.e. 26 capital letters and 26 small letters. The cinema has just enough sets to be able to…TSA 2021 · Question 24 · Optimisation · Save
I run a bakery and sell two sizes of loaf. Small loaves (weighing 240 g) sell for 80p, and large loaves (weighing 400 g) sell for £1.20. I buy dough, ready-made, at the start of each day. Small boxes (5 kg of dough) cost me £10.00 each, and large boxes (15 kg of dough) cost me £20.00 each. The baking process causes…TSA 2021 · Question 25 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
The Zambezi River Basin plays a key role in water management for the following eight countries. The table below shows the percentage of people with access to clean drinking water in each country in 2004.TSA 2021 · Question 26 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
Rhona is a self-employed IT technician. Some of her clients are also friends. When she checks a computer for problems, she sees what is stored on the hard disk. She has sometimes teased friends in front of others about the websites they have been visiting and the pictures she has seen stored on their computers. She…TSA 2021 · Question 27 · Principle · Save
Following a few simple rules can help you keep your job. For instance, if you arrive late for work, you will definitely get fired. You lost your last job so you must have arrived late for work.TSA 2021 · Question 28 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
As a result of a recent initiative, energy providers are encouraging their customers to have 'smart meters' installed in their properties. Smart meters are recommended because they help you to control your energy usage and therefore mean that you will have lower bills. However, you should refuse to have one installed.…TSA 2021 · Question 29 · Main Conclusion · Save
I am planning a party next weekend. I have invited 100 people. Last week I took advantage of an offer at my local supermarket where I was able to get 10% off the total price of party food if I spent more than $75. I p ai d$ 108 and I estimate that the food that I bought will be enough for 60 people. I've now had replies…TSA 2021 · Question 30 · Logic · Save
Aliyah is planning a 2 week holiday in Spain with her friend Kyra and her husband. They have chosen their hotel and are calculating what the total cost will be for the 3 of them. They have decided on a departure date of May 21st and will be ready to make the booking in early January. The following table shows dates…TSA 2021 · Question 31 · Logic · Save
A tin of 60 chocolates contains dark chocolates, milk chocolates and white chocolates. Each of these types of chocolate is present in three different shapes – square, circle and triangle. The distributions of the chocolates in the tin, by type and shape, are shown in the pie charts:TSA 2021 · Question 32 · Logic · Save
Rats, like wood pigeons, badgers and foxes, are synurbic – i.e. a species that thrives in urban habitats. Cities provide perfect conditions for rats, offering warmth and shelter and plentiful supplies of food – and cities are getting bigger. Human antipathy to rats is well founded: they breed quickly and spread…TSA 2021 · Question 33 · Assumption · Save
The dark tendencies humans may have, such as psychopathy (lack of empathy), narcissism (excessive self-absorption), egoism and sadism are based on the same single underlying source: a drive to maximize one's individual interests, and to disregard or malevolently cause harm to others' interests. These tendencies often…TSA 2021 · Question 34 · Identify Flaws · Save
Surely there can be few things more commendable than donating to charitable organisations. Yet there are compelling strategic reasons to rethink the charitable model used for tackling social problems in many countries. Relying on voluntary public donations to fund charitable work can leave important but less popular…TSA 2021 · Question 35 · Weakening Arguments · Save
A game is played involving two dice. Both dice are 6-sided cubes with the following shapes on their faces:TSA 2021 · Question 36 · Logic · Save
On a six-day hiking holiday, a group of friends travelled part of the trail by walking and part by bus. On average they walked 15 km per day over the six days. By the end of the 5th day, they had travelled 30 km by bus. The chart below shows the total distance covered each day.TSA 2021 · Question 37 · Spatial · Save
The numbers of males and females enrolled at a college in 2016, 2017 and 2018 are shown in the graph below.TSA 2021 · Question 38 · Logic · Save
In 1992, the bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus was published. Decades later, even in places where women and men occupy relatively similar positions in society, the notion of fundamental psychological differences between the sexes still has great appeal. However, this idea that 'men and women are from…TSA 2021 · Question 39 · Main Conclusion · Save
In order for a gritted road surface to freeze over, temperatures must fall to –10 °C or below. Above this temperature, grit will continue to melt ice on the road. Since ice has formed even on treated surfaces in recent weeks, the temperature must have fallen below –10 °C at times.TSA 2021 · Question 40 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
Advocates of alternative or complementary medicine frequently say things like, 'You need to treat the body, mind and spirit together', contending that mainstream medicine focuses too much on the purely physical. Alternative medicine prides itself on treating the person 'as a whole', taking account of their underlying…TSA 2021 · Question 41 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
The 4-digit PIN for my credit card can be written as two 2-digit square numbers (between 10 and 100). When the four digits, which are all different, are written individually in words, they are in alphabetical order.TSA 2021 · Question 42 · Logic · Save
Jun lives in Applecross and Aki lives in Damsonville. Both live a 10-minute walk from their local train stations, which both lie on the Applecross–Figtown line. Trains on this line run throughout the day to the following timetable: [image of timetable] Jun leaves his house at 10:00 to go to visit Aki at her house. He…TSA 2021 · Question 43 · Optimisation · Save
At the beginning of March, Suzy begins training for a marathon running event. At the end of each month from March until August, she records the total distance that she has run since the beginning of March. This information is shown in the following table.TSA 2021 · Question 44 · Spatial · Save
A charity dealing with homelessness in the UK has reported that its case workers have compiled a list of private landlords and commercial rental companies which have refused to undertake necessary repairs to properties. In some of those cases, tenants have been evicted simply for complaining about the conditions in…TSA 2021 · Question 45 · Identify Flaws · Save
In August, Bill used his new, UK-based Bridgford Bank credit card for the first time. The summary details for this card are shown below. He bought goods to the value of £2450. He also withdrew £300 in cash from a UK cash machine. Then, on holiday in Spain, he used the card to pay for £500 worth of goods.TSA 2021 · Question 46 · Optimisation · Save
