You're going to hate hearing this, but there's only one way to increase speed in NS: and that's practice. You have to realize that these tests test the same the same kinds of things in every test. The only way to increase speed is to be able to recognize the kinds of questions easier, and the only way that I can think of to do that is to practice at least once a day.

Now there are a few ways to do this... The harder, traditional way of doing it is taking a test every day and taking note of stuff you need improvement. Try to create your own ways of solving certain problems. Try to not just limit your learning to NS stuff, because your bound to get better at other math related subjects as well.

The other way to do it is the expensive, NS specific, approach. There are about 8 vendors that I can think of that sell Number Sense materials. Number Sense Computerized by Larry White I think is the best, but also the most expensive. What it does is generate problems based on the topic that you buy, and practice on the kind of question over time will lead to mastery of the kind of question. Unfortunately, the software is expensive and it isnt all inclusive. Another service that you might want to look into is Dr. NumSen. I like this service. They give you five tests a week, and because you spend money in order to get the tests, you have a higher incentive to take the tests.  Another good vendor is RAM Materials. There are a bunch of other people I'm forgeting, but whatever.

 - Zack -   

Of course taking 3 tests a day will getcha up 200. I wouldnt doubt that working that hard would get you up to 300 by the end of the summer. But realistically, its hard to stick to a schedule that constrictive. That requires roughly 1.5 hrs of study a day on one subject, which isnt exactly easy, but then again thats just me. I'm not saying don't go for it. Not at all, its just that I tried something like that, but failed to keep it up because too much other stuff would get in the way.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that you must stick to your schedule as stringently as possible, because going off track and not practicing for a week will cost you alot more that you'd think. I did that... At the beginning of the school year, I thought I was going to NS, so I practiced everyday during lunch by taking a timed test. My score, over the span of 6 weeks rose from a 90ish to a steady 180. I was feeling pretty good at that point, since my score was pushing into the 200 zone frequently on practice and all, but then one week I had a massive project in English due. One missed test turned into 2, and then 3, and before I knew it I missed a week. I took a test the following Monday and scored a 135. I missed a few more days, and then I got a 110... I missed about a month and got a 90. So... I guess what I'm saying is: A practice NS test a day keeps the bad scores away.

Nothing?

Also, for all the beginners out there... Dont get discouraged by bad scores. Thats the worst thing that can happen to a NS competitor. These tests are designed to trip you up, stump you, and otherwise eat you. Theres no way you can expect to score 200+ on your first test... Its gonna take memorization of certain fractions, formulas, and lotz of practice.

Anyways... I was wondering who you anonymous people are, what schools you go to, and what grades yall are in. I'm trying to meet as many people as I can next year, so that I have that much more of an incentive to get better. Also, its fun to meet up at random invitationals and compete against different kinds of schools. I, myself, like to travel as an independant to far away contests with a friend or two to compete. Thats how I met the guys at Oconner, Judson, Rockport, some random Dallas school that I cant remember right this second... and a bunch of others.

So yeah. Good luck to all of you!

 - Zack -

I don't like limiting myself to current tests, because there's alot more diversity in the older ones, and they allow you to sharpen the skills that you might need at contest, since Larry White and TMSCA both like to mix up the different kinds of problems. Nevertheless, there are plenty of current (modeled after the White's kind of style) free tests available online. You can get every UIL Number Sense test ever given out at www.texasmath.org under the downloads tab. You can order every TMSCA Number Sense test ever given out by having your sponsor order from TMSCA. You can get up to about 14 or so practice Dr. Numsen tests at: http://www.academicmeet.com/cgi-bin/sample.cgi (of course you can buy there seasons at 60 bucks a pop). You can get maybe 1 or 2 from www.rammaterials.com for free... I think that should be enough to keep you busy this summer without paying.

As far as memorization goes... I would look into printing out a copy of a list of squares, cubes, fractions/percents/decimals and divisability rules. All are available in a printable, PDF form here: http://www.academicmeet.com/tricks/ or here: http://www.math-magic.com/basic_memorization.htm Lamanate these and know them like the back of your hand. I lamanate mine so I can memorize stuff in the shower, which I like because its kind of a mindless atmosphere, might as well be learning math stuff while washing my hair. The rest of the stuff on the list also needs to be known as well. The stuff on this page is just the basics, but remember that it is absolutely critical that you be able to do these "easy" problems as quickly as you can recognize them. Getting through the list should take about 10-12 days time before its all mastered with proper work ethic.

After you got that down, I would start working through the stuff on Mr. Jones' page in the order you miss problems on the tests. When you miss a certain kind of problem, make a little note to yourself or highlight it, to make sure you go back and figure out a good strategy for tackling it later. Pretty soon, you should have a pretty big notebook full of stuff that you've figured out. The more you figure out, the easier it becomes, and pretty soon, the first 20-30 problems become a breeze (Even those tricky estimation problems that require long division).

Also, be sure you keep a score log to see how you're improving. You should see some changes after 3 or 4 tests, because the tricks that you have to master take some getting used to, and lots of repetition.

I'll be starting a routine like similar to yours come the end of May. And I look forward to hearing how you're coming along. I did that with Comp Sci this year, and it worked tremenduously, at least until I ran out of tests to take. >.<

Good Luck and Best Wishes,
   - Zack -