tsa technology problem solving 2023

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Johnston students successful at state technology conference

TSA is a national, non-profit organization of middle and high school students who have a strong interest in technology. TSA was chartered in 1978 and since then over 2 million students have participated in its program.  Members learn through challenging competitions, leadership activities and community service. 

The TSA State Conference was held April 3 and 4 at the Adventureland Inn in Altoona. Students from both Johnston Middle School and Johnston High School participated.

Middle School Division

In the middle school division, 15 Johnston Middle School TSA members competed in 13 events over the course of two days and came away as Chapter Champs. All 15 qualified for the national competition.

• CAD Foundations : Luke Gragg placed 1 st and Ruhaan Gupta placed 2 nd .  
• Challenging tech issues : Advik Bajpai and Akul Gonchigar placed 1 st and Luke Gragg and Ruhaan Gupta placed 2 nd .  
• Chapter team placed 1 st with Advik Bajpai, Paige Lehman, Anna Lu, Saanvi Chintamanani, Manasvi Dhanekula, and Ethan Huebbe.  
• Children’s Stories placed 1 st with Saanvi Chintamanani and Manasvi Dhanekula.  
• Digital Photography placed 3 rd with Anna Lu.  
• CO2 Dragster: Ethan Huebbe placed 1 st and Gus Kirwan placed 2 nd .  
• Flight Challenge: Nick Marin placed 1 st .  
• Forensics Technology: Layla Chamberland and Madeline Allemange placed 1 st , Akul Gonchigar and Ritvik Gupta placed 2 nd , and Gus Kirwan and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 3 rd . 
• Prepared Speech : Paige Lehman placed 3 rd    
• Problem Solving : Ethan Huebbe and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 1 st and Layla Chamberland and Anna Lu placed 2 nd .  
• Promotional Marketing : Ritvik Gupta placed 1 st , Luke Gragg placed 2 nd , and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 3 rd .  
• Structural Engineering: Saanvi Chintamanani and Manasvi Dhanekula placed 1 st Ethan Huebbe and Gus Kirwan placed 3 rd .  
• Technology Quiz bowl: Ethan Huebbe, Gus Kirwan, and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 1 st and Advik Bajpai, Ritvik Gupta, and Akul Gonchigar placed 3 rd .

Congratulations to Paige Lehman for being re-elected and Advik Bajpai for being elected to the 2023-2024 state officer team for middle school.

High School Division

In the high school division, all 16 Johnston High School events placed in the top 6. Here are the 12 Johnston High School students who qualified for the national conference:

• Caroline Throener – Board Game Design
• Anita Dinakar -Anjali Kumar- Debating Tech Issues
• Maanit Sheth- Dragster
• Akshita Kulkarni -Audrey Renaud – Forensic Science
• Sid Rajkumar , Maanit Sheth, Caroline Throener – Technology Bowl
• Kathir Kalyanaraman – Shreyas Shrestha – Technology Problem Solving
• Esha Bolar – Extemporaneous Speech

JHS senior Esha Bolar is the current National President for TSA, while Anjali Kumar is the outgoing Iowa TSA President. Maanit Sheth was re-elected to the Iowa TSA student officer team.

technology problem solving tsa 2023

Title: 2023-2024 technology student association (tsa) basics.

INTRODUCTION

This guide was developed for the educator interested in starting a TSA chapter, as well as the new TSA chapter advisor, and the veteran TSA chapter advisor who has served for multiple years.

The material covered presents both general and specific information about the organization –including details for starting a chapter and advisor resources that focus on TSA competitions, programs, and initiatives.

For questions about the guide, please contact National TSA at [email protected] .

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) of middle and high school students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). TSA was chartered in 1978, and since then over 5,000,000 students have participated in TSA’s competitions, intracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, community service, and more.

The Technology Student Association (TSA) enhances personal development, leadership, and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), whereby members apply and integrate these concepts through intracurricular activities, competitions, and related programs.

MEMBERSHIP BY THE NUMBERS

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MEMBERS

100% 75% 39% 2,300+ 3,500+

LIKELY TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE-BOUND

MINORITY REPRESENTATION

TEACHERS (CHAPTER ADVISORS)

SCHOOLS IN 48 STATES

STUDENT MEMBERS

Open to students enrolled in or who have completed technology and engineering courses in school, TSA includes more than 300,000 middle and high school student members across the United States. TSA is supported by educators, parents, and business leaders who believe in the need for a technologically literate society. Members apply and integrate STEM concepts through participation in competitive events, leadership endeavors, co-curricular activities, and related programs. A wide range of opportunities makes TSA a positive experience for every student.

AFFILIATED CHAPTERS

TSA chapters take the study of STEM beyond the classroom and give students the chance to pursue competitive challenges among friends with similar goals and interests. Together, TSA chapter members engage in competitions, learn and apply leadership skills, and have the opportunity to participate in conferences at the state, regional, and national levels. TSA chapters are committed to a national service project and are highly involved in their community. TSA members may become officers at the local and state level and then run for national TSA office.

To learn more about TSA, view the video below .

AFFILIATION AND MEMBERSHIP

Chapter members are part of both their state TSA delegation and national TSA.

STATE AND NATIONAL TSA

In addition to the opportunities and resources offered through national TSA, many state TSA organizations offer a leadership conference in the fall, a competition conference in the spring, and other activities during the year. Members are encouraged to attend and participate in the annual national TSA conference. Chapter advisors should be sure to check their state TSA website for information and contact their state advisor to learn how they can be involved.

CONNECTICUT

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MASSACHUSETTS

MISSISSIPPI

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

WEST VIRGINIA

AFFILIATION AND DUES

Tsa chapter affiliation.

TSA’s membership is comprised of middle and high school students engaged in STEM across the country. Members are part of an affiliated TSA chapter with an advisor – a teacher or other faculty member at a school.

TSA affiliation is paid for annually. Membership status begins when a chapter completes affiliation and ends at the conclusion of the national TSA conference. TSA offers three curriculum-integrated membership programs. Chapters should select the program that works best for them:

Red Chapter Affiliation Program

A chapter affiliates up to 10 members by paying a flat fee (members may be added during the year for an additional fee). The membership fee for Red CAP is $120 at the national level, plus state dues.

White Chapter Affiliation Program

A chapter affiliates 11 or more members by paying a per member fee for state and national dues. The membership fee for White CAP is $12 per member at the national level, plus state dues.

Blue Chapter Affiliation Program

A chapter affiliates an unlimited number of members in a school for a flat fee. This option is popular among chapters in which students rotate through a STEM class for a portion of the year because it enables all students to be members. The membership fee for Blue CAP is $400 at the national level, plus state dues.

A chapter’s affiliation selection must be the same at the state and national level. View the list of state dues

View additional important Membership Affiliation Policies

HOW TO AFFILIATE A CHAPTER

Returning TSA chapters: From the Join/Login tab on the TSA website, previous-year chapter advisors may log in to their chapter site in the TSA Membership System using their existing chapter ID/username and password – and then proceed to online affiliation.

New TSA chapters: From the Join/Login tab on the TSA website, there are two options for individuals who wish to affiliate a chapter with TSA: starting a new chapter, or re-affiliating a previous chapter under a new advisor. For either option, the steps to complete affiliation begin by clicking on the red Chapter Membership bar and following the onscreen instructions.

Payment: Chapter affiliation payment by credit card results in immediate activation of membership and access to TSA chapter resources. Payment by P.O. must be verified by TSA before membership in TSA is activated and resources become available.

Once membership is activated, returning and new chapter advisors have access to full TSA competitive event guidelines (for the middle school level or high school level, as appropriate), leadership materials, and chapter and career-oriented information and resources.

For questions or additional support, email [email protected]

TSA CHAMPION FUND

When payment for TSA membership poses a challenge, the Champion Fund may provide an opportunity to bring TSA to middle schools and high schools. Through the Champion Fund, Red CAP membership costs (up to 10 members and one advisor) for approved schools are covered for one school year. Newly affiliated chapters can discover all that TSA membership has to offer, including a wide range of challenging STEMrelated competitions, as well as education, leadership, and career resources.