Acting is surely the most overrated occupation of all time. Although top actors are held in high esteem, sometimes people walk into the profession without any training and win critical acclaim. In the film Captain Phillips, for example, Barkhad Abdi won several awards for best supporting actor, despite having never…TSA 2021 · Question 47 · Principle · Save
A company analyses five possible cities to build a 5 storey office building. The total floor area of the 5 storeys required by the company is 3000 m² and the total land area required on which to build it is 600 m². The table below gives the land price and construction price in…TSA 2021 · Question 48 · Spatial · Save
Couples who want to divorce will face a less confrontational process under recent proposals to change UK law. The proposed changes would remove the need to show evidence of the other spouse's conduct and so avoid the 'blame game' that has existed when a marriage breaks down. Additionally, the opportunity for the other…TSA 2021 · Question 49 · Main Conclusion · Save
The company that I currently work for pays its employees monthly. Pay day is the fourth Thursday of every month or the 26th, whichever is earlier. Since I joined the company the dates on which I have been paid (in order) have been:TSA 2021 · Question 50 · Logic · Save
The 21st century is witnessing a significant rise in the proportion of people being diagnosed by medical professionals as having a mental illness. For example, at the turn of the century, the number of Canadians being treated for depression increased by over 30% in just one year. A recent study in the US found that…TSA 2020 · Question 1 · Identify Flaws · Save
In the game of tigball, two teams compete against each other to try to score points. Points are scored as follows:TSA 2020 · Question 2 · Logic · Save
In the UK we are increasingly engrossed by entertainment: we devote more time to it than sleep and spend more money on it than food and drink. The aim of entertainment is to create a make-believe situation in which emotions can be excited and discharged without affecting real life. While entertainment has its proper…TSA 2020 · Question 3 · Assumption · Save
Adults over the age of 60 are often depicted by the media as depressed, lonely and grumpy. Of course, old age is associated with physical decline, health issues become more common and memory gets fuzzier. Previously, theories of ageing assumed that emotional experiences would follow a similar pathway towards…TSA 2020 · Question 4 · Main Conclusion · Save
You are allowed to vote in the general election only if you are at least 18 years old. You have reached 18 so you will be able to vote in the forthcoming election.TSA 2020 · Question 5 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
A teacher is organising a trip to the local zoo for 20 students. Of the 20 students, 12 are aged 11–15 and 8 are 16–18 years of age. Tickets cost £12.95 per adult (16 years of age and over) and £9.95 per child (2–15 years of age). For every 4 students under 16 they must have one teacher supervising them. They will…TSA 2020 · Question 6 · Optimisation · Save
The Pentarathon Challenge is a competition in which five athletes compete against each other in five marathon races, run on consecutive days. Points are awarded in each race, as follows:TSA 2020 · Question 7 · Logic · Save
Between 1987 and 1992 there were four formats of singles recordings: 7, 12, cassette and CD. The accompanying graph shows how total sales of singles were split between the four different formats in the years 1987 to 1992.TSA 2020 · Question 8 · Logic · Save
Microscopic malaria parasites enter a person's bloodstream through mosquito bites and infect red blood cells. They replicate in these cells and penetrate other organs. Until recently, microbiologists sought to block the parasites from entering red blood cells. Rhode Island University studied 700 Tanzanian children…TSA 2020 · Question 9 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Despite the government's promise to be more business friendly, plans have been announced to change the law regarding the paid leave that couples are entitled to take following the birth of a child. This will allow new parents to take more time off work than under the current regulations. It is claimed that the current…TSA 2020 · Question 10 · Weakening Arguments · Save
As long as there is the right combination of guests, any party will be a success. The last party was great, so there must have been a perfect selection of guests.TSA 2020 · Question 11 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
A builder has 32 kg of a mix of sand and cement, of which 25% is sand. For a new job, he needs 120 kg of a mix of sand and cement in which the ratio of sand to cement is 2:1. To obtain this, he starts with his initial 32 kg mix and adds more sand and cement.TSA 2020 · Question 12 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
I am planning to buy a new laptop. The following table shows the specifications and the prices of my shortlist.TSA 2020 · Question 13 · Logic · Save
A combination lock has three dials, each dial has eight letters. It is known that the following combinations have been used - one, who, two, bob, add, owl, fab, den, mia and tat.TSA 2020 · Question 14 · Combinations · Save
Although the Scottish Government has announced plans to ban corporal punishment of children (smacking), we must preserve the right of parents in the rest of the UK to smack their children when it is reasonable. This is not because we are violent people eager to hit our kids: we recognise that smacking is damaging to…TSA 2020 · Question 15 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Sometimes we are mistreated by others, and forgiveness is one kind of response to those who wrong us. However, sometimes we do things that appear to be morally wrong but, in fact, are not. If we are reproached, we can give an explanation for our action that justifies it. In these cases, we are claiming that, despite…TSA 2020 · Question 16 · Main Conclusion · Save
There has been a choral singing boom. Three hundred thousand more people sing in choirs than play amateur football, yet football receives £30 million from the government every year compared to £1 million for choirs. It is only fair that a substantial increase in funding is made that reflects the numbers of…TSA 2020 · Question 17 · Principle · Save
Every week I buy 12 cans of lemonade. The shop that I always buy them from sells individual cans for 80p each and packs of 4 cans for £2.60, so I buy three packs of cans.TSA 2020 · Question 18 · Logic · Save
I have booked myself, my wife and our three children into The Wavecrest Hotel, Southbourne, for seven nights from June 19th. The hotel has sent us a 'What's on' booklet, and we are particularly keen to see Oliver!, the advertisement for which is shown below:TSA 2020 · Question 19 · Logic · Save
In computer technology, a bit can take two values: 0 or 1. A byte is composed of 8 bits. I start with the following byte: 01000111. I choose two adjacent bits and change each of them to the opposite value (that is, a 0 becomes a 1, and a 1 becomes a 0). I repeat this procedure a number of times.TSA 2020 · Question 20 · Logic · Save
In real terms, spending on education in the UK is going down. But reductions in funding always mean a reduction in the quality of education provided. In the current climate, we should expect to see the quality of education in the UK diminishing.TSA 2020 · Question 21 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
