tech problem solving tsa

Competitive Events

Technology problem solving hs, # description.

Participants use their skills in problem-solving to develop a finite solution to the stated problem provided on-site. Participants work as a team to provide the best solution, which is measured objectively.

# Careers Associated

Computer Software Engineer

Mathematician

Criminal Investigator

Air Traffic Controller

# Oklahoma Eligibility

Entries are limited to one (1) team of two (2) individuals per chapter.

# State Competition Information​

One hour is allowed for the design and construction of the solution.

Participants must provide their own toolbox

Toolbox must not exceed twenty (20) inch length x ten (10) inch width x ten (10) inch height sizing box.

# Coordinators

The individuals listed below is familiar with the event and available to give guidance. Please email them if you have questions regarding this event.

Emily Davis

[email protected]

Event Coordinator

[email protected]

Event Manager

Uncommon Leadership

The First Innovation Doctrine: Transforming Problem-Solving Within the TSA

When the tsa needed a way to accelerate problem-solving and transform the agency, they turned to bmnt for help. the result was the first-ever innovation doctrine in federal government.

Editor’s note: This year marks a decade of government innovation for BMNT. We are celebrating by telling the success stories of our clients and partners as they transform how their organizations solve hard problems at speed and at scale. Our story is their story. Below is the fifth in this series of articles. Read our other Customer Success stories here .

THE CHALLENGE

Created in the aftermath of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a ubiquitous site in airports today. Its systems and procedures are designed to keep passengers safe in the nation’s airports and throughout major transportation systems. With constantly changing technology and threat levels, the TSA needs to be flexible and innovative.  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted air travel, but it reinforced TSA’s need to innovate to maintain security. Solutions and adjustments needed to happen fast. Adherence to existing policies and procedures wasn’t going to get the job done.

The TSA wanted a new approach – something to accelerate problem-solving and transform the agency, giving personnel the freedom to suggest and test innovations that would improve efficiencies for frontline security officers, as well as improve the passenger experience. The effort needed to be guided by a common framework and language so the 60,000 employees spread throughout the TSA would understand how to innovate, not just restate what needed to be done.

THE RESOLUTION

TSA Administrator David Pekoske appointed Chief Innovation Officer, Dan McCoy, to lead the effort. McCoy then turned to BMNT. Together, we created the TSA Innovation Doctrine, the first of its kind in the federal government – a living document that guides the actions of TSA staff without dictating how those actions must be taken.

The Doctrine includes an enterprise-level system for innovation that is repeatable and scalable to solve problems throughout the agency. The Innovation Pipeline ® provides a systematic approach to generate a steady flow of actionable and mission-focused ideas for testing and implementation.

The Doctrine also commits principles like small bets – allowing staff to identify problems and test low-risk, scalable solutions to determine what works best. This leads to rapid implementation, allowing TSA to quickly scale viable ideas to address the constantly changing threat landscape.

Finally, TSA is growing ecosystems of interconnected networks including public and private industry and organizations to co-evolve capabilities around a shared set of technologies and principles. 

The Innovation Doctrine is not just a license to re-imagine and solve problems as they arise, it is a permission slip to fail fast, to move closer to genuine solutions.

THE IMPACT: MORE TRUST, RAPID PROBLEM-SOLVING, ENHANCED SECURITY

Real-world applications quickly materialized. In 2022, TSA staff discovered 6,542 firearms during routine screenings. Most of those firearms were loaded, creating a serious threat to TSA officers, airport workers and passengers. When a firearm is found, checkpoints must close, lines get longer, and passengers are delayed. In 2023, TSA’s new Launchpad team used BMNT’s sprint model to address the issue. 

The team pulled in industry and subject matter experts and within 90 days the team developed two minimum viable products (MVPs) and one prototype, which is now being tested at Dallas Fort Worth airport by the local LIFT Cell.