A school may be eligible if the school:

1. has never had a TSA chapter and there is no school or community financial support available to pay membership costs

2. has not had a TSA chapter for at least three years and there is no school or community financial support available to pay membership costs

3. has had a TSA chapter within the last three years, but currently is experiencing economic hardship because of a disaster.

Submitted applications are reviewed by a committee to determine eligibility and are processed on a first-come, first-served basis depending upon available funding. All applications require a principal’s signature. Schools that receive financial support from the TSA Champion Fund are kept anonymous.

Download the TSA Champion Fund application.

The TSA Bylaws document provides information on such topics as the TSA name, purpose, membership in TSA, chapter voting, chapter meetings, and chapter officers and their duties. This document may be accessed in the password-protected TSA Membership System once affiliation is complete.

ARTICLE I. NAME

The official name of this organization shall be the Technology Student Association and may be referred to as “TSA.”

ARTICLE II. PURPOSES

The general purposes of this organization are to: assist state delegations in the growth and development of TSA. assist state delegations in the development and leadership in social, economic, educational and community activities. increase the knowledge and understanding of our technological world.

assist technology education students in the making of informed and meaningful career goals.

The specific purposes of this organization are to:

• develop, through individual and team work, the ability of members to plan, organize, and use a variety of resources to solve problems.

• explore technology and develop an understanding of technological literacy.

• promote high standards of learning through curricular resource activities.

• encourage students in expressing creativity.

• develop consumer awareness. provide career opportunity information pertaining to a broad range of occupations, including training requisites, working conditions, salaries or wages, and other relevant information.

provide exploratory experiences in classrooms and laboratories and develop partnerships in business or industry to acquaint students with career opportunities. assist in providing guidance and counseling for students enrolled in technology education programs in making informed and meaningful career choices.

• expose students to the responsibility of representing a large membership.

instill desirable work habits and attitudes toward the positive way of life in students and foster a deep respect for the dignity of work.

prepare individuals for enrollment in advanced or highly skilled vocational and technical education programs.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP & ORGANIZATION

The Technology Student Association is an organization of state delegations each operating in accordance with a charter granted by TSA, Inc.

Each chartered delegation of TSA, Inc., will be responsible for all operational activities within that state or geographic unit under the direction of the State Supervisor of Technology Education or an appointed representative.

Membership in TSA shall be through chartered state delegations. A delegation will consist of TSA chapters within a state, territory, or equivalent geographic unit. Each chapter will consist of individual members as described below:

• Active. Active members shall be students who are presently enrolled in or have been previously enrolled in technology education programs. An active member shall pay dues as established by the TSA, Inc., Board of Directors, and may be declared eligible to hold a national office, to participate in national competitive events or projects, to serve as a national voting delegate, or to otherwise represent their delegations in National TSA affairs as may be approved by their delegations.

Associate. Associate members shall be students who are enrolled in related fields of instruction with emphasis in technology education or who have been previously enrolled in technology education programs. An associate member shall pay dues as established by the TSA, Inc., Board of Directors. Associate members shall not vote or hold office.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO CHAPTER ADVISORS

Once affiliation is completed, chapter advisors have full access to TSA competitive event guidelines (for the middle school level or high school level, as appropriate) through the password-protected TSA Membership System. The following are examples of additional resources/informational items available with affiliation:

• 10 Ways to Fundraise

• Advisor Appreciation Week

• Chapter Meeting Agenda – Example

• Competition Tips

• Creating a Program of Work – Sample

• Creating a Program of Work – Template

• Discovering TSA Competitive Events Activity

• Dress Code

• Electing Chapter Officers

• Interview Tips

Membership Affiliation Policies

• National TSA Week

• Recruiting and Retaining Chapter Members

• Service Project – American Cancer Society

• TSA Chapter Bylaws Template

• TSA Fact Sheet

• TSA Social Media Best Practices

• TSA Bylaws

Competition Tips for Students

Best practices for social media.

IMPORTANT DATES

September 1

2023–2024 TSA Chapter Affiliation Opens

2024 TEAMS Registration Opens

September 14

National TSA’s 45th Anniversary

October 2 – 6

National TSA Week

National STEM Day

November 29 – December 23

ACTE’s Career Tech VISION

February 1 – March 1, 2024

State-level TEAMS Competition

February 1 – 28, 2024

Career and Technical Education Month

February 5 – 9, 2024

TSA Advisor Appreciation Week

March 6 – 9, 2024

2024 ITEEA Conference

April 24 – 30, 2024

National Student Leadership Week

June 26 – 30, 2024

2024 National TSA Conference

COMPETITIONS AND PROGRAMS

TSA’s competitive event guidelines apply to competition at the annual national TSA conference. In addition, they may be used for local, state, and regional TSA conferences.

HIGH SCHOOL TSA COMPETITIVE EVENTS

TSA high school competitive events fall into career categories; the number of competitions for each category is shown in parentheses.

• Architecture and Construction Technology (4)

• Communications Technology (5)

• Computer Science and Information Technology (6)

• Leadership (5)

• Manufacturing and Transportation Technology (7)

• STEM (General) (3)

• STEM and the Arts (7)

• Technology and Research (3)

View an overview of TSA high school competitions

MIDDLE SCHOOL TSA COMPETITIVE EVENTS

HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL

TSA middle school competitive events fall into career categories; the number of competitions for each category is shown in parentheses.

• Architecture and Construction Technology (3)

• Communications Technology (6)

• Manufacturing and Transportation Technology (6)

• STEM (General) (6)

• STEM and the Arts (2)

• Technology and Research (4)

View an overview of TSA middle school competitions

SAMPLE TSA COMPETITIONS

Access sample guidelines to two former, but typical, TSA competitive events below:

• High School 3D Animation

• Middle School Catapult Design

NATIONAL TSA CONFERENCE DRESS CODE

The TSA Dress Code notes attire requirements for national TSA conference competitors.

Competition Attire

Shirt: official royal blue TSA shirt

Pants, or at least knee-length Skirt: gray

• Unacceptable: jeans; jeggings; leggings; baggy pants; exterior pocket pants; shorts

Shoes: black dress shoes worn with black or dark blue socks, hosiery (optional):

• open-toed shoes or sandals are acceptable

• Unacceptable: athletic shoes; flip-flops; military boots; or work boots

Required additional attire for Middle and High School Chapter Team event

Blazer: navy blue with official TSA patch

Tie: official TSA tie (males)

• Females are not penalized for wearing the official TSA tie to Chapter Team or any other competitive event

Above attire may be worn for other competitions if preferred by event participants.

General Session Attire

Shirt: the official TSA shirt (royal blue) is preferred; button-down shirt or a polo/golf shirt

• Unacceptable: t-shirts; halter tops; tank tops

Pants, or at least knee-length Dress or Skirt

Optional Blazer: navy blue with official TSA patch

Optional Tie: official TSA tie

Shoes: dress shoes worn with dark socks, hosiery (optional):

Casual Attire

Appropriate t-shirts, shorts, or jeans.

Casual attire may not be worn at competitions or general sessions.

TESTS OF ENGINEERING APTITUDE, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE (TEAMS)

TEAMS challenges middle school and high school students to collaboratively solve real-world engineering issues by applying their STEM knowledge in practical and creative ways. Original academic and innovative concepts are developed for the TEAMS competition based on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or other engineering challenges. Undertaking these challenges requires critical job-readiness skills such as collaboration, analytical thinking, and multi-dimensional problem solving.

Owned and administered by TSA, TEAMS is a separate program from TSA. Many TSA members compete in both the TSA and TEAMS competition programs, however membership in TSA is not required for TEAMS competition. A separate registration is needed for TEAMS, and schools with an active TSA chapter receive a 30% discount on the TEAMS registration fee of $150/team.

Competing in TEAMS

Teams of two to four students compete during the month of February in three TEAMS competition components:

• Design/Build – Teams design and build a solution to an engineering challenge.

• Multiple Choice – Teams use math and science skills to solve real-world engineering challenges.

• Essay – Teams research and write an in-depth essay that is submitted electronically prior to their competition day.

The national TEAMS competition takes place annually during the national TSA conference. The 2024 TEAMS competition theme is “Engineering Another World.”