Maths is the most popular subject taken at A Level in the UK. Most of the best-paid jobs are in the technology and finance sectors, which tend to require maths. The majority of students achieving the best grades in maths are boys, which helps to explain the persistence of the gender pay disparity. But what explains…TSA 2020 · Question 22 · Identify Flaws · Save
In many cultures, traditional heterosexual male preferences for spouses have centred upon a woman's preparedness – and willingness – to fulfil childcare and other domestic duties and not on her academic achievements or career potential. This kind of expectation on the part of men has served as a significant obstacle…TSA 2020 · Question 23 · Weakening Arguments · Save
I had planned my day trip to the stately home very carefully, but then the bus was late. I won't arrive until 11:30 am and will have to leave by 4:15 pm. There were five things that I had wanted to do and I had written these down in the table below:TSA 2020 · Question 24 · Logic · Save
Steven would like to book return flights from London to Pescara, Italy. He would like to spend at least 3 days in Pescara excluding the days of his flights. Steven has lectures in London every Wednesday that he must attend. However, there are no lectures during the 20th–24th April spring break. The prices of flights…TSA 2020 · Question 25 · Logic · Save
The current 'Special Offer' gimmick at Fareprice involves putting a band marked 'TWINPACK - 25% OFF' around pairs of selected items, such as washing powder.TSA 2020 · Question 26 · Logic · Save
People are understandably suspicious of big, centralised governments – government by people based a long way away from them, who seem disconnected from their lives and concerns. Instead there is a movement to give local people more control over what goes on in their area. The trouble with this is that people will…TSA 2020 · Question 27 · Main Conclusion · Save
Some property developers have discovered that designing energy-efficient buildings can provide them with a 'green premium'. The government-backed Energy Star programme has been designed to identify and promote products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers found that the positive impact on the selling…TSA 2020 · Question 28 · Principle · Save
The 'ticking time bomb' scenario demonstrates that it is possible for torture to be morally permissible. In the scenario, a person with knowledge of an imminent terrorist attack that will kill many people is in the hands of the authorities, and will disclose the information needed to prevent the attack only if she is…TSA 2020 · Question 29 · Assumption · Save
Joyce has decided to volunteer to work in the local High Street Charity Shop. She has agreed to be in the shop for 4 hours on a Saturday. To get from her home to the High Street, Joyce will have to travel by bus. Her walk from home to the bus stop is no more than 5 minutes, and the bus journey each way takes between…TSA 2020 · Question 30 · Logic · Save
The prices for tickets to a concert are set based on the day of the performance and the number of tickets that have been sold so far. The table below shows the ticket prices. There are 1000 tickets on sale for each performance. I need to buy 10 tickets for Saturday's performance. I will buy all of them in one purchase…TSA 2020 · Question 31 · Logic · Save
Bert has agreed to make 14 decorations for his daughter's birthday. Each decoration will require two gold ribbons, one 12 cm long and the other 7 cm long. The table shows the lengths and prices of available gold ribbon. The ribbon can be easily cut to size for the decorations, but short pieces of ribbon cannot be…TSA 2020 · Question 32 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
The last century has seen amazing advances in medical research and practice. By preventing millions of premature deaths and reducing pain and incapacity, they have transformed life all over the world. But it is now time to call a halt. Further progress in surgery or medicine will be too expensive for any but a very…TSA 2020 · Question 33 · Main Conclusion · Save
Campaigners have long been calling for a change in the law to force social media companies to take racist, sexist, terrorist, or obscene material posted on their platforms more seriously. They want the government to bind Facebook, Google, etc. to the same strict rules that apply to newspapers and magazines. But that…TSA 2020 · Question 34 · Identify Flaws · Save
There are countless ways to get rich in this world. Those who do not achieve wealth either do not find it important or simply have bad luck. Jane is poor but she has always valued material goods, so she must have been unlucky in her life.TSA 2020 · Question 35 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
The whole of my garden is a patio, which is 12.5 by 10.5 metres. I intend to resurface my patio. I would like my patio to include a 25cm border of bricks and the remainder of the patio inside the border to be covered with paving slabs. The bricks I will use for the border are 25 cm x 25 cm and the paving slabs I will…TSA 2020 · Question 36 · Logic · Save
The table below shows the popularity of different breakfasts served in a hotel from 2006 to 2012.TSA 2020 · Question 37 · Logic · Save
At a smoothie factory, a tropical smoothie mixture contains banana, orange and apple in the proportions shown in the pie chart below. [image of pie chart] The chief taster requested a new recipe, in which every litre contained 10% more banana than was present in the original mixture, and 10% less orange than was…TSA 2020 · Question 38 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
If the captain of a national team commits any kind of crime, he or she is likely to be dropped, heavily fined by the sport's governing body, or barred from future competition. This is on top of any punishment handed down by the courts. Senior politicians, doctors, judges or head teachers who offend also find…TSA 2020 · Question 39 · Principle · Save
What is there in the universe that we know, or have good reason to believe, to possess consciousness? Humans, and perhaps certain other animals. What do they all have in common? They are living beings, made of flesh and blood. As far as we know, nothing else in the universe contains any consciousness at all. For all…TSA 2020 · Question 40 · Identify Flaws · Save
Some readers think there is nothing to learn from historical fiction. Yet the historian and the writer of historical fiction can work in a way that is complementary. Historical novels can thus enrich our understanding of the past. History is a record of the past that is full of gaps. We mostly don't know what was said…TSA 2020 · Question 41 · Main Conclusion · Save
On sports day at Thiska Academy points are awarded in each event as follows: [image of table] Each student may enter no more than three events.TSA 2020 · Question 42 · Logic · Save
Every Christmas the most popular children's toys become scarce. Many people turn to online auction sites to buy them instead. The table below shows the recommended retail price and the price that the listed toys have sold for online.TSA 2020 · Question 43 · Logic · Save
A store sells a particular type of television. The graphs below show the number of these televisions sold per month and the total income from their sales per month, over a six-month period. The price at which these televisions were sold was increased at the beginning of one of the six months.TSA 2020 · Question 44 · Logic · Save