Other innovation efforts are also underway, thanks to the TSA Innovation Doctrine:

Over 325 employees, ranging from frontline security officers to TSA leaders, received personalized innovation training. This helps employees identify, scope, and solve TSA challenges regardless of where they exist in the organization. Solutions are being developed locally at airports, like breakaway barriers for K-9 screening and Advanced Image Technology (ATI) officer interface improvements, and TSA leadership has the visibility they need to make accurate budget requests and invest those funds wisely. 

Over 60 LIFT Cells have been created at airports across the country to foster local innovation networks and accelerate real solution development. Guided by BMNT’s Innovation Pipeline ® LIFT Cells have curated hundreds of problems sourced directly from their airports, specifically their teammates. Teams at airports like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Helena Regional Airport in Montana (HLN) partnered with the local community, including working with high school robotics teams to 3D manufacture TSO needed faceshield during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TSA Innovation Team has grown to reinforce the leadership’s commitment to enterprise-wide innovation support. Since the publication of the TSA Innovation Doctrine, the Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) team includes six full-time staff, several detailed programs, and executes approximately $2,500,000 to bring solutions to officers and passengers.

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REDEFINING THE END-TO-END PASSENGER EXPERIENCE AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

New TSA Innovation Doctrine: creating a culture of innovation and engaging with disruptors across the air transport ecosystem

Initiatives | On the Ground | Security // Dec 2022

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently published its first ‘Innovation Doctrine’ – an initiative designed to empower its workforce to engage in creative problem-solving in collaboration with industry, academia and government partners.

Daniel McCoy, Former Chief Innovation Officer, Transportation Security Administration, led internal efforts on the TSA Innovation Doctrine. “The hope in publishing a Doctrine versus a Strategy or White Paper is that it will create more lasting guidance on how to think and act, in order to organically create innovators and a broad culture of innovation, not specifically what to do to innovate,” he explains. “The culture of any organisation is not what is written down or discussed in leadership meetings, but the behaviours or actions that get an employee rewarded or reprimanded. Our goal with the Doctrine was to reinforce the fact that creativity, ingenuity, and invention are rewarded; reinforce TSA’s culture of innovation.”

There are four key objectives in publishing the TSA Innovation Doctrine:

• Provide guidance on “how to think” not “what to think” throughout the workforce.
• Reinforce the fact that innovation does not need to be rare or costly, but rather repeatable and scalable.
• Create a common lexicon and pipeline for all of TSA, and hopefully expand to other parts of government and commercial partners.
• Publish a document to build trust across TSA to hold leadership and peers accountable to the principles of innovation.

“One of the key purposes of the Doctrine was to establish almost a ‘bill of rights’ across TSA to give cover to invent, change, or innovate freely,” says McCoy. “From the leadership side it says ‘we expect everyone across the agency to think about ways to improve the mission through innovation. This is what we believe is the best way to do that’. For the workforce it’s a mechanism to hold leaders and peers accountable to say ‘I’m trying to improve the mission or experience per this guidance, in these ways, with this support. I expect the space to do so’.”

By publishing the document externally, the idea is also that air transportation partners, legacy and emerging, bring more creative, inventive, and unique solutions to TSA, as partners. “Many of the principles outlined in the Doctrine, such as ‘take risks’ or ‘fail fast’ are more standard practice in commercial groups,” McCoy explains. “The ecosystem in many ways helps reinforce those principles at TSA through specific programmes and partnerships.”

Bringing ingenuity, creativity, and innovation to the TSA’s work

One of the hallmarks of the Doctrine is that it does not first and foremost set a single office as the ‘innovation’ group. “Having one group focus on innovation means you’re creating a bottleneck such that you’ll never outpace your adversaries, technology changes, or pure externalities like COVID-19,” says McCoy.

He explains that the largest impact on creating more innovation throughout TSA is by creating more innovators within its ranks. “The Doctrine – along with programmes like our Design Thinking Cohorts, LinkedIn Learning training, and facilitated innovation training – taps into more of TSA’s workforce predisposed to want to bring ingenuity, creativity, and innovation to their work.”