TSA advisors may register for TEAMS while completing their TSA affiliation (the 30% discount is automatically applied) or by registering on the TEAMS website and using the code TSA2024 to receive the discount.

Questions? Visit the TEAMS website for more information or email Amber Williams.

TSA ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM, PATHWAYS TO EXCELLENCE

The TSA Achievement Program, Pathways to Excellence encourages TSA student members to engage in the areas/categories of service leadership, STEM immersion, and personal/professional development. Students participate in activities in these areas and have the opportunity to earn sequentially a bronze, silver, and gold award at the local, state, and national level, respectively.

Completion of one activity in each area/category – for a total of three completed activities per level – is required for bronze, silver, and gold award eligibility.

Members submit documentation of their activities for each level via the TSA Student Member Site.

Chapter advisors are responsible for verifying the successful completion of a member’s activities for each level.

Bronze awards are typically presented at the chapter or district level during special award assemblies, regional conferences, TSA banquets, etc. Recognition of silver award recipients is managed at the state level, usually at state conferences. Gold award recipients are recognized at the national TSA conference.

Affiliated TSA chapter advisors or student members who seek more detailed information about the TSA Achievement Program, Pathways to Excellence, may visit the TSA Chapter Advisor Site or the TSA Student Member Site in the TSA Membership System.

21st Century Skills for TSA is a leadership resource designed to help members develop the skills needed to thrive as an individual and leader. Once a chapter is affiliated, members will have access to leadership resources presented in the TSA Membership System.

TRAINING TOPICS

Communication

Collaboration/ Social Skills

Problem Solving/ Risk Taking

Critical Thinking

21st CENTURY SKILLS

Perseverance/ Grit

Relationship Building/ Teamwork

Dependability/ Integrity

Flexibility/ Adaptability

NATIONAL TECHNICAL HONOR SOCIETY (NTHS)

Since 1984, the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) has been the honor society for Career and Technical Education (CTE), serving high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, and universities. Recognizing over 60,000 new members and awarding nearly $300,000 in scholarships annually, NTHS exists to advocate for and empower all students to pursue the technical and academic skills needed to build their careers and a skilled global workforce. NTHS achieves this through career development, leadership development, service, and recognition opportunities. The Technology Student Association (TSA) and NTHS have formed a partnership to provide these benefits to TSA members.

Learn more about the National Technical Honor Society at NTHS.org

NATIONAL TSA OFFICERS

2024 NATIONAL TSA CONFERENCE

Rosen Shingle Creek

Orlando, FL

Hotel reservations for the conference will open in January 2024. Conference registration will open in March 2024.

Conference Theme

“EVOLUTION OF EXCELLENCE”

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2023 Year in Review: TSA highlights a year of innovation and improvements to security effectiveness, efficiency and the passenger experience

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) marked another successful year in 2023, making significant strides to improve transportation security effectiveness, efficiency and enhance the aviation passenger experience. In 2023, TSA screened a record 858+ million passengers, an average of 2.4 million daily passengers at airport security checkpoints across the country. In 2023, TSA set a new record by screening 2.9 million passengers the Sunday after Thanksgiving, while seven of the ten busiest days in TSA’s history took place in 2023.

“I am very proud of the work we accomplished together as an agency and with our partners in 2023, starting with the long-awaited goal of paying our employees fairly, at the same levels as their federal counterparts,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “At TSA, from our employees behind the scenes to those on the frontlines, we have built a culture of innovation and remain focused on staying ahead of the emerging threats. We have deployed new technology to improve security and the passenger experience, and look forward to continuing the progress this year with our incredible partners across government and industry.”

In 2023, the TSA workforce:

• Screened more than 858 million passengers, averaging about 2.4 million passengers per day; 484 million checked bags and 1.9 billion carry-on items. The agency also pre-screened nearly a billion passengers through Secure Flight.
• Prevented 6,737 firearms (93% loaded) from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft.
• Improved cybersecurity preparedness and resilience for critical transportation infrastructure through new performance-based cybersecurity requirements for airport and aircraft operators , as the agency has done with pipeline and rail systems in previous years.
• Executed a new compensation plan for TSA employees in July 2023 with funding from the FY23 Omnibus Bill, which recognizes the critical role all TSA employees play in securing the nation’s transportation systems. This plan compensates TSA employees at a level commensurate with employees of other federal agencies for the first time since the agency’s founding in 2001. As a result, TSA has seen a significant reduction in attrition and improvement in the ability to recruit for open positions.
• Implemented expanded collective bargaining rights for non-supervisory Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) . The FY23 Omnibus Bill also supported the implementation of a labor framework for the non-supervisory screening workforce that aligns more closely with rights of employees in other federal agencies. The spending bill also supported Merit Systems Protection Board rights for TSOs, which were first established in September 2021.
• Retained a historic 88% of frontline employees and hired more than 9,000 new TSOs and Security Support Assistants (SSA) to handle future travel volumes.
• Trained frontline employees at their new state-of-the-art TSA Academy West at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and TSA Academy East in Glynco, Ga., where the 100,000 th TSO graduated in September. Our advanced facilities train and equip TSOs with the tools to succeed in one of the most agile and innovative federal agencies to remain a staple of performance.
• AskTSA responded directly to three million traveler questions, typically within two minutes, over social media and via text to AskTSA at 275-872.
• The TSA Contact Center answered two million traveler calls and emails.
• The TSA Cares helpline provided assistance to more than 71,000 travelers with disabilities, medical conditions and other special circumstances.
• Telos became the second active TSA PreCheck enrollment provider, in addition to IDEMIA.
• Eight new airlines joined the TSA PreCheck expedited screening program.
• The agency announced that t eenagers age 17 and under may accompany TSA PreCheck enrolled parents or guardians through TSA PreCheck screening lanes when traveling on the same reservation, and when the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the teen’s boarding pass. Children 12 and under may still accompany an enrolled parent or guardian when traveling through the TSA PreCheck lanes any time, without restriction.
• Continued to purchase and deploy innovative checkpoint technologies that improve security effectiveness and efficiency, while enhancing the passenger experience. TSA has deployed more than 2,000 Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) machines, including second generation (CAT-2) units that enable mobile driver’s licenses and utilize optional facial recognition technology to match credentials to the passenger while protecting their privacy. In 2023, TSA added 457 CAT-2 upgrade kits utilizing the facial recognition technology. TSA added 267 Computed Tomography X-ray scanners— technology that produces high-quality 3-D images which can be rotated up to 360 degrees on three axes for a more thorough visual analysis of a carry-on bag’s contents, while also reducing the need to touch or manually check bags and eliminating the need to take electronics and travel-size liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) out of carry-on bags. TSA also updated an algorithm to improve the performance of the nearly 1,000 Advanced Imaging Technology Units, technology that safely screens passengers for on-person metallic and non-metallic threats such as weapons and explosives without physical contact. The algorithm update significantly reduces false alarms, enhances accuracy and reduces pat-downs.
• Through partnerships with Apple, GET Mobile Driver’s license app, Google and Samsung, TSA leveraged technology that enables those travelers with an Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia or California mobile driver’s license to have a more seamless airport security experience at 27 participating airports . Partnerships with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines facilitate ongoing evaluations of facial recognition technology for identification and bag drop.
• Conducted or supported hundreds of domestic response plan and transportation security related exercises; offered truck, port and rail workers online options to securely renew credentials and increased intelligence sharing with surface and aviation partners.
• Presented the Biennial National Strategy for Transportation Security and laid out its plan for addressing the nation’s evolving threats to transportation. In July 2023, TSA published the Administrator’s Intent 3.0 , a set of short-term objectives that seek to advance the TSA mission and accomplish the strategy.
• Conducted a passenger experience survey with a sample size of 13,000 travelers at multiple airports across the nation. Survey results revealed that 93% of travelers were satisfied with the passenger experience and 94% of the respondents were confident in TSA’s ability to keep air travel secure.
• Met with 187 organizations that represent travelers with disabilities to continue talks for how best to serve these travelers. As a result of one such engagement, TSA partnered with an organization to provide helpful information via TravelingWiki for those traveling with passengers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

As adversaries adapt their tactics and new threats arise, TSA’s law enforcement arm continues to adjust approaches to transportation security to meet and defend against these threats, namely:

• Deployed to several national security events working with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect critical infrastructure and transportation venues.
• Conducted 51 various aviation-related security assessments throughout the nation.
• Expanded partnerships among interagency task forces, fusion centers and coordination centers connected to critical transportation including, but are not limited to the National Cyber Joint Task Force and National Joint Terrorism Task Force.
• Trained over 5,000 air carrier crew members in self-defense.
• Conducted more than 7,200 Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response operations at hundreds of transportation hubs in the U.S.
• Published the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) Roadmap to adapt and enhance its approach to the diverse transportation threats of 2023 and beyond.
• Special Agents developed evidence of human trafficking in 15 criminal specific and pre-employment examinations.