The UK is the most researched nation on Earth. Some £60 per head is spent each year on surveys, polls, consumer panels and questionnaires, more per capita than any other country, according to the Market Research Society. No wonder many Brits are suffering from survey fatigue and refuse to fill out questionnaires. This…TSA 2020 · Question 45 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
My dog's coat had been looking dull, so I bought some conditioning tablets. The pet shop stocks these in boxes of 300 tablets, and for a dog the size of mine the recommendation (which I have followed) is 6 tablets per day. Now, several months later, his coat is much shinier. Opening a new box of tablets today, I have…TSA 2020 · Question 46 · Optimisation · Save
The UK private security industry employs half a million people in a range of roles, including supervising public events, guarding cash in transport, and assisting police in surveillance work. Some government officials are pushing for the legal regulation of such work to be moved out of government agency control and…TSA 2020 · Question 47 · Assumption · Save
Trains run regularly between Ayton and Exbay, stopping at Beetown, Chalton and Deeford, according to the following timetable. [image of timetable] George lives a 14-minute walk away from Beetown station. He is going to the cinema in Exbay to watch a film that starts at 19:20. It will take him five minutes to walk from…TSA 2020 · Question 48 · Logic · Save
One often hears that this or that action is justified or unjustified morally on the grounds that it is 'natural' or 'unnatural'. To say that something is 'natural' is really just to say that this is how things happen to be. Yet just because something happens to be the case, it doesn't mean that it ought to be the…TSA 2020 · Question 49 · Principle · Save
The table below shows the medal count by the top five teams in a recent Mini Olympics. Each team calculated the proportion of their medals that were gold.TSA 2020 · Question 50 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
Like other booming cities, including New York, London has thrived amid globalisation. It is growing by 100,000 new residents a year. However, if London has given striving people plenty of reasons to come, it has done a poor job of housing them. The median price of a London home has tripled over the past two decades.…TSA 2019 · Question 1 · Main Conclusion · Save
Each region in the country of Bolandia sets its own tax rate which applies to the whole of an individual's annual income. Below is a table showing tax information relating to six different people.TSA 2019 · Question 2 · Rates · Save
A high degree of self-discipline is one quality exhibited by all athletes who have reached the uppermost levels of competition, whatever the sport. This amount of self-discipline is in evidence long after the initial excitement of a sport has worn off, and an athlete has had to keep going through years of painful and…TSA 2019 · Question 3 · Identify Flaws · Save
Young people are becoming ever more responsible. They are less likely to take drugs or drink than past generations. Very few have serious problems with alcohol or drugs. It is people in their forties who are most likely to be admitted to hospital for drinking-related problems. The latest figures on drug addiction show…TSA 2019 · Question 4 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Adults thinking back on their experience of school almost always remember with most gratitude the teachers who taught them more than just a subject, and prepared them for life, not just for an exam. But the current generation of students may not have the same experiences to look back on in future years because the…TSA 2019 · Question 5 · Assumption · Save
Below is a greyscale image of the flag of Canada. The flag consists of two red strips on the left and the right, a white square in the middle, and a red maple leaf in the centre. The width of the white square is twice as large as the width of a red strip. The red maple leaf occupies a quarter of the square in the…TSA 2019 · Question 6 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
The table below shows the breakdown of marks awarded to students taking an exam.TSA 2019 · Question 7 · Logic · Save
The bar chart shows the total numbers of tickets sold for a concert over three nights. Premium tickets are more expensive than Standard tickets.TSA 2019 · Question 8 · Logic · Save
Texting is the preferred method of communication among young people, with 72% of teenagers saying they text regularly and one in three sending more than a hundred texts per day. Unfortunately, however, very few youngsters seem able to communicate using grammatically correct sentences. They seem to think it 'gr8' that…TSA 2019 · Question 9 · Identify Flaws · Save
While it is a woman, Ada Lovelace, who is often credited with originating the concept of software, today's computer tech-related jobs are held mostly by men. The tech sector must continue to work against factors that inhibit gender equality within it. One such factor appears to be prejudice about women's abilities to…TSA 2019 · Question 10 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Schools have a duty to support the well-being of their students, and sport is one way to enhance this. Although many young people don't enjoy the competitive side of sport, there are many physical activities that don't require a competitive element, such as hillwalking and caving. Schools should offer these, or other…TSA 2019 · Question 11 · Main Conclusion · Save
When riding my bike in the dark, I use two rear bike lamps. Both of the lamps are in 'flashing mode', which means that they repeatedly emit light for a set period of time at set intervals. The reasons for using two lights are that it reduces the amount of time when neither of the lamps emit light, and that if one of…TSA 2019 · Question 12 · Logic · Save
The following table compares five selected commuting routes in different European countries with respect to the length of the journey and the monthly cost of a season ticket as a percentage of average monthly wages.TSA 2019 · Question 13 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
Peter has drawn two diagrams showing information about the two cars owned by his parents:TSA 2019 · Question 14 · Logic · Save
Recently a pioneering natural flood management scheme slowed river peak flow by 15 to 20 per cent, saving a small town's museum and several homes. As part of this scheme, special dams, designed to leak water gradually, were installed in nearby hills to slow the flow of water off the slopes. An upstream flood storage…TSA 2019 · Question 15 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
The government is planning an increase in fuel tax later this year as part of its strategy to meet carbon emissions targets. Yet motorists and road transport companies have suffered crippling price rises of up to 30% in petrol and diesel bills in the past year because of fuel taxes. The government has enjoyed a £505…TSA 2019 · Question 16 · Assumption · Save