The Doctrine also aims to facilitate teams at airports, across different functions, to build their own innovation pipelines. “That ability to self-generate innovative ideas, projects, and pilots means each group can work with local partners – such as small businesses, start-ups, colleges and universities – with a vested interested in the community,” McCoy notes.

This is best seen in the creation of TSA LIFT Cells, outlined in the Doctrine, which are Local Innovation for TSA (LIFT) teams at over 25 airports across the U.S. Each team is supported by the Chief Innovation Officer’s office and airport Federal Security Director, with local staff responsible for leading innovation at the local level. “The folks in the LIFT Cell receive training, documentation, and tools to manage their own pipeline and educate others at their airport,” says McCoy. “In September 2022 the first annual ‘LIFT Summit’ was hosted in Los Angeles, where all the LIFT teams co-located for three days to learn, collaborate, and network.”

TSA Innovation Pipeline: “how all innovations are best identified and scaled”

An important element of the Doctrine is the TSA Innovation Pipeline. TSA views problem-solving activities as an end-to-end process and its Innovation Pipeline is designed to enable the creative ingenuity of the workforce, while engaging with partners to solve complex problems through innovation.

“I believe if any organisation has an enterprise level system for innovation, and a leadership core that supports real innovation, that agency or company will naturally make innovation repeatable and scalable,” McCoy comments. “The TSA Innovation Pipeline sets that repeatable process for innovation and is designed to be adaptable to the size and scope of any challenge or opportunity so that it can be leveraged at the local or national level. Whether it’s the LIFT team at LAX working on breakaway barriers in response to input from local law enforcement and K-9 teams, or deploying a new scheduling application for all 440 federalised airports, the pipeline is how we believe all innovations are best identified and scaled.”

Future Travel Experience has a close working partnership with the TSA around our FTE Global event. During this year’s FTE Global in Las Vegas, the TSA Innovation Task Force led guided tours and delivered a briefing to showcase the latest iteration of the future checkpoint site running at Harry Reid International Airport, which is trialling new machines, and new approaches, to gather data and feedback on whether the technology is something TSA would like to use at airports nationwide. FTE Global 2023 moves to Los Angeles, taking place at Long Beach Convention Center on 19-21 September 2023.

Calling on innovators and early adopters to lead change

Following publication of the TSA Innovation Doctrine, the ambition now is to start creating more organic innovation and solutions across the agency. “The Doctrine is many things, but primarily it’s a call to action and ‘bill of rights’ to the workforce,” says McCoy. “TSA for years has expanded the capabilities, trust, and professionalism of the diverse workforce, now it’s calling on those innovators and early adopters to lead change. Democratised innovation means we’re staying agile ahead of threats, and solutions best align to problem owners.”

The follow-up will involve more integration with inter-governmental innovation groups and peers. Building a common lexicon and action means TSA can syndicate projects, investment, technology, and talent better with these peers. McCoy adds that it will also include growing the base of innovators and early adopters across the enterprise. “If you believe the standard diffusion of innovation theory, the Doctrine is really trying to protect and enable that first 15% of innovators and early adopters – the folks already keen to take risks, build pilot programmes, test new concepts, and really push back on the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mentality. If that cohort is successful and rewarded for their efforts, it de-risks innovation for the agency as a whole. At that point, that’s when the culture change is inevitable.”

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• Practice Questions

The TEAMS competition consists of three components: Design/Build, Multiple Choice, and Essay. Examples of each high school (HS) and middle school (MS) components are given below. Additional practice examples can be found in your online coach account .