For more information and additional accomplishments, see the TSA 2023 Year in Review .

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Johnston students successful at state technology conference

TSA is a national, non-profit organization of middle and high school students who have a strong interest in technology. TSA was chartered in 1978 and since then over 2 million students have participated in its program.  Members learn through challenging competitions, leadership activities and community service. 

The TSA State Conference was held April 3 and 4 at the Adventureland Inn in Altoona. Students from both Johnston Middle School and Johnston High School participated.

Middle School Division

In the middle school division, 15 Johnston Middle School TSA members competed in 13 events over the course of two days and came away as Chapter Champs. All 15 qualified for the national competition.

• CAD Foundations : Luke Gragg placed 1 st and Ruhaan Gupta placed 2 nd .  
• Challenging tech issues : Advik Bajpai and Akul Gonchigar placed 1 st and Luke Gragg and Ruhaan Gupta placed 2 nd .  
• Chapter team placed 1 st with Advik Bajpai, Paige Lehman, Anna Lu, Saanvi Chintamanani, Manasvi Dhanekula, and Ethan Huebbe.  
• Children’s Stories placed 1 st with Saanvi Chintamanani and Manasvi Dhanekula.  
• Digital Photography placed 3 rd with Anna Lu.  
• CO2 Dragster: Ethan Huebbe placed 1 st and Gus Kirwan placed 2 nd .  
• Flight Challenge: Nick Marin placed 1 st .  
• Forensics Technology: Layla Chamberland and Madeline Allemange placed 1 st , Akul Gonchigar and Ritvik Gupta placed 2 nd , and Gus Kirwan and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 3 rd . 
• Prepared Speech : Paige Lehman placed 3 rd    
• Problem Solving : Ethan Huebbe and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 1 st and Layla Chamberland and Anna Lu placed 2 nd .  
• Promotional Marketing : Ritvik Gupta placed 1 st , Luke Gragg placed 2 nd , and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 3 rd .  
• Structural Engineering: Saanvi Chintamanani and Manasvi Dhanekula placed 1 st Ethan Huebbe and Gus Kirwan placed 3 rd .  
• Technology Quiz bowl: Ethan Huebbe, Gus Kirwan, and Evitt Fitzgerald placed 1 st and Advik Bajpai, Ritvik Gupta, and Akul Gonchigar placed 3 rd .

Congratulations to Paige Lehman for being re-elected and Advik Bajpai for being elected to the 2023-2024 state officer team for middle school.

High School Division

In the high school division, all 16 Johnston High School events placed in the top 6. Here are the 12 Johnston High School students who qualified for the national conference:

• Caroline Throener – Board Game Design
• Anita Dinakar -Anjali Kumar- Debating Tech Issues
• Maanit Sheth- Dragster
• Akshita Kulkarni -Audrey Renaud – Forensic Science
• Sid Rajkumar , Maanit Sheth, Caroline Throener – Technology Bowl
• Kathir Kalyanaraman – Shreyas Shrestha – Technology Problem Solving
• Esha Bolar – Extemporaneous Speech

JHS senior Esha Bolar is the current National President for TSA, while Anjali Kumar is the outgoing Iowa TSA President. Maanit Sheth was re-elected to the Iowa TSA student officer team.

• High School Competitions

HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITIVE EVENT ELIGIBILITY CHART

Each participant/team shall submit only one [1] entry for the following competitive events.

TSA High School Competitions | Career Categories

Click on a category below to view a list of TSA high school competitions and their summary descriptions in that category:

• All High School Competitions (40)
• Architecture and Construction Technology (4)
• Communications Technology (5)
• Computer Science and Information Technology (6)
• Leadership (5)
• Manufacturing and Transportation Technology (7)
• STEM (General) (3)
• STEM and the Arts (7)
• Technology and Research (3)

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Architectural design, audio podcasting, biotechnology design, board game design, chapter team, children's stories, computer-aided design (cad), architecture, computer-aided design (cad), engineering, data science and analytics, debating technological issues, digital video production, dragster design, drone challenge (uav), engineering design, essays on technology, extemporaneous speech, fashion design and technology, flight endurance.

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North Carolina Technology Student Association

What is nctsa .

A Career & Technical Student Organization (CTSO) dedicated to helping students find their passion within science, technology, engineering, computer science, and math. NCTSA promotes problem-solving, innovation, and creative thinking skills through our 70+ events for students in grades 6-12.  

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DECEMBER 2023

Stem leadership conference, state leadership conference, february 2024, eastern & western regional conferences, national leadership conference.

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No matter the competition, teamwork and a collaborative spirit is a must. TSA allows students to hone these abilities.

Students will join a group of like-minded, ambitious peers with diverse backgrounds to make life-long connections.

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Whether participating in children’s stories or software development, everything is engaging and hands-on.

  Members state wide participate in NC TSA to get ready for the workforc e Are you ready to join TSA?   

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Area students compete in National TSA Conference

A group of 14 students from Northern Cambria high school and middle school participated in the National Technology Student Association Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Courtesy photo

NORTHERN CAMBRIA — The Northern Cambria Technology Student Association chapter participated at the 45th National TSA Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

TSA Nationals offered 77 total events for high school and middle school students.

The conference this year was one of the largest to date, with more than 3,000 competitors and 7,000 attendees (competitors, judges, advisers and guests).

Pennsylvania TSA Region 8 Coordinator and Northern Cambria adviser Matthew Kline said, “It is impressive that with a national conference as big as this one, Pennsylvania and Region 8 once again did outstanding. Our region, a small part of the entire nation, placed in 36% of all the possible events, with four national champions. This is once again a testament of the hard work our students put in throughout the year to be the best and with the tough competition at regionals and states pushes these students.”

Four Northern Cambria high school students were inducted into the TSA Honor Society (with only 60 students being inducted nationally and seven total from Pennsylvania). They are Haley Pattison, CJ Booterbaugh, Mikey Konitsky and Chris Yahner.

Junior Solar Sprint National Champions from Northern Cambria Middle School are (from left): Maya Friedman, Emmy McCrachen and Ava Kirsch. Courtesy photo

A total of 14 high school and middle school students from Northern Cambria traveled to the conference, and all 14 students placed in the top 10 in the nation, including the middle school chapter winning the National Championship in Junior Solar Sprint.

The Technology Student Association is a national organization that focuses on preparing students to be leaders in the technical world. Students who participate in TSA learn new technical skills, along with time management, teamwork and mechanical drawing.

A group of sixth grade girls won the state championship, becoming the first group of sixth graders from NC to compete at the national conference. Videos of the competition are available on Northern Cambria’s TSA Facebook page.

Doug Pauley from Bedford High School was recognized as Pennsylvania High School Adviser of the year.

Area Region 8 schools in the top 10 at the National Conference include:

Northern Cambria Middle School — first, Junior Solar Sprint; fourth, Problem Solving; fourth, Structural Engineering; eighth, Mechanical Engineering.

Northern Cambria High School — second, Senior Solar Sprint; third, Promotional Design, Haley Pattison; seventh, Transportation Modeling, Alyssa Yahner; eighth, Structural Design and Engineering.

Bedford High School — fifth, Architectural Design.

Richland High School — fifth, Engineer­­ing De­­sign; sixth, Biotechnology Design; sixth, Senior Solar Sprint; ninth, Technology Problem Solving.