Despite the recent decline in numbers of people getting married, it appears that there is still much to recommend it. Married people are happier, wealthier and live longer. Husbands and wives have a lower risk of disease and a higher life expectancy. They smoke less, drink less and eat more healthily. Those who get…TSA 2019 · Question 17 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Three friends are training to run a marathon. Part of this training involves running steadily round a track in the local park. They are all at different stages in their training schedules so they run at different speeds. Alec completes each lap in 3 minutes, Barry takes 5 minutes and Colin takes 6 minutes. They all…TSA 2019 · Question 18 · Rates · Save
The table below shows the amount of waste recycled each year, in thousands of tonnes, over a three-year period in 20 countries.TSA 2019 · Question 19 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
The see-through glass block below can be viewed from six sides, including from above and below.TSA 2019 · Question 20 · Logic · Save
It is universally recognised that Africa's conservation tourism provides employment, generates wealth and educates future generations while saving endangered species. So we should champion tourism for the sake of conservation. Tourism in the Arctic is thus to be welcomed. As the Arctic ice melts, new shipping routes…TSA 2019 · Question 21 · Identify Flaws · Save
If the vice president did act unlawfully in this matter, he would definitely have had to resign. Since we have confirmation that he has resigned, he must have broken the law.TSA 2019 · Question 22 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
It's common for people to agree in principle to socially useful projects such as the opening of centres for people with serious mental health problems. However, if the project is planned for the area where they live, they tend to object and suggest that alternative locations would be preferable. While they approve of…TSA 2019 · Question 23 · Principle · Save
A digital display consists of seven segments which light up in different combinations to produce digits. For example, to display the digit ‘1’ the two right-hand segments light up as shown:TSA 2019 · Question 24 · Combinations · Save
Sandi is planning a trip to the old city of Pordson. She wants to stay for four nights in order to visit all of the attractions, and one of the nights must be the Saturday so that she can attend a special music concert. The table below shows the prices per night and details of the deals for the five main hotels in…TSA 2019 · Question 25 · Optimisation · Save
A solid cube has 6 different shapes drawn on each of its 6 faces. A plan view showing all the shapes is given below. It is placed on the path drawn below with the triangular shape facing up. The cube is rolled, one face at a time, forward along the route shown, from start position until it reaches the end position.TSA 2019 · Question 26 · Logic · Save
People are quick to connect attempts to reduce the effects of climate change with the protection of the environment. However, responding to climate change is much more important for humanity than for nature. In the history of the planet, the relative stability of temperatures in the last ten thousand years is the…TSA 2019 · Question 27 · Main Conclusion · Save
Chiropractors rely heavily on manipulating their patients' spines. This has benefits for some patients, but more than half of all patients suffer mild to moderate adverse effects after seeing a chiropractor. These are mostly local and referred pains that usually last for two to three days. Chiropractors often claim…TSA 2019 · Question 28 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Drivers found to be committing offences such as speeding are now offered the choice between paying the police for a re-education course or taking the traditional penalty of paying a fine and receiving penalty points on their licence. It is no surprise that the number of motorists opting for re-education courses has…TSA 2019 · Question 29 · Assumption · Save
Alex and Sue are playing a game with a set of nine cards, numbered from 1 to 9. A 3 × 3 grid of cards is dealt onto the table. The cards for the next round have just been dealt and are as shown below. The first player chooses two cards and scores the difference between the two numbers. The second player then chooses…TSA 2019 · Question 30 · Logic · Save
The single ferry to Pepper Island starts each day from mainland Seatown and crosses to the island port of Kaysville. It runs back and forth from 9:30 am to 4:10 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, and from 10:30 am to 2:20 pm from Monday to Friday. [image of calendar] Each crossing takes 50 minutes. Between…TSA 2019 · Question 31 · Optimisation · Save
In March, 20 people voted for the position of chair of a committee. There were three potential candidates: Andrew, James and Roger.TSA 2019 · Question 32 · Logic · Save
A band of rebellious traders in Wales has decided to take their whole town 'offshore' in protest at the insignificant amounts of UK tax paid by big businesses. An alliance of shopkeepers from the town want to use the same controversial loopholes favoured by huge multinationals such as Google so that they too can…TSA 2019 · Question 33 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Much concern is paid to the hazards posed by people using mobile phones while operating motor vehicles. Although using a smartphone or other mobile phone behind the wheel of a car is most certainly dangerous, research is showing that very frequent usage of the phones is harmful more generally. A study has found that…TSA 2019 · Question 34 · Identify Flaws · Save
Nearly everyone thinks it is a bad thing to be a hypocrite, because it is profoundly dishonest to pretend to have moral standards that you do not actually have. But pretending you are better than you are is evidence that you still accept the moral principles you have failed to follow. So it is better than being…TSA 2019 · Question 35 · Main Conclusion · Save
Nathan is making a pair of trousers for his young son. The diagram shows the pattern for one piece. Four such pieces are needed. For simplicity he assumes that he will need a 15cm × 38 cm rectangle for each piece. The material comes in three widths with prices as shown: [image of diagram] Material may be bought in…TSA 2019 · Question 36 · Logic · Save
Arthur plans to modernise his bathroom. His design requires a 1600 mm × 700 mm bath. He wants side grips to help him get out of the bath, and because he doesn't want to choose the taps before ordering the bath he must have one which doesn't have pre-drilled tap holes. A list from the bath catalogue is shown below:TSA 2019 · Question 37 · Logic · Save
The Head of Year 6 is planning an end-of-term treat for her students. The pie chart represents the numbers of votes cast by the children for each of the five possible outings.TSA 2019 · Question 38 · Logic · Save
One of the greatest achievements of English grammar schools was the development and dissemination of a sophisticated system of standard punctuation for the English language. The complex rules for the use of commas conveyed a range of precise meanings, while the choice between semi-colon, colon and full stop expressed…TSA 2019 · Question 39 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Long hours and poor pay have become commonly accepted, but they are taking a heavy toll on life at home. It is not a pretty picture: an economy where high levels of stress and anxiety are normal, where people get ill because they have lost control of their time, and where marriages are damaged and children suffer. Yet…TSA 2019 · Question 40 · Assumption · Save