Design/Build | HS and MS

• Crane Design Challenge
• Amusement Park Ride Challenge

Multiple Choice | HS

• Urban Green Space scenario and questions
• Urban Green Space solutions
• Wind Power scenarios and questions
• Wind Power solutions
• Digital Relays for Electrical Grids scenarios and questions
• Digital Relays solution

Multiple Choice | MS

• Water & Sewer System scenario and questions
• Water & Sewer system solutions
• Electric Grid scenarios and questions
• Electric Grid solutions

Essay Challenge | HS and MS

• Essay Prompt HS and MS
• Sample answer (HS)
• Sample answer (MS)

Technology Problem Solving

"participants use their skills in problem solving to develop a finite solution to a problem provided onsite.", for the connecticut state conference, this competition entails using materials both brought and provided to complete a given task to the best of one's ability within around two hours. only teams of two (2) may participate., items required for submission :, toolkit specified within the 2019-2020 competitive events guidelines.

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Connecting TSA Employees with Top Problem-Solvers

Program Overview

Lift innovation program: transforming transportation security together.

At Lift, we recognize the invaluable insights and ingenuity that reside within our own employees. Our Lift Innovation Program is dedicated to unleashing the potential of TSA’s employees and forging relationships with nontraditional partners. By harnessing the collective problem-solving capabilities of our operational experts, industry leaders, and government partners, we aim to enhance security and efficiency in the nation’s transportation systems.

Key Features:

• Empowering Front Line Innovation: Lift Cells serve as hubs of innovation, empowering front line workers to identify and address challenges in real-time, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Collaboration Beyond Boundaries: The program connects TSA employees with top problem-solvers in industry, academia, and government, breaking down silos to create a collaborative ecosystem focused on shared success.
• Training and Tools for Impact: Lift Cell members receive specialized training and access to cutting-edge tools, equipping them with the skills needed to swiftly and effectively solve challenges at the local level.

Through the Lift Innovation Program, we aspire to be at the forefront of transformative advancements in transportation security. By uniting diverse perspectives and expertise from our employees and partners, we not only improve our operational effectiveness but also contribute to a safer and more efficient transportation landscape for our nation. Join us in reshaping the future of transportation security—where innovation knows no bounds, and collaboration knows no limits. Together, let’s make a difference in our mission to safeguard the nation’s transportation systems.

• Foster a culture of innovation and intrapreneurship at TSA
• Provide resources and pathways for TSA innovators to solve tactical level pain points
• Expand TSA’s innovative ecosystem with industry, academia, and government

Innovation Pipeline

Source : Collect innovation opportunities. TSA actively collects problem statements and ideas from every level of the workforce as well as industry, government, and non government partners.

Curate : Rigorously assess and prioritize opportunities. All problem statements and ideas collected are organized and categorized by mission focus areas. During curation, problems and ideas are validated for technical feasibility, organizational viability, and end-user desirability. This involves connecting potential stakeholders that may have an interest in the problem or its potentially resulting new policy, process, or technology.

Discover : Testing and validating critical hypotheses. In this phase, ideas and solutions are tested for application against the TSA mission model. Sometimes, this phase will include exploring how industry is solving the same or similar problems, and building a coalition or ecosystem of partners and experts to pursue the right solution for the Agency. Solutions may be identified through an agile design process and result in a minimum viable product, or MVP, and an associated test plan. Finally, this phase tailors an action plan to gain leadership support moving forward.

Incubate : Building Early Versions of the Solution. Projects moving into the incubation phase have gathered enough initial support to develop a prototype that is subsequently refined and tested to validate its proof of concept. Further, the processes and resources for scaling only the most successful prototypes are defined to scale their implementation.

Transition : Integrating and Scaling the Mature Solution. The CInO partners with relevant TSA operational components to prepare to receive the new process or technology in order to rapidly transition it to an operational environment to achieve mission impact. Traditionally the most difficult phase of an Innovation Pipeline, validated solutions must move steadily against the traditional, slow procurement and acquisitions processes through the valley of death. A break from requirements into agile development.

Employee Resources

Ready to join the innovation movement, or want more information on one of our programs?

