TMUA prep

[antoniomargheriti]

How and when did your DC prepare for the TMUA?

Is Year 12 A-level maths content sufficient or do you need extra material and support?

Hi, OP -

The TMUA is offered this year by a subsidiary of Pearson called UAT, so it is prudent to read up on their website.

Specifications should be given. It seems very likely that, as in past years, it is possible that some schools will not have covered some topics in time for the test (which can only be taken once per admissions cycle). In that case self study is required.

But the larger point is that the questions are much more creative than school work and for this reason candidates tend to find the test difficult. (See especially the discussion of Paper 2). Indeed, that is the point, from the university perspective.

For this reason IMO it is essential to prepare

My DS found it easy last year and just did past papers. He got a high grade.

You do need to prepare for all of these ie MAT and STEP because the questions are quite unique compared to what they learn for their A Levels

So just do all the past papers you can

So no normal maths A Level isn't enough

One of the admissions criteria for very selective universities/courses (that use entrance tests) is the capacity of applicants to go above and beyond their school curriculum. There are many ways that course selection processes attempt to evaluate this. Somewhat inevitably, there is quite a lot injustice around the extent of the support available to applicants to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond what is on offer at school and universities do in the main try hard to understand the context of applicants' performance in entrance tests such as the TMUA. But applicants do well to understand that, by definition, these tests require knowledge/skills beyond the standard A-level curriculum - if they didn't, A-levels would suffice for assessing applicants' suitability for the course.

It's more about how you apply your maths knowledge to the unusual questions they ask

Which is a different skill to the skills being tested at school.

@Ceramiq yes exactly

Which is why doing as many past papers as possible is essential to get your head into what it is they want exactly. Get to know the style etc