Despite recent improvements to their training, a new study suggests that the police are as susceptible as the general public to holding false beliefs about crime and punishment. Participants in the study were questioned about their views on a number of crime-related myths such as 'capital punishment is an effective…TSA 2019 · Question 41 · Strengthen · Save
The drawing below shows an allotment shed. The four outside wood surfaces of the shed, including the door, need to be painted with three coats of paint. It takes 4 minutes to paint 1 square metre. I have two identical sheds to paint and will take just one 20-minute tea break.TSA 2019 · Question 42 · Logic · Save
A school party consisting of 4 teachers and 20 students is visiting the theatre. Of the students, 8 are aged 15 years and 12 are aged 16 years. The following table shows the entry prices to the theatre.TSA 2019 · Question 43 · Logic · Save
Consider the following net, which forms a hexagonal prism:TSA 2019 · Question 44 · Logic · Save
An accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan in 2011 caused the release of radioactive material, resulting in around half a million people being evacuated from the area. These people have not been allowed to return to the area because of the health risks of exposure to radiation. But the psychological…TSA 2019 · Question 45 · Main Conclusion · Save
Your cake will be tasty only if you use fresh ingredients which you can only buy at the market. You did not go to the market, so your cake will not be tasty.TSA 2019 · Question 46 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
Costs of health care in the UK are shared through taxation, but some of those who can afford to pay for a higher standard of care choose to do so. Some think it is immoral for rich people to receive better health care simply because they can afford to pay for it. But the whole point of money is to enable those who…TSA 2019 · Question 47 · Principle · Save
Sourdough, an ingredient of many bread products, is a fermented mixture of flour and water. At 8:00 am on Monday morning, I start with a mixture of 50 g flour and 50 g water. Each morning at 8:00 am I double the weight of the sourdough by adding equal weights of flour and water. I know that 1 g of the water content…TSA 2019 · Question 48 · Rates · Save
A 250 g bag of mixed nuts lists the contents on the packet as follows: [image of table] As they are my favourite, I eat all the almonds in the packet and then re-weigh it. I find that the almond content was the minimum it could have been whilst being consistent with the labelling.TSA 2019 · Question 49 · Optimisation · Save
The net below can be folded to make a Roman numerical dice.TSA 2019 · Question 50 · Logic · Save
Fear of death prompted us to develop technology that helps people live longer. But those same technological advances have condemned us to fear of infirmity and dementia, since so many of us will live to an advanced age. So as to eliminate this new fear, once we have reached old age we should be assisted to die if we…TSA 2018 · Question 1 · Main Conclusion · Save
There are 24 pupils in a class. They decided to help the local park by planting a total of 24 plants, a mixture of birch trees and roses. Each girl planted three roses, and every three boys planted one birch tree between them.TSA 2018 · Question 2 · Logic · Save
The family had to choose between planting maize or soybeans. Maize received a better market price than soybeans last year, but maize requires a much greater fertiliser input to ensure high yields. Because they could not obtain credit to purchase additional fertiliser, they planted soybeans even though the crop is…TSA 2018 · Question 3 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
The world is now producing more farmed fish than beef. In 2012, fish production reached a record 66 million tonnes; cattle-farm output levelled out at 63 million tonnes. This ought to be good news for the environment. Cattle farming is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, while fish farming – as well as…TSA 2018 · Question 4 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
There is an urgent need to improve the recruitment procedures for teaching positions at universities. There have been numerous cases in which academics have failed to hire outstanding young researchers and talented lecturers. For example, a research fellow from Germany complained that his applications for lecturing…TSA 2018 · Question 5 · Assumption · Save
Jake has a 500 ml bottle of orange squash that he has made according to the instructions on the bottle of concentrate. The instructions dictate that he should add 4 parts water to 1 part concentrate. He accidentally spills his squash, and now there is only 400 ml in the bottle. He then tops up the remainder with…TSA 2018 · Question 6 · Rates · Save
Baytree Island's Council is concerned to retain a balance of skilled professional workers amongst the population, and monitors migrants in and migrants out on an annual basis. There is currently some concern about the trend, and the Chief Administration Officer was asked to prepare a statistical table for the next…TSA 2018 · Question 7 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
Most railway stations have digital clocks that display the time in 24-hour format. I recently undertook a train journey from Exeter to Aberdeen. As the train left Exeter, the clock on the platform showed:TSA 2018 · Question 8 · Spatial · Save
Shooting is not just positive for rural economies, but is also necessary for conservation efforts. In various peripheral rural places in Britain, sport shooting related jobs are a mainstay of local economies, often accounting for as much as a third of the labour market. However, since humans disturbed the ecosystem by…TSA 2018 · Question 9 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Thousands of parents have recently been prosecuted by local education authorities for taking their children out of school to go on holiday during term time. I took my daughter out of primary school for a two-week holiday every year. The headmistress made no objection and said it would give the other kids time to catch…TSA 2018 · Question 10 · Identify Flaws · Save
Evidence suggests that children whose parents are married tend to fare better – financially, academically and socially – than children of unmarried parents. The government is therefore proposing a tax break for married couples, whereby married couples are reimbursed by approximately £150 per person per annum. This…TSA 2018 · Question 11 · Main Conclusion · Save
Below is a table showing the value of Lucy's shares. They started at £3.00 in 2011 and in 2016 they were worth £22.68.TSA 2018 · Question 12 · Ratio/Proportion/Percentage · Save
I am redecorating my house and need to buy wallpaper for one of the rooms. I need to buy 54 m of wallpaper in total and want to pay the lowest price. The table below shows the details of the five types of wallpaper I want to choose between.TSA 2018 · Question 13 · Logic · Save
The diagram below shows the method of construction of a book with four folded sheets in each block, and three blocks in total. Page one is the first page of the first block of four sheets. At the centre of each block, you can see the stitching that binds the book together. [image of diagram] A book is to be made using…TSA 2018 · Question 14 · Logic · Save