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  and  University College London . 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.  

Section 1 is marked by the examining body, Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing . The process of marking 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 mid-October at an approved testing centre.

You will need to register for the TSA online, with registrations starting from September 1st. 

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!

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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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Pensacola is being held hostage at whims of TSA. It doesn't have to be that way.

Anyone who travels through Pensacola’s airport knows that the Transportation Security Administration’s screening process there is broken. For frequent flyers who use that airport regularly (like me), it stands out as a consistently subpar experience.

TSA is either unwilling or unable to perform its missions efficiently and effectively, often leading to obscenely long lines that create safety issues because they spill into areas not designed to queue waiting passengers.

Screeners also appear to have trouble operating the new high-tech scanning machines with the accompanying backups, extra bag checks, and delays not found in other airports.

TSA advises travelers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flights to account for the long lines, but it fails to note that they don’t open the lines at least two hours before the earliest flights depart − wreaking havoc for those trying to catch those flights.

As the Pensacola News Journal recently recounted , TSA runs things so poorly that Pensacola’s mayor even asked members of Congress to intervene because TSA refused to provide sufficient staff. After their intervention, TSA agreed to temporarily provide more screeners, but only through the end of July. After that, everyone anticipates the long lines and unnecessary delays will return.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Instead of begging TSA officials for better staffing, training, and customer service, Pensacola should fire TSA and privatize screening operations at our airport.

Sound absurd? Far from it.

Twenty-one current airports have already done it. Some are similar in size to Pensacola’s airport, and some are much larger, like San Francisco’s airport. At least three other Florida airports − Key West, Orlando Sanford, and Sarasota-Bradenton − currently utilize private screeners. TSA’s Screening Partnership Program allows airports to opt out of using TSA screeners and to instead hire private parties to do the job.

Studies have shown that airports participating in this program have greater efficiency and better customer satisfaction. A 2011 study by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee found that private screeners at San Francisco’s airport screened 65 percent more passengers per screener than TSA screeners who manned the security checkpoints at LAX, Los Angeles’s primary airport.

The private screeners also would not likely be impacted by government shutdowns and other federal labor issues like TSA screeners would be.

Ironically, because TSA functions as both the regulator and the regulated entity, it stands to lose if it approves airports’ requests to privatize screening operations. That’s likely why the process is notoriously slow and difficult to undertake. In fact, the Obama Administration’s TSA even tried to kill the privatization program until Congress passed legislation requiring the agency to restore it.

While TSA studies claim that its screeners generally perform as well as the private screeners for roughly the same cost, other government agencies − like the Government Accountability Office − have cast doubt on the validity of those studies, or at least the conclusions drawn from them.

If Pensacola opts to privatize security screenings, there would likely be some transitional period with the associated inefficiencies when the TSA turns over operations to the private screening company.

Still, if this is an option, why aren’t our local elected leaders using it instead of being held hostage to the whims − and mercy − of the TSA?

If local leaders request to privatize screening operations, and TSA delays a decision on the request or denies it, that’s an issue for our members of Congress to examine.

And let’s be honest, does anyone anticipate that private screeners would be worse at efficiently screening passengers than the current TSA screeners?

It’s past time for our local elected leaders to pursue this privatization path if they’re serious about making Pensacola’s airport one of the best in the nation.

Grounding TSA will clear the runway for that goal to become a reality.

Zack Smith is a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.

AI will make coding skills more, not less, valuable—and it’s more important than ever for children to learn them

The year 2024 has continued to see the long-awaited rise of generative AI in many aspects of life. Every day, we see news of the latest tools and developments to help with our needs, from generating a grocery list to coding a program. Artificial intelligence promises a bright future, an exciting prospect that also carries fears of the technology replacing humans and eliminating jobs . While this future is further ahead than many will claim, two facts remain true: AI and its fast growth present more opportunities rather than dangers, and we must continue to teach our children how to code so they can take advantage of the freedom of creativity that AI provides.

