Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness (TMA) Practice

What Is the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness (TMA)?

The Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness assesses your ability to problem solve through a variety of levels.

The test is scored using a percentile bell curve. This means that the difference between an average score and a great score may be measured by only a few points. For example, a score of 80 translates to the 74th percentile, while a score of 90 is in the 90th percentile—a huge difference when choosing whom to hire.

What Happens If I Achieve a High Score on the Test?

To get a job in a managerial position, in sales, or as a bank teller, you will likely be required to take an assessment test like the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness. Along with a good interview and a stellar resume, your high score will push you forward in the hiring process and help you beat out the competition. By achieving a high score on the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness, the door will be open to a career in a high-paying, secure job.

What Are the Challenges to Passing?

The Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness shifts between verbal and quantitative questions as they increase in difficulty. The test is comprised of 126 questions and you have 20 minutes in which to complete it, which is essentially fewer than ten seconds per question. That is why it is necessary to practice making quick, confident decisions.

 

Get Ready for Your TMA Test

Start preparing for your TMA test online with JobTestPrep. Familiarise yourself with the alertness test and land your desired position.

 

Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness Sample Questions

Below are just a few sample questions, but additional questions, practice tests, and study resources are available within the Thurstone Test of Mental Awareness PrepPack™. The answers to these sample questions are filled in for you.

1. Arithmetic – Word Problems

Jack and Jill have 44 cookies together. Jack has three times more cookies than Jill, how many cookies does he have?

9
11
22
33
40
None of these
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

If Jack has 3 times more cookies than Jill, we can build the following equation letting Jill be X and Jack be 3X:

3X+X=44

4X=44

X=11

3X=33

Therefore, Jack has 33 cookies.

 

A client of a bank complains that there has been a mistake and that he did not receive the correct annual interest on his savings account. Over the last 12 months, his account increased from $7,650.00 to $7,803.76. During this time, the client made no deposits or withdrawals, and the annual percent interest on his account is 2.75%.

What should be the correct the balance on his account?

$7,860.37
$7,864.60
$8,018.36
There was no mistake, $7,803.76
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

Since the annual percent interest on the client's account is 2.75%, the balance on this account at the end of the year should have been 102.75% of the original balance:
100%+2.75%=102.75%.

In order to find the correct balance on his account, we need to find how much 102.75% of $7,650.00 is:
(102.75*7,650)/100= 7860.375.

 

2. Number Series – Logical Order

36 | 30 | 28 | 20 | 10 | ?

8
-8
12
-6
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The differences between the terms in this series follow the Fibonacci sequence principle. The difference between two terms equals the sum of the two previous differences.

3. Same-opposite – Synonyms-Antonyms

SPITE          RESPITE
The meanings of these words are

similar
contradictory
neither similar nor contradictory 
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

Spite is a word used to describe a malicious feeling, while respite is a word used to describe a short interval of rest. Therefore, the words are neither similar nor contradictory.

4. Definition –

Choose the first letter of the word that is defined below.

An elongated, snakelike fish with smooth skin

S
W
E
H
K
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is “eel.”

A sweet confection made out of crushed almonds, often used as decoration on cakes

N
M
B
A
Z
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is “marzipan.”

Preparing for the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness

Today's job market is very competitive, and prospective employers will use every tool available with which to make the correct hiring decision. That is why practicing in advance for the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness is essential. Scoring high will give you a competitive edge and increase your chances of being hired.

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