Richland Junior High School — fourth, Technical Design; fifth, Forensic Technology; fifth, Promotional Marketing, Ireland Howard; eighth, Foundations of Information Technology, Emily Howard-Geiser.

Cambria Heights High School, Patton — seventh, Audio Podcasting.

Cambria Heights Middle School — first, Inventions & Innovations.

Westmont Hilltop Junior-Senior High School — first, Virtual Reality Visualization; third, Video Game Design.

Park Forest Middle School — first, STEM Animation; second, Children’s Stories; third, Community Service Video; third, Tech Bowl; fifth, Mechanical Engineering; sixth, Mass Production; eighth, Microcontroller Design; eighth, Technical Design; ninth, Inventions & Innovations.

State College Area High School — second, Board Game Design; fourth, Fashion Design and Technology.

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The Technology Student Association (TSA) State Convention

• Posted April 4, 2022

The Technology Student Association (TSA) State Convention was held on March 21st and 22nd in Mandan, ND. TSA challenges students by promoting technological literacy, leadership, service and problem solving resulting in personal growth and opportunities

First Place winners will have the opportunity to compete at the TSA National Conference from June 26-30 in Dallas, TX.

Congratulations to all the winners and the newly elected 2022-2023 TSA State Officers Gus Zettel and Brayden Jangula.

• Biotechnology Design

Alyssa Sadowsky, Stephanie Tally and Mara Armstrong---2nd Place

• Extemporaneous Speech

Gus Zettel---1st Place

• Music Production

Jackson Halvorson---1st Place

• Prepared Presentation

Gus Zettel---2nd Place

• Structural Design & Engineering

Shantae Rehbein and Ian Graves---1st Place

• Technology Problem Solving #1

Alan Ash and Ian Graves---1st Place

Brayden Jangula and Lucas Shilman---3rd Place

• Technology Problem Solving #2

Brayden Jangula and Lucas Shilman---2nd Place

• Technology Problem Solving #3

Gus Zettel and Brandon Shutes---2nd Place

• Technology Bowl Oral and Written

Alan Ash, Ian Graves and Alyssa Haider ---1st Place

• Video Game Design

Gus Zettel, Lucas Shilman, Brandon Shutes, and Brayden Jangula---1st Place

This site provides information using PDF, visit this link to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software .

Contact. Technology Problem Solving. Description. Participants use their skills in problem solving to develop a finite solution to a problem provided on site. Lynnwood HS, 2023 1st Place. Event Resources. EVENT EXAMPLES. Click on the links to the right to view some entries of this event that placed at state last year!

TSA. High School Competitions. TSA offers 40 high school competitions. The eligibility chart below provides the eligibility requirements for each competition and is applicable to the national TSA conference. (State delegations may choose to alter their events for local conferences. Click on your state to preview the requirements pertaining to ...

Technology Student Association 1904 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191-1540 : Phone: 703-860-9000 Toll Free: 888-860-9010 Fax: 703-738-7486 Email: [email protected]

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national non-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO). ... and multi-dimensional problem solving. ... 2023-2024 Technology Student ...

TSA middle school level competitions focus on topics such as biotechnology, cybersecurity foundations, problem solving, and structural engineering. ... foundations of information technology, virtual reality visualization, and website design. ... Technology Student Association 1904 Association Drive Reston, VA 20191-1540 : Phone: 703-860-9000

Ten (10) minutes prior to assigned times teams can set up their assigned pit area. Thirty (30) minutes session to test and correct any problems. During this time judges will also perform a safety check. Ten (10) minutes to complete the challenge. Five (5) minutes for the semifinalist interview.

368 Technology Student Association (TSA) High School Competitive Events Guide for the 2023 and 2024 National TSA Conferences WEBMASTER E. The solution to the problem is developed as a series of web pages (with a minimum of three [3] pages and no maximum number of pages) linked under the main solution web page. 1.

1/12/23. Participants are not required to have two drones. However, if they choose to have a backup drone, it is required at event check-in. 8/25/23. All competitors are required to wear safety glasses and high visibility safety vest at a minimum. 9/23/23. 2024 Challenge - Obstacle 3 is worth 10 points. 10/5/23.

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) marked another successful year in 2023, making significant strides to improve transportation security effectiveness, efficiency and enhance the aviation passenger experience. In 2023, TSA screened a record 858+ million passengers, an average of 2.4 million daily passengers at airport security checkpoints across the country.

2023-2024 New Jersey TSA Executive Committee State Officers Cassidy Brennan President Biotechnology High School ... Technology Problem Solving 1 team of 2 members per chapter. VEX Robotics 1 team of 2-6 members per chapter. **Event has both Pre-Conference and On-

ALTOONA, Ia. (April 6, 2023) — Johnston students, who lead both the state and national branches of the Technology Student Association ... Technology Problem Solving; Esha Bolar - Extemporaneous Speech; JHS senior Esha Bolar is the current National President for TSA, while Anjali Kumar is the outgoing Iowa TSA President. ...

2023-24 Theme Research and present a modern motor home/RV/camper. ... Washington TSA Rules . To compete, students must belong to an affiliated TSA chapter, register for competition by December 15, 2023, and pay the $30 competition fee. ... 2022 Technology Problem Solving. Next. VEX Robotics. Ricardo Ibarra January 3, 2022 VEX Robotics. Hours ...

The structure must include 2 or 4 individual trusses, attached together to create the truss structure, but must not be wider than 3". Lamination: Two pieces of 1/8" x 1/8" or 3/32" x 3/32" stock glued together surface-to-surface with the wood grain running parallel. Lamination of more than two pieces is not permitted.

Jul 19, 2023 Jul 19, 2023 ... Technology Student Association Region 8 results: • Bedford Area High School - fifth in architectural design ... and ninth in technology problem solving. ...

GORDON PERSONS BUILDING • P.O. BOX 302101 • MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36130-2101 • TELEPHONE (334) 694-4900 • WEBSITE: www.alabamaachieves.org. 2023 ALABAMA TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ASSOCIATION (TSA) CONFERENCE - APRIL 18-19. Many more competitions and leadership events will be held throughout this event.

The official website for the North Carolina Technology Student Association (NCTSA) top of page. Home. 2024 State Conference Results ... NCTSA promotes problem-solving, innovation, and creative thinking skills through our 70+ events for students in grades 6-12. Subscribe to TSA Times. Get the latest updates on everything North Carolina TSA ...

System Control Technology MS: 4th Place Louisa County Middle School Tech Bowl MS: 9th Place, Rachel Carson Middle School Technology Bowl HS: 10th Place, Turner Ashby High School Technology Problem Solving HS: 6th Place, Broadway High School Transportation Modeling HS: 3rd Place, Kyle Purser, Advanced Technology Center

Below is a summary of the 2023 and 2024 high school-level TSA competitive events which will be run at the Washington TSA 2024 State Conference.Detailed specifications and rules regarding each event can be found in the High School Technology Activities, National TSA Conference Competitive Events Guide.

TSA Nationals offered 77 total events for high school and middle school students. The conference this year was one of the largest to date, with more than 3,000 competitors and 7,000 attendees ...

The Technology Student Association (TSA) State Convention was held on March 21st and 22nd in Mandan, ND. TSA challenges students by promoting technological literacy, leadership, service and problem solving resulting in personal growth and opportunities First Place winners will have the opportunity to compete at the TSA National Conference from June 26-30 in Dallas, TX. Congratulations to all ...

Introduction. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the potential of interactive technologies, notably multi-touch devices (Beauchamp et al. Citation 2019; Joyce-Gibbons Citation 2023), to support problem-solving activities in the primary school.The benefits of collaborative learning have a strong evidence base in research over the past four decades (e.g. Roschelle Citation ...

The Ultimate Guide to Problem Solving in TSA Section 1

Written by: Matt Amalfitano-Stroud

Section 1 of the TSA is split into two major question types: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking. Problem Solving is an extremely general term, so what does it mean in regards to your admissions test? Let’s take a look at what you need to know in order to solve every problem in the TSA!

THE BASICS OF THE TSA

First things first, you’ll need to make sure you know everything about how the TSA works. Let’s take a minute to go over the basics of the exam so you’re prepared for the exam!