Generative AI is driven using LLMs, or large-language models. It learns by combining the prompts and queries you enter with the information available from many sources, including the web. Generative AI can create base code with a simple prompt, but it still needs an engineer or programmer to check that code, understand what needs to be modified, and then apply it to the right context and use in a program. AI frees the programmer from debugging and instead allows for a focus on creativity. It lets us reinvent a better wheel—a wheel that more people can access and benefit from.

With that in mind, consider the benefits of learning how to code in our increasingly technological world. Instead of having to go through hours of courses to learn base code, we are free to be creative, to think critically, and to problem-solve. With easier access to generating starting code, our children face lower barriers in learning how to use code to solve the problems of today and tomorrow. They can more freely collaborate, communicate, and create. The power of learning how to code is in the intangible skills of breaking down a problem piece by piece and approaching it in different ways to find a solution. Coding is one of the best mediums to combine problem-solving and technology.

For example, take the case where you need to use generative AI to draft an email. You wouldn’t simply copy and paste what your prompt yields; you would read through it, evaluate the word choice and tone, and then make edits to ensure accuracy. You would integrate your personal voice and reformat the AI’s results for consistency and style. AI provides the starting point, but you are ultimately responsible for the final product. You use your critical thinking skills and creativity to apply the generated results in the way you want and need.

Teaching our children how to code ensures that they can focus on their best work by being creative, modifying, and problem-solving. They won’t have to spend hours starting from scratch repeatedly or redoing work that’s already been done.

Coding jobs will evolve as AI improves

This also leads to the idea that not all coding jobs will be eliminated, they will just evolve. Programming positions today require an intensive number of hours to learn and master the coding languages that a specific job requires (i.e. Python, C#, etc.). This requirement for highly specialized knowledge to be qualified for a job will go away as AI continues to improve. It will continue to be critical to learn how to code in the future, but the knowledge and training a programmer needs will shift to knowing how to leverage tools and AI-built programs, rather than the hundreds of hours needed to master a specific programming language.

While there is a long pathway ahead for a generative AI tool to be 100% accurate and free of errors, there will be a time in the future when AI becomes the everyday tool to support our lives. Also, for every disruptive tool or invention, there are new jobs to improve and maintain such creations. In the programming world, there will always be a need for those who understand the code that drives the technology that we use.

In February, when Google’s AI Gemini was prompted to generate an image of a U.S. senator from the 1800s, the results were incorrect and comical —users reported images ranging from a group of Asian men dressed in Western period attire to Native American women in their traditional garb. Google engineers with the proper programming skills had to fix the logic and data being used by the AI. How many other times have we already seen so-called advanced generative AI tools require fixes or elimination of false statements in the past year alone?

The rise of AI presents unparalleled opportunities to innovate and expand our technological capabilities. By integrating AI into our lives, we free ourselves from the constraints of specialized knowledge, allowing us to focus on creativity and problem-solving. To fully leverage AI’s benefits, we must continue to teach our children the invaluable skills of coding. In doing so, we prepare them to thrive in a future where technology and creativity go hand in hand. Embrace AI and let us inspire the next generation to innovate and create like never before.

Ed Kim is vice president of education and training at Code Ninjas .

More on artificial intelligence:

• I’ve read over 100 AI requests for proposals from major companies. Here’s the matrix of guardrails and obligations that is emerging
• The race for human-AI interaction usage data is on—and the stakes are high
• For Gen Zers like me, AI regulation isn’t happening fast enough —and our future depends on it
• AI’s ability to write for us—and our inability to resist ‘The Button’ —will spark a crisis of meaning in creative work

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of  Fortune .

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7 most common smart home problems and how to solve them.

Glitches with your smart home products can result in inconvenience and frustration

We live in an era of digital transformation, and the concept of a "smart home" is becoming popular due to its convenience and efficiency. From security to lights and temperature, these technologically advanced homes are equipped with interconnected smart devices to make our lives comfortable and easier. Like other electronics, they can have issues.

