The pivotal TJ Problem Solving Essay and what you must know about it? Have you ever taken a one problem test? They are not common because they are not good at testing your knowledge except on that single question. So why does TJ admissions use a single multi-step problem and an associated essay to evaluate TJ applicants?
The Problem Solving Essay is ostensibly used to eliminate all but the very best students. Unfortunately, the one question Problem Solving Essay, also eliminates those highly capable students who make one careless error or have a “bad day.” According to some news articles, TJ removed the TJ admission test, which had been in use for over 30 years because they were fearful that many students would underperform because they had a “bad day.”
My focus is not on analyzing TJ’s motive for relying solely on a single question Problem Solving Essay but it is on what you must know about the Problem Solving Essay so you don’t fall victim to the admission process. To rephrase, smart students with all A’s including an A in math, may get on the wait pool or get rejected if they make a careless error due to lack of proficiency, test anxiety, or nervousness.
So how can you prepare to conquer the single question Problem Solving Essay? The challenge may sound insurmountable but it is not. If you work with a teacher who has seen it all and who has not only helped hundreds of 8th graders prepare for TJ test but who has a thorough understanding of the multitude of math concepts that can be used to create the Problem Solving Essay question and who can judge the likelihood of whether most students who have completed Algebra I or Geometry can realistically solve the problem and complete the essay (TJ admissions is unlikely to assign a problem that at least 5-10% of the students can't solve). Such a teacher can reliably train you on all relevant math concepts and associated math problems that it is extremely unlikely that a problem will appear whose underlying concepts are unknown to you. For example, for the March 2021 test, all of Dr. Tripathi’s students have solved dozens if not more problems similar to the math question behind the problem solving essay essay on the March 2021 assessment.
Now to assess the practicality of correctly solving the question without any prep, realize that over the past five years there has been a growing trend throughout the region wherein most Algebra I, Algebra II and precalculus classes do not teach or train how to solve word problems; consequently most students getting an A in Algebra I or II do not sufficiently practice or even learn how to solve word problems. Next, understand that even those students who are able to solve word problems are often unable to do so quickly and therefore they find it nearly impossible to solve the problem and complete the essay within a 30 minute time limit. Anyone who aspires to do well on the math and/or science problem solving essay must ensure 1) sufficient proficiency in a wide range of math and science concepts and reasoning skills, 2) sufficient speed of problem solving so as to solve the problem and write the essay within allotted time, and 3) maintain sufficient calm and poise that test anxiety or nervousness would not affect his or her performance.