TEAMS Competition (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics & Science)

# TEAMS Competition: Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics & Science TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics & Science) is a national STEM competition program run by the Technology Student Association (TSA) that gives high school students the opportunity to tackle real-world engineering challenges. Designed to mirror the problem-solving process actual engineers use, TEAMS emphasizes teamwork, applied mathematics, scientific reasoning, and creative solution-building. ## About TEAMS TEAMS is organized by JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) in partnership with TSA and engages tens of thousands of students at schools across the United States every year. The competition presents a new theme each year focused on a genuine engineering challenge—past themes have included sustainable transportation, disaster-resilient communities, water resource management, and healthcare innovation. Unlike purely academic competitions, TEAMS is application-driven: you don't just solve math problems in isolation. You interpret data, design solutions, and make engineering trade-offs as a coordinated team. ## Competition Structure **Team Size**: 4–8 students per team (multiple teams per school allowed) **Competition Components**: - **Official Team Problems (OTP)**: Open-ended design and engineering challenges requiring collaborative written solutions. Teams present recommendations backed by scientific and mathematical reasoning - **Multiple Choice**: Individual students answer engineering, physics, and mathematics questions aligned to the year's theme - **Essay**: Teams craft a written response to an engineering ethics or policy question related to the theme - **Experimental Design**: Teams design a controlled experiment to answer a given engineering question **Levels**: School, regional, and national — top teams advance to national recognition through TSA's championship pipeline. ## Why TEAMS Stands Out TEAMS is one of the few competitions that explicitly teaches engineering process thinking rather than pure academic content. Participants learn to: - Frame problems the way professional engineers do - Balance competing constraints (cost, safety, sustainability) - Communicate technical solutions clearly in writing - Work effectively under time pressure as a team For students interested in mechanical, civil, environmental, electrical, or biomedical engineering, TEAMS provides direct preview of what engineering work feels like. ## Who Should Participate? TEAMS is ideal for students who: - Are curious about engineering careers but want to explore before committing to a specific discipline - Enjoy collaborative problem-solving more than individual competitions - Participate in TSA, FIRST Robotics, or AP STEM courses - Want a competition that rewards creativity alongside technical knowledge No prior engineering coursework is required—curious, motivated students at any level can contribute meaningfully. ## Timeline & Registration TEAMS competitions are held annually in **February/March**. Schools register through TSA's online system. Competition materials, including the year's theme and practice problems, are distributed to registered teams in advance. The national recognition ceremony takes place at TSA's annual conference in the summer. ## College Application Value Achieving a top score on TEAMS—particularly at regional or national recognition level—demonstrates applied STEM ability and teamwork, qualities that admissions committees at engineering schools actively seek. Schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, and Rose-Hulman have noted TEAMS participation as a meaningful extracurricular signal for engineering applicants. ## Preparing for TEAMS The JETS website provides past competition materials, sample team problems, and scoring rubrics. Strong preparation includes: - Reviewing past OTP problems and model answers - Practicing multi-constraint design challenges - Strengthening physics, chemistry, and algebra skills - Running practice timed sessions as a team TEAMS is a unique opportunity to do real engineering thinking as a high schooler—and that experience will serve you far beyond competition day.