The award of a Nobel Prize in economics, but not in psychology, sociology or anthropology, seems to imply that economics is not a social science, but an exact one, like chemistry or physics. Underpinning this idea is the thought that the human world operates like the physical world. Economists themselves perpetuate…TSA 2018 · Question 15 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Mobile phone use and driving under the influence of alcohol are not the only examples of irresponsible driver behaviour. Tiredness when driving a vehicle is said to be responsible for 300 deaths per year. Astonishingly, almost half of male drivers and 22% of female drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel.…TSA 2018 · Question 16 · Assumption · Save
There has been a significant rise in the number of children with rickets. This has resulted from the airless, indoor world we have created for ourselves. Rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which is produced in response to sunlight on the skin. Where children used to play outside they mostly stay indoors…TSA 2018 · Question 17 · Weakening Arguments · Save
Five girls are collecting shells on a beach. They are putting them in buckets that each hold 24 shells. At the end of the collecting time, they are going to ensure that they all have the same number of shells. Four of them are only two short of filling their bucket, but the youngest one is lagging behind with her…TSA 2018 · Question 18 · Logic · Save
A Youth Centre runs a number of football teams for boys of different ages. Each season, one prize is awarded to the player who has given the best all-round performance. Five players have been nominated as possible recipients of this year's prize. The manager has decided not to reward any player who has missed two…TSA 2018 · Question 19 · Logic · Save
The diagram below shows the net of a cube.TSA 2018 · Question 20 · Logic · Save
When mobile phones first became relatively inexpensive many parents bought them for their teenage children on the grounds that having access to a phone would keep them safe. High profile cases of abduction at the time underscored the need to improve safety for young people. But today mobile phones invariably have…TSA 2018 · Question 21 · Identify Flaws · Save
A new supermarket scheme awards money-off vouchers to customers who spend £40 a week on their grocery shopping. As your weekly shop only costs £15, you are not eligible for vouchers.TSA 2018 · Question 22 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
The plethora of house-buying and relocation programmes on television these days may well stimulate an interest in lovely properties, but they are a bad thing because at the same time they make viewers who could never afford the houses shown feel both envious and worthless.TSA 2018 · Question 23 · Principle · Save
I have a digital clock that works in 24-hour format (that is, after 23:59, it goes to 00:00). The patterns for each number are made up of segments, as shown below:TSA 2018 · Question 24 · Optimisation · Save
The President of Bugaria is elected using the supplementary vote system, which is conducted as follows: Voters vote for their first-choice and second-choice candidates (though a second choice is optional). The two candidates with the most first-choice votes go through to a second stage, whilst the others are…TSA 2018 · Question 25 · Logic · Save
A number of identical boxes are piled up, waiting to be loaded into a delivery van. Amy and Ben are about to load them into the van. The appearance of the pile of boxes and the positions of Amy and Ben at present are shown below:TSA 2018 · Question 26 · Logic · Save
Long-term unemployment is a big problem for the UK, both for the government and for the individual. The solution is unlikely to be one the government wishes to consider: invest money in improving the skills of job centre staff. Some people argue that providing welfare benefits makes unemployed people less motivated to…TSA 2018 · Question 27 · Main Conclusion · Save
A Prime Minister has a difficult judgement to make when deciding whether to sack one of their ministers or not. Faced, for example, with a minister involved in some kind of scandal, the Prime Minister might feel they should sack them to show they stand up for integrity and high moral standards, or, on the other hand,…TSA 2018 · Question 28 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
In a survey done by a school librarian during one year, borrowing of books in the library declined by 20%. Amongst books borrowed, rates of late return or loss of books also increased by 10%. On the other hand, student use of computers in the library increased by 25%. This finding was reinforced by frequent complaints…TSA 2018 · Question 29 · Assumption · Save
Recently, packets of Amblers crisps have had 'money-off' coupons inside them. Some coupons are worth 9p, some are worth 14p and some are worth 20p. George has been collecting these coupons. He has more 14p coupons than 9p coupons, and more 9p coupons than 20p coupons. The total value of all of his coupons is exactly…TSA 2018 · Question 30 · Logic · Save
Joanne is studying the period 1900–1950 and has decided to buy a new book to help with her studies. There are five different books available at her local bookshop, the details of which are summarised below: [image of table] On Tuesday, Joanne chose to buy the cheapest book that would satisfy her requirements, and went…TSA 2018 · Question 31 · Logic · Save
Connem Ltd. has recently adopted a new company logo. A large plastic version of the logo has just been delivered to the office, to be attached to the outside of the building. Unfortunately, in transit, the plastic has broken into two pieces, as shown below:TSA 2018 · Question 32 · Logic · Save
The current advice from the NHS in the UK is to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. However, a recent study suggested that at least seven portions are needed to maximise health. Given that less than a third of adults in the UK, and even fewer children, currently meet the five-a-day target, there is little…TSA 2018 · Question 33 · Main Conclusion · Save
Welfare benefits create a culture of dependency and an unproductive workforce. There are people who stay on welfare benefits for years and never look for employment. Two years ago the government introduced tougher restrictions on the eligibility to receive benefits and the number of recipients has now fallen by 20%.…TSA 2018 · Question 34 · Identify Flaws · Save
There seems to be universal agreement on Shakespeare's greatness, yet many of his plays lack any significant development of plot or character. An exceptional skill with language is evident in all his works and his running theme concerning the relationship between appearances and reality has appealed to audiences…TSA 2018 · Question 35 · Main Conclusion · Save
At the start of the school year, a village shop stocks and sells a range of stationery items. The table below shows details of the wholesale costs and retail prices for a number of the items sold.TSA 2018 · Question 36 · Logic · Save
There is an automatic photograph booth in my local shopping centre. It takes exactly 2 minutes from the time that the money is inserted for the photographs to be taken, then the developed photographs appear 4 minutes later. Money may only be inserted when the green light is on. This light goes out immediately after…TSA 2018 · Question 37 · Logic · Save