Whether you have problems with a smart bulb, fan, security camera, robot vacuum, thermostat, or smart display from Amazon or Google, this guide goes over common smart home problems and practical solutions to overcome them. Then, you can navigate your smart home ecosystem without errors.

How to set up Alexa smart home automation

1 compatibility issues.

There's no shortage of smart home manufacturers and vendors. While Amazon, Google, Apple, Philips, and other leading companies have agreed upon the Matter protocol , hundreds of devices still use Z-wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and other standards.

If your preferred devices use different communication protocols, they may not work with each other properly. When you add products to your shopping list, check their compatibility with your existing devices and platforms to avoid such scenarios. Most manufacturers mention compatibility on the packaging.

2 Broken connectivity

Smart home products rely on an active internet connection to function properly. If all your smart home products act up, your home's Wi-Fi connection is the main culprit. Restart the router and try again.

Weak internet connectivity can also result in inconveniences. Place the router near your devices for a stable connection. Physical barriers (like walls and large furniture) and Bluetooth devices (such as microwaves and ovens) also break Wi-Fi connectivity. Think twice before setting up a router at home so that it can communicate with all smart home devices properly.

3 Battery drain

Several smart home products rely on batteries to function correctly. When these batteries run low, the device doesn't function properly. Similarly, some devices, such as security cameras, smart displays, and more, must be connected to a power source all the time.

Connecting too many devices to the same power source may overload the source and cause insufficient voltage and power supply. Check the battery life on these devices occasionally and make sure they aren't placed in weak Wi-Fi zones. A spotty connection may force it to work harder, resulting in battery drain.

4 Automation and Routine failures

Most smart home devices are compatible with voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant . You can use these assistants to set up automation and routines via a single voice command. However, the entire command execution isn't always smooth. Multiple factors can break your automation rules and routines.

Network outages, incorrect settings, a spotty internet connection, or a sync delay can break your set routines. You can fix the network connection, delete and create automation again, update your devices to the latest version, and wait for a specific company to fix the network outage. Also, avoid setting up too many devices in a single automation. It should bring down the routine failure rate.

5 Issues with the voice assistant

Support for voice assistants plays a crucial role in a smooth, smart home setup. Many owners have complained about their preferred voice assistants not understanding their commands accurately. It could be due to background noise, different accents, speech patterns, and context variations that can result in misinterpreted commands.

Give commands with clarity. For example, instead of saying, "Turn on the fans," say, "Turn on the fans in the drawing room." Avoid using slang, technical terms, and unusual vocabulary in your voice commands.

6 Hardware failures

Hardware failures are common in smart home products. Sometimes, you may run into a damaged circuit board, blown fuses, capacitors, or dead batteries on a smart home product. There isn't much you can do when dealing with physical defects.

If possible, replace the malfunctioning part. You can also hire a professional to take a closer look. If your device is broken beyond repair, purchase a new unit to continue your seamless smart home setup.

7 Security concerns

Smart home devices like security cameras, smart displays, and more constantly monitor movements. These companies also collect large amounts of data to improve their products. Unauthorized access to your smart devices can result in a nightmare. Avoid setting up weak passwords on your home Wi-Fi network.

Also, install the latest firmware updates to enjoy security patches. Avoid third-party apps and use official apps to manage your smart devices. When a manufacturer updates its privacy policy, read it before agreeing to it.

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Constant errors with smart home products can spoil your ideal setup in no time. Before calling customer care, troubleshoot the problem using the suggestions above. If you live in the Android ecosystem and plan to invest in more smart home products, glance over our dedicated buying guide to learn the top recommendations.

The CEO behind the world's biggest science and engineering fair says the biggest mistake parents make is putting too much pressure on their kids

• The Regeneron ISEF is a huge science fair that attracts top talent from all over the world.
• This year, the competition awarded $9 million in prizes. It has a history of prestigious winners.
• That can make for a stressful competition, but parents shouldn't add to it, CEO Maya Ajmera said.

