Practice Test GeeksStudy Forums

Anyone else using TJHSST practice tests to prep for the admissions exam?

by Mike_T 996 views3 replies
M
Mike_TOP
May 27, 2026

So my daughter is in 8th grade and we've been grinding for the TJHSST admissions exam since September. She's shooting for a 90+ on the math section and honestly the prep has been way more intense than I expected. We bought a couple of books but they felt pretty generic — not really tailored to TJ's specific problem styles.

A friend from our school's parent group mentioned using online TJHSST practice tests and that made a huge difference for her kid last cycle. We've been doing 2-3 timed sessions per week now, and I feel like her problem-solving speed has improved a lot. Still struggling with the math reasoning and spatial problems though. Does anyone have a solid study guide recommendation that actually covers the technical essay portion too? That section feels like a wildcard.

Also curious — how many weeks out did people start serious prep? We're about 10 weeks away and I'm second-guessing whether that's enough time given how competitive the applicant pool is.

D
David K.
May 28, 2026
Ten weeks is actually pretty solid if she's consistent. My son prepped for about 8 weeks and got in last year. The key for us was doing timed practice under real test conditions — no pauses, no looking things up. The spatial reasoning section tripped him up early but after two weeks of focused drills it clicked. The technical essay just needs a clear structure, don't overthink it.
A
Alex G.
May 28, 2026
Honestly the math reasoning portion is what separates the strong applicants. I'd make sure she's comfortable with number theory basics and combinatorics-style problems — those show up more than most study guides acknowledge. We used a mix of resources and found that doing problems slightly above grade level helped build the right instincts. What score is she averaging on practice tests right now?
M
Megan P.
May 28, 2026
We were in the same boat last year! Exam tips that actually helped us: simulate the exact time pressure from day one, review every wrong answer the same evening, and don't skip the verbal sections thinking math will carry everything. Good luck to her!

Join the Discussion

Sign in or register to reply with your account, or reply as a guest below.

Related Discussions

← Back to Forum