ATSA Memory Variables: Format, Examples and Tips

The ATSA's memory variables section briefly flashes letters paired with values, such as A = 3, B = 1 and C = 4, then asks you to type each letter's value back in a random order, from memory. Candidates report three levels of about ten questions each: plain values first, then sets where one letter is given as an equation (like A = C − 2), then sets where two letters are equations. It tests working memory combined with quick, simple arithmetic.

The FAA doesn't publish this section's format, and the real items are proprietary to the test vendors. This guide is based on candidate reports, mainly a detailed 2016 description that later test takers broadly confirmed, and on public statements about what the ATSA measures. Treat counts and timings as approximate.

What the section asks you to do

Candidates often describe this as the second of the ATSA's "memory games," following number differences. The widely shared account on the pointSixtyFive controller forum describes three progressively harder parts:

1. Level 1, values. The screen flashes letters with values, for example A = 1, B = 2, C = 3. Then it asks for them back in a shuffled order (C = ?, A = ?, B = ?), and you type each value on the numeric keypad.
2. Level 2, one equation. One of the letters is given as an equation that depends on another letter, such as B = C + 1. The account lists addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
3. Level 3, two equations. Two of the letters are equations and only one is given directly. "All previous rules apply."

Candidate-reported: each part had about ten questions, answers were typed on the numeric keypad, and the values the 2016 writer saw stayed small (between 1 and 4). Letters were A, B and C in that account. None of this is confirmed by the FAA, and ranges may differ