What's been called the "granddaddy" of science fairs took place last week.

With over $9 million in prizes and heaps of prestige, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) attracts some of the best and brightest students from around the world, like Hawaii and California as well as Kildare, Ireland and Shanghai, China.

Past winners include Nobel Prize recipients , Rhodes Scholars, and MacArthur Foundation genius grant awardees.

With that kind of money and acclaim on the line, it's not surprising that the atmosphere surrounding the competition is intense .

"I think a lot of kids who are here actually — I don't think I'm reading it wrong — are truly excited to be here," said Maya Ajmera, the president and CEO of the Society for Science, which coordinates ISEF. "But they also feel the pressure of wanting to win and the pressure of going to college," she told Business Insider last week.

The biggest mistake that parents with ambitious, curious kids can make is adding to that pressure, she said.

Besides, between addictive social media , the climate crisis, growing up during the pandemic, and feeling lonelier than ever , Gen Z already has more than enough sources of anxiety .

Stepping back and letting the kids do the work

While it can be useful to have a parent invested in helping their kid meet deadlines and make a nice-looking poster, some adults take it too far. Ajmera advises parents to "stand back and let your kid do it."

"Get out of their way," she said, "and don't pressure them too much."

If competing at ISEF is any indication of success, then Ajmera's advice certainly seems to work. Parents of ISEF competitors who spoke with Business Insider shared her philosophy.

"We never pressure them," Maria Estrada, whose two children have both competed and won awards at ISEF, told Business Insider. Estrada said she's never expected her children to have 5.0 GPAs, and that she's even asked her daughter to slow down and be a kid.

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"I accepted my kids for who they are," she added. "I think it's important for parents to know their kids' abilities."

Another parent, Alexa Groff, has a daughter, Taylor, who competes in science fairs and is a competitive dancer. She said that a friend recently told her she'd expected Groff to be an intense "dance mom" who showed up early to everything.

In reality, the friend told her she was "super-duper chill."

"I think it's important for Taylor to explore her passions without my hand in it," Groff said. When her daughter wanted to quit volleyball, for example, she said she let it happen and supported the decision."I want her to figure things out on her own, but know that I'm there for whatever she needs me for," Groff said.

Combining passion and hard work to solve problems

As part of the ISEF competition, nearly 2,000 students from 49 states and 70 countries gathered in Los Angeles to showcase their research to judges. ISEF pulls the finalists from 400 smaller science fairs from around the world, taking the winners from a pool of 175,000 competitors.

While not typically at the same level as peer-reviewed scientific research, ISEF students' topics can be as sophisticated as microbial genetics, bone tumors, and microplastic filtration.

Far from overly involving themselves, parents are often surprised at what their children accomplish with their projects. "They're kind of amazed, actually," Ajmera said.

Students are often inspired to pursue these difficult subjects because of real-world issues and not by their parents' insistence to compete, Ajmera said.

"A lot of kids have their own personal stories to share of something that's affected their families or their communities, and they want to go in and solve it," Ajmera said of the Gen Z competitors.

For example, 18-year-old Maddux Alexander Springer received this year's $10,000 Peggy Scripps Award for Science Communication for his studies on a tumor-causing disease in green sea turtles near his home in Hawaii.

That kind of interest and enthusiasm can carry a student far, which is important since most winning projects are often complex and time-consuming.

For example, 16-year-old Grace Sun won this year's top prize , the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, for her project on organic electronic devices. Sun told Business Insider she had to miss hours of school to work in a university lab for her project.

For some kids, though, it's all worth it because the time and effort are investments in what they hope will be their future careers.

"A lot of these kids are going to either land in academia doing research, or they're going to be entrepreneurs and start new companies on the new cutting-edge technologies," Ajmera said.

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