The diagram below shows part of a map of Ruralia.TSA 2018 · Question 38 · Logic · Save
Modern aeroplanes are for the most part 'flown' by autoflight computers. These computers can take over when the plane is just 30 metres off the ground, maintain whatever speed and height is tapped into the flight management system, and land the aircraft automatically. But when autoflight computers experience…TSA 2018 · Question 39 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Children spend far too long in schools analysing poems when they should simply be learning to enjoy them. Thankfully, a new approach requires that, instead of focusing on analysing technical aspects of writing such as the writer's use of imagery or alliteration, children will be required simply to learn poems so that…TSA 2018 · Question 40 · Assumption · Save
The financial circumstances of many young people make it difficult for them to forego paid employment for an extended period in order to undertake unpaid internships or work experience placements. In many industries, it is unlikely that a young person will gain entry-level paid employment unless he or she has held one…TSA 2018 · Question 41 · Weakening Arguments · Save
In the main draw of a lottery, six of the balls (which are numbered from 1 to 49) are selected at random, then the numbers chosen are rearranged and displayed in ascending numerical order. For instance: 3, 17, 20, 29, 34, 45. In one draw recently, I noticed that the six numbers were made up of a total of ten digits,…TSA 2018 · Question 42 · Probability · Save
Car parking charges are shown in the table below. Brian wants to park his car for a period of 7.5 hours, whilst he is at work. He buys a ticket in the morning when he arrives at the car park. Due to the close proximity of the car park to his place of work, he is able to return to his car to buy a new ticket as many…TSA 2018 · Question 43 · Logic · Save
Here is a diagram of a cube.TSA 2018 · Question 44 · Logic · Save
Charities address the negative effects of market economies, which apportion goods to people based on their ability to pay as opposed to their needs. The work of charities conceals the true impact of the market system and, worse, leaves the market in place to produce further negative outcomes. Charities therefore…TSA 2018 · Question 45 · Main Conclusion · Save
You can only grasp the true meaning of Pushkin's poetry if you can read it in its original Russian form. Your doctoral thesis on Pushkin's work shows acute insight so I can tell you have a mastery of the Russian language.TSA 2018 · Question 46 · Parallel Reasoning · Save
It has emerged that prisoners have helped to maintain one of Britain's busiest railway lines. Inmates from an open prison have worked night-shifts on the main line from London to Glasgow. This is the same line where a train left the tracks earlier this year, killing one person and injuring several others. It is all…TSA 2018 · Question 47 · Principle · Save
A car journey begins with a 15 km drive at an average speed of 60 km/hour, then 5 hours on the motorway, including two 15-minute rest stops, travelling at an average driving speed of 80 km/hour, and finally a 20 km drive at an average speed of 40 km/hour from the motorway to the destination.TSA 2018 · Question 48 · Rates · Save
Fiona is going to put some shelves up in her living room. The shelves must each be 1.80 m long and have a depth of at least 40cm. There will be five shelves in total. The different prices for wood are shown in the table below. [image of table] Fiona can cut pieces of wood to make more than one piece of the correct…TSA 2018 · Question 49 · Logic · Save
Keith likes to draw ‘bump charts’ to look at relationships. For instance, if 6 individuals were ordered by height, and it happened that the order was the same by weight, the bump chart would look like this: [bump chart 1] Or if height was maintained for order on the left hand but lightness rather than heaviness on the…TSA 2018 · Question 50 · Logic · Save
Leaders of enemy countries are often described by our own political leaders and by the media as "mad". But some of the features that we associate with madness can be useful assets in a political leader. Self-absorption, obsession, addiction to risk-taking and frenzied creativity all apply to some leaders agreed to…TSA 2017 · Question 1 · Main Conclusion · Save
A café owner makes 50 mini pizzas and 50 flapjacks for sale during the day. The pizzas are sold for $ $2.00 each and the flapjacks are sold for $$ 1.00 each. However, by the end of lunchtime there are 10 mini pizzas still unsold and 15 flapjacks unsold, so the price of each is halved for the afternoon. At the…TSA 2017 · Question 2 · Logic · Save
The decline in voter turnout at elections is chiefly explained by the decline in voting by younger people. Older people are much more likely to vote. If this trend continues, we will reach a point at which no government can be said to have a mandate to govern as the number of voters will be too small to indicate the…TSA 2017 · Question 3 · Identify Flaws · Save
In today's 24/7 media environment, public figures have the ability to influence the behaviour of millions of young people, for better and for worse. There are celebrities who don’t give in to social pressures and are in the news because of good deeds which have a positive influence on young people, such as giving to…TSA 2017 · Question 4 · Drawing Conclusions · Save
Over the years, many owners of businesses have appointed their sons to run the business when they retired or died. But this has been unfair to other workers in the company, some of whom were probably more talented and experienced than the boss's son. It is highly unlikely that the son of the previous boss should…TSA 2017 · Question 5 · Assumption · Save
A picture 40 cm high by 30 cm wide is to be framed. There will be a mount between the edge of the picture and the frame. This mount will be 6 cm wide at the top and sides, and 9 cm wide at the bottom. The width of the wood used for the frame is 2 cm.TSA 2017 · Question 6 · Logic · Save
Below is a summary of all the second-hand cars sold by Bargain Cars during 2012 and 2013:TSA 2017 · Question 7 · Logic · Save
Rosie needs to mow her lawn. She has just bought a new lawn mower, and believes she can mow at a rate of 2 m² a minute. With her old mower, she could only mow the lawn at a rate of 1 m² a minute. Her lawn is 10m by 25m. There is a patio in one corner which is 2m by 3 m and which she does not need to mow.TSA 2017 · Question 8 · Rates · Save
In the UK, most people open a bank account in their teenage years. There is then a tendency not to change banks: eleven per cent of bank customers are still with the bank their parents set them up with when they were a child and haven't changed it since. This strongly suggests that, contrary to what most commentators…TSA 2017 · Question 9 · Weakening Arguments · Save
The UK Department of Education is encouraging pupils aged 14 to 18 to learn poetry by heart in order to recite it at a new national competition. This government initiative is designed to boost the confidence of young people and increase their awareness of poetry. By taking part in this initiative and by reciting…TSA 2017 · Question 10 · Identify Flaws · Save

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