What is the TSA?

The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) is a 90-minute – 2-hour long test that is used by the University of Oxford . It covers a large variety of subjects, from Psychology to PPE , so the content of the exam isn’t subject-specific .  

There are two Sections in the TSA, the 90-minute multiple-choice section (Section 1) and the 30-minute essay writing section (Section 2).

In Section 1 , you will have to answer a total of 50 questions based on two major principles , Problem Solving and Critical Thinking . Problem Solving involves numeracy-based questions while Critical Thinking tests your reading and deduction abilities .    

Section 2 asks you to write a short essay answering one of four available questions . These questions are very general and cover a wide variety of topics, including ethics, politics and current affairs. Your time is limited in this Section so your answer won’t be as extensive as a typical essay. Bear in mind that this section is only included in some versions of the TSA Oxford , meaning only certain Oxford applicants will need to complete this.  

TSA Structure

How is the TSA Scored?

Scoring for the TSA is quite unique compared to other admissions tests. Both sections of the TSA have different marking schemes due to the variance in question type.  

The process of marking Section 1 involves taking the raw marks from the assessment and converting them into a score on a scale roughly between 1 and 100 , which will be your final result. This scale does not have a consistent conversion from year to year but is instead adjusted based on the difficulty of the paper .  

As an example of the scoring, here you can see the score distributions for the Oxford TSA for the 2023/24 admission cycle:

TSA Oxford Section 1 Scores 2024

TSA Oxford Section 1 Problem Solving Scores (2023)

As you can see here, the majority of applicants scored within the high 50’s and 60’s in the Problem Solving portion of the TSA.  

When is the TSA sat?

Applicants sitting the TSA Oxford will be taking the test in late October at an approved testing centre.

You will need to register for the TSA online, with registrations starting from August 15th. 

If you want to learn more about the TSA, check out our Definitive TSA Guide !

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TSA SECTION 1

Section 1 of the TSA isn’t especially complicated as far as exams go, but knowing what you can expect to find when you start the exam will be extremely beneficial for you. Let’s go over what Section 1 looks like and how it functions.  

Each Section of the TSA is housed on a separate paper if you’re taking the exam on physical paper, as it can also be done digitally. Either way, the exam paper is going to look very similar to this example:

There’s nothing here that should be especially mind-blowing to you, it’s a pretty standard test. There are, however, a couple of things that may catch you out, the main one of these being the question organisation .  

Some admissions tests will split different types of questions into subsections , but that isn’t the case here. All of the 50 questions are mixed together between Problem Solving and Critical Thinking, with no specific order between the two (although the specification states that the questions are roughly in ascending order of difficulty). This shouldn’t cause any major issues, but you will just need to remember that you’ll be constantly hopping between two different mindsets (don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it sounds once you’ve gotten some practice).

As for the questions themselves, you’ll have five potential answers to pick from, which are labelled A – E . Some pages will contain two questions , while other pages will contain just one longer question.  

You will be able to do any working out or note-taking on the question paper. In fact, it’s recommended to do so as you will not be permitted any additional paper in the exam. You also won’t be allowed to bring in any additional resources , including calculators and dictionaries.  

TSA preparation can be daunting, but Exams.Ninja has the perfect solution!

The Exams.Ninja TSA Preparation Platform is ideal for any stage of your exam prep, from your first steps down to your last minute revision . There are tons of resources available to you instantly when you sign up, so create your free account  now to see how you can optimise your preparation!

THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR TSA PROBLEM SOLVING

Now it’s time to look at the skills you’re going to need to solve any problem the TSA throws at you. Spoiler alert: it’s going to involve maths!

We already touched on it briefly before, but Problem Solving questions within the TSA are all focused on testing your basic mathematical abilities . If you’re not currently studying mathematics, there’s no need to fret . The maths that’s required here won’t be any more taxing that the level you would have studied at GCSE or equivalents .  

The challenge in these questions doesn’t come from pure mathematics . Instead, they are testing your ability to use simple mathematics in practical, real-world scenarios . The question can involve anything from analysing train times to calculating postage costs.  

With that being said, you’re still going to be skilled in some areas of mathematics, so let’s go through the different disciplines you’ll need to revise, according to the TSA Specification :

Number Concepts

This is the most basic you can get with mathematics, but it’s still essential knowledge at the end of the day. The TSA is going to have plenty of questions surrounding fractions , percentages , decimals and place value , so you need to make sure you won’t be getting caught up at the first hurdle!

Numerical Operations

Again, this is extremely simple, but you’re going to need to know the “four number rules” , addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. As well as whole numbers, you’re also going to need to be able to use these basic functions in regards to fractions , decimals and percentages .  

These won’t be too complicated but imagine the kinds of calculations you would need to do in real life . For example, you’d need to be able to subtract a percentage of a whole number (or even a decimal number) in order to work out the cost of an item on sale, a scenario that could very well appear in the test!

On top of all this, you’re going to need to know how to calculate the average, or mean, of a collection of values:  

m = sum of the terms/total of terms

Units of Measurement

Many of the Problem Solving questions in the TSA will be based around one or more of these units . You will likely have encountered all of these frequently throughout your life, so the key knowing how to use them in a problem-solving context. These units are:

• Time and Dates (Minutes, Hours, Days, Months, Years)  
• Currency (the TSA will typically only use British Pounds unless otherwise stated)  
• Distance Measures (Kilometres, Meters, Centimetres)
• Weight Measures (Grams, Kilograms, Litres)  

Note that some questions may require you to work with other units , specifically distance and weight measurements that are outside of the metric system (inches, feet, tonnes and gallons). However, these questions will not require you to convert values between two different measurement systems.  

Space and Spatial Reasoning

You’re going to need a basic knowledge of geometry in some questions, starting with knowledge of the measurements for different aspects of a shape.

• Area – For example, a rectangle would be calculated by Area = Length x Width .
• Perimeter – For example, a rectangle would be calculated by Perimeter = (Length + Width) x 2 .
• Volume – For example, a cuboid would be calculated by Volume = Length x Width x Height .

You’re going to need to be able to use all three of these calculations , although the shape will usually be relatively simple. Trigonometry isn’t covered in the TSA specification.  

Tables and Graphs

Lastly is the ability to extract data from tables and graphs. The graphs used in the TSA may not be to scale , but the necessary data that you will need to collect from them will always be available in some form!

Exams.Ninja Tip 

If your current studies don’t heavily depend on maths, you’ll need to sharpen your skills ready for the TSA. Even though all of this knowledge may seem basic on paper, there’s a good chance you’ll have forgotten something since your last mathematics exam!

The best way to see if there are any gaps in your knowledge is to take a past paper . The TSA only covers mathematics to a GCSE level, so you won’t need to be taking a TMUA or MAT past paper! If you find that you’ve breezed through it with no issues, then great! You shouldn’t have any trouble tackling the maths included in the TSA. And if there were any areas that you struggled with, then it’s time to start revising!

Our TSA 6-Month Preparation Timeline fully explains how you can best use your time and resources before the exam, including when you should use past papers and practice questions!

As we said, this is all very basic stuff. But remember, the TSA isn’t a pure mathematics exam . Many questions in the test will require you to juggle several of these disciplines at the same time, all while trying to solve the problem based on the context of the scenario itself . These questions will have a lot more variables than a pure maths question, as well as more elements that are designed to catch you out.

Some questions will include irrelevant pieces of information that only serve to make you confused or create errors in your working out. The best way to avoid this is to thoroughly read through the question, data and available answers. These questions can catch you out, but only if you rush through them and pay no attention to the extra details that a TSA question can bring. When you pay attention, you won’t find it hard to pick out the relevant information and i gnore anything you don’t need .  

THE QUESTION TYPES OF TSA PROBLEM SOLVING

Most of the Problem Solving questions in Section 1 of the TSA can be split into three categories. Each one will be testing a different skill outside of pure mathematics, so let’s go over the three major question types and see how you can answer each one in the exam.  

Relevant Selection

This is something we’ve touched on already, but the TSA questions aren’t going to be as direct as your standard mathematical problem. These questions are designed to mimic real-world scenarios , which means they will have additional context and information . As we know, this information isn’t all going to be useful to us. In fact, it’s pretty uncommon that you’ll be given only what you need in both the TSA and real life!  

Therefore, some questions in the TSA specifically test your abilities to find the information relevant to you . These questions can take many forms, including graphs , lists and tables , but they all serve the same purpose of providing you with excess information that will not help you in solving the problem. You’re still going to need to solve a standard mathematical problem at the end of it all, but you’re going to need to cut through the rubbish and determine what you need before you can even think about finding the solution.  

There are a lot of questions to answer and only 90 minutes to get through them, so is there a fast method of doing this? Unfortunately, there isn’t really a shortcut to get to the answer quicker for these questions. We always say this, but reading through everything in the question is essential . It may feel like you’ve wasted time reading something that’s not useful, but rushing through the information provided will increase your chances of missing something you actually do need. If you lose the point because you’ve missed something vital, the entire time spent on that question will be wasted instead.  

Some of these questions will benefit from the process of elimination . For example, you may need to identify individuals from a table of data that meet several different criteria . Provided you’ve read the question first and know exactly what you’re looking for, you should be able to find out very quickly whether an individual meets the criteria or not. If just one criterion is not met according to the data, then that individual can be considered not applicable . This won’t work for every question, but it’s certainly a tactic that can help save a little bit of time .

Try out some practice questions on Relevant Selection here!

Finding Procedures

A typical TSA question isn’t going to explicitly state what kind of mathematical procedure you’re going to need to use to solve a problem. When you’re simply given a set of data and a question, it can be tricky to know where to begin , which is the point of these types of questions. Even if the actual calculations aren’t too difficult, the challenge here comes from knowing what you need to do .  

Since all of these questions are multiple-choice , you’re already at an advantage when you encounter this type of problem. After you’ve thoroughly read the question and answers, your next step is to find the link between the two . The question you need to ask yourself is, “How do I get this answer from the available information?” .

One way of solving this effectively is to work backwards from each answer. Even if your first attempt doesn’t match the question exactly, you will be able to tell if you’re using the right procedure if your result is close to what the question has asked. From there, it’s just a simple process of applying your procedure to each answer until you’ll find a solution that matches the question.  

Remember, the maths featured in the TSA isn’t particularly complex, so most of the procedures that you’re going to need to find will be covered in the “four number rules” . If you have no idea where to start on a question, try out some combinations of these four functions and see how close your solutions are to the potential answers.

Try out some practice questions on Finding Procedures here!

Identifying Similarity

These questions are going to test your ability to read and interpret data in multiple forms . The question may ask you to find a correlation between data or match two specific pieces of data together according to the context of the question, but the process for doing this will always require you to understand everything that is given to you .  

The first two things to do when answering these questions are to make sure to know exactly what the question is asking and then go through all of the data to get an understanding of what you’re dealing with. This type of question is going to be the biggest test of your data analysis skills , as you’re going to need to be able to both identify and work with specific pieces of data from what you’ve been given. When taking into account that there are two different types of data presented in two different formats , you’re also going to need to be able to convert data into one universal format that will fit both pieces together in order to find the solution to the problem.  

Throughout the exam, you’ll see plenty of visual elements within the questions, including graphs and tables . These are already very handy on their own, but you can get even more use out of them by using them in your notes . Remember, the question paper doesn’t get seen by the examiner and has no effect on your marks , so you might as well use the space for your rough work!  

In a sense, these questions can be seen as a combination of the first two question types, as you’ll be needing to find similarities in data and then figure out the procedure needed to give you your answer from them. This, combined with the fact that you’re working with two different types of data, may make these questions seem far more difficult than the others! But in reality, the data you’ll be working with is often much less extensive than other questions, meaning your search for what you need shouldn’t be too hard . The challenge here doesn’t come from looking for data but from understanding all of the data that you’re given.

Try out some practice questions on Identifying Similarities here!

Test your Problem Solving skills with Exams.Ninja.

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TSA PROBLEM SOLVING PRACTICE QUESTIONS

With your newfound knowledge of the different Problem Solving question types, it’s now time to have a go at a few examples. Try out our TSA style questions here and then check your answer and method with our worked solutions.  

Relevant Selection Practice Que stion 1

My hairdresser charges £30 for a haircut, £50 for a cut and blow-dry, and £60 for a full hair dye. They also do manicures, of which the first costs £15, and includes a bottle of nail polish, but are subsequently reduced by £5 if I bring my bottle of polish. The price is reduced by 10% if I book and pay for the next 5 appointments in advance, and by 15% if I book at least the next 10.

I want to pay for my next 5 cut and blow-dry appointments, as well as for my next 3 manicures. How much will it cost?

The correct answer is C

Bear in mind that the information regarding full hair dyes and 15% reductions is not relevant to the question.

Paying for my next 5 appointments will cost £50 per appointment before accounting for the 10% reduction, hence the cost counting the deduction is £45 per appointment.

So the total for 4 appointments = 5 x £45 = £225 for the hair. Then add £15 for the first manicure and £10 x 2 for the subsequent manicures using the same bottle of polish, bringing an overall total of £260.  

Relevant Selection Practice Que stion 2

Alex is buying a new bed and mattress. There are 5 bed shops Alex can buy the bed and mattress he wants from, each of which sells the bed and mattress for a different price as follows:

• Bed Shop A: Bed £120, Mattress £70
• Bed Shop B: All beds and mattresses £90 each
• Bed Shop C: Bed £140, Mattress £60. Mattress half price when you buy a bed and mattress together.
• Bed Shop D: Bed £140, Mattress £100. Get 1/3 off when you buy a bed and mattress together.
• Bed Shop E: Bed £175. All beds come with a free mattress.  

Which is the cheapest bed shop for Alex to buy the bed and mattress from?

The correct answer is D

We can work out the Answer by considering each option:  

Bed Shop A: £120 + £70 = £190  

Bed Shop B: £90 + £90 = £180  

Bed Shop C: £140 + (1/2 x £60) = £170  

Bed Shop D: (2/3) x (£140+£100) = (2/3) x (£240) = £160  

Bed Shop E: £175  

Therefore the cheapest is Bed Shop D.  

Relevant Selection Practice Que stion 3

Some of the information is missing from the above table. What is the rate of girls’ absenteeism at Hurlington Academy?

The correct answer is D.

We can first work out the rate of girls’ absenteeism. First we need to work out how many of the pupils at Heather Park Academy and Holland Wood Comprehensive are girls. Let g be the number of girls in Heather Park Academy. Then 0.06(g)+0.05(1000-g)=(1000)(0.056). Then 0.06g-0.05g=56-50. Then 0.01g=6, so g = 600. Hence 600 pupils at Heather Park Academy are girls. The proportions at Holland Wood Comprehensive are the same but there are half as many pupils, so 900 pupils at the two schools combined are girls.  

The average absenteeism of girls is 6.1%. We know that 900 of the 1100 girls have an average absenteeism rate of 6%. Let the average absenteeism rate of girls at Hurlington Academy be r. Then 900 x 0.06 +200r = 0.07×1100. Hence 54+200r=77. 77-54 = 200r. 23/200 = r. r=0.115. Hence, the rate of absenteeism amongst girls at Hurlington Academy is 11.5%.  

Finding Procedures Practice Que stion 1

Jim washes windows for pocket money. Washing a window takes two minutes. Between one house and the next, it takes Jim 15 minutes to pack up, walk to the next house and get ready to start washing again. Each resident pays Jim £3 per house, regardless of how many windows the house has. In one day, Jim washes 8 houses, with an average of 11 windows per house.  

What is his equivalent hourly pay rate?  

The correct answer is C.  

First, calculate the total pay and then divide this by the number of hours Jim works for an hourly rate.

Total pay = 3 x 8 = £24; total time = (11 x 8 x 2) + (15 x 7) = 281 minutes = 4.68 hours. 24/4.68= £5.12 [the total time is equal to the number of windows in total multiplied by the time taken to clean each window, plus the time travelling between the houses, which is 15 multiplied by the 7 journeys required].  

Finding Procedures Practice Que stion 2

The last 4 digits of my card number are 2 times my PIN number, plus 200. The last 4 digits of my husband’s card number are the last four digits of my card number doubled, plus 200. My husband’s PIN number is 2 times the last 4 digits of his card number, plus 200.

Given that all these numbers are 4 digits long, whole numbers, and cannot begin with 0, what is the largest number my PIN number can be?

The correct answer is A.

We know the husband’s PIN number must be divisible by 8 because it has been multiplied by 2 3 times and had a multiple of 8 added to it.

The largest 4 digit number which is divisible by 8 is 9992. Minus 200 is 9792. Divide by 2 is 4896. Hence the largest the husband’s last 4 card digits can be is 4896.

Minus 200 is 4696. Divide by 2 is 2348. Hence the largest my last 4 card digits can be is 2348. Minus 200 is 2148. Divide by 2 is 1074. Hence the largest my PIN number can be is 1074.

Finding Procedures Practice Que stion 3

Hannah is buying tiles for her new bathroom. She wants to use the same tiles on the floor and all 4 walls, and for all the walls to be completely tiled apart from the door. The bathroom is 2.4 metres high, 2 metres wide and 2 metres long, and the door is 2 metres high, 80cm wide and at the end of one of the 4 identical walls. The tiles she wants to use are 40cm x 40cm.  

How many of these tiles does she need to tile the whole bathroom?

The correct answer is C.

For each of the walls where there is no door, the wall is 6 tiles high and 5 tiles wide, which is 30 tiles. The wall where the door is requires a row of 2 tiles above the door, then there is a width of wall of 120cm which requires completely tiling, which is 6 tiles high and 3 tiles wide, hence this wall requires a total of 20 tiles. Hence a total of 110 tiles are required for the walls. The floor is 2 metres by 2 metres, so 5 tiles by 5 tiles, hence 25 tiles are required for the floor. Hence the answer is 135.  

Identifying Similarity Practice Question 1

The set two maths teacher is trying to work out who needs to be moved up to set one and who to award a certificate at the end of term. The students must fulfil certain criteria:

Who would move up a set and who would receive a certificate?

A) Bahara would move up a set and receive a certificate.

B) Bahara and Lucy would move up a set and Bahara would receive a certificate.

C) Bahara, Terry, and Lucy would move up a set and Bahara and Shiv would receive a certificate. D) Lucy would move up a set and Bahara would receive a certificate.  

E) Lucy would move up a set and Bahara and Terry would receive a certificate.

The correct answer is B.

Firstly, determine who will move up to set one. Terry, Bahara, Lucy, and Shiv all have attendance over 95%. Alex, Bahara, and Lucy all have an average test mark over 92. Terry, Bahara, Lucy, and Shiv all have less than 5% homework handed in late. Therefore, Bahara and Lucy will both move up a set.

Secondly, determine who will receive a certificate. Terry, Bahara, Lucy, and Shiv have absences below 4%. Alex, Bahara, and Lucy have an average test mark over 89. Bahara and Shiv have at least 98% homework handed in on time.

Therefore, only Bahara will receive a certificate.  

Identifying Similarity Practice Question 2

The graph above shows item pricing from a wholesaler. The wholesaler is happy to deliver for a cost of £35 to companies or £5 to individuals. Any order over the cost of £100 qualifies for free delivery. Items are defined as how they come to the wholesaler, therefore 1 item = 2 rugby balls or 1 football or 5 tennis balls.

What is the total cost to an individual purchasing 12 rugby balls and 120 tennis balls?

The correct answer is A.  

Begin by converting all the quantities into terms of items as that is the terminology used on the graph axis. Therefore 12 rugby balls = 6 items and 120 tennis balls = 24 items. Reading from the graph reveals their respective prices as £9 and £5.

Therefore, the total cost of products in the order is (6 x 9) + (24 x 5) = 174. Since this is significantly more than £100, the delivery charge is waived.  

Identifying Similarity Practice Question 3

The table above shows the goal scoring record of teams in a football tournament. Each team plays the other teams twice, once at home and once away. Here are the results of the first four matches:

• United 2 – 2 City
• Rovers 0 – 3 City  
• City 2 – 1 Rovers
• Rovers 0 – 3 United

What were the results of the final two fixtures?

A) United 2 – 0 Rovers, City 0 – 0 United

B) United 1 – 0 Rovers, City 1 – 1 United

C) United 0 – 0 Rovers, City 2 – 1 United

D) United 1 – 0 Rovers, City 2 – 2 United

E) United 2 – 0 Rovers, City 3 – 1 United

The correct answer is E.

In Rovers’ first 3 games, they have scored 1 goal and had 8 goals scored against them. In total they scored 1 goal and had 10 goals scored against them, so they must have lost their last game against United 2-0.  

In City’s first 3 games, they scored 7 goals and had 3 goals scored against them. In total they scored 10 goals and had 4 goals scored against them. Hence they must have won their game against United 3-1. Hence the answer is E.  

There are going to be  even more TSA practice questions on Exams.Ninja soon, so keep an eye out!

So there you have it! You should now be able to go into Section 1 of the TSA with the confidence that you’re prepared for every kind of problem it wants you to solve! That’s not to say that you shouldn’t prepare for something unexpected , there are times when the test will throw you a question that doesn’t quite fit into any of these categories. However, these are usually pretty straightforward problems, such as pattern identification , probability or simple equations . As long you’ve prepared your mathematical knowledge to the best of your ability, you shouldn’t have any issues getting a great score!

Remember, Problem Solving is only half the story . If you want to learn more about the Critical Thinking portion of Section 1, check out our Definitive Guide now!

Oxford TSA Results 2023 – The Definitive Guide to your TSA Score

Tsa section 2: the definitive guide to section 2 of the tsa 2024, tsa preparation: your 6-month tsa preparation timeline, the definitive guide to tsa section 1: critical thinking, your definitive guide to choosing ecaa or tsa.

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Darien High School Students Take Home 7 Awards In State Technology Competition

The competition is an annual event where students demonstrate their proficiency in a variety of stem-related fields..

Richard Kaufman , Patch Staff

DARIEN, CT — Six Darien High School students excelled at the 2023 Technology Student Association (TSA) State Competition by taking home seven total awards.

The competition, which was was held on April 1 at Sage Park Middle School in Windsor, is an annual event where students demonstrate their proficiency in a variety of STEM-related fields, from animatronic creation and robotic engineering to architecture and fashion design.

The competitions typically involve building, testing, and problem-solving challenges, and winners are awarded prizes and recognition for their achievements.

Find out what's happening in Darien with free, real-time updates from Patch.

Amanda Smith won first place in the music production category and teamed up with Ojas Kumar to secure second place in the debating tech issues category.

Saanvi Ponipireddy also won first place in the CO2 dragster category and was a part of the third-place winning team, which included Aarohan Mehta and Ojas Kumar, in the tech problem-solving category.

Sachi Mehta was another standout performer from DHS, winning first place in the prepared presentation category and second place for music production.

Anoushka Muchhal secured second place in the coding category, showcasing her expertise in programming.

This was the first in-person TSA competition after three years of virtual events due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Darien team was led by DHS technology teacher Greg Darin, who won the TSA Advisor of the Year award for the 2021–2022 school year.

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• High School Competitions

HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITIVE EVENT ELIGIBILITY CHART

Each participant/team shall submit only one [1] entry for the following competitive events.

TSA High School Competitions | Career Categories

Click on a category below to view a list of TSA high school competitions and their summary descriptions in that category:

• All High School Competitions (40)
• Architecture and Construction Technology (4)
• Communications Technology (5)
• Computer Science and Information Technology (6)
• Leadership (5)
• Manufacturing and Transportation Technology (7)
• STEM (General) (3)
• STEM and the Arts (7)
• Technology and Research (3)

Animatronics

Architectural design, audio podcasting, biotechnology design, board game design, chapter team, children's stories, computer-aided design (cad), architecture, computer-aided design (cad), engineering, data science and analytics, debating technological issues, digital video production, dragster design, drone challenge (uav), engineering design, essays on technology, extemporaneous speech, fashion design and technology, flight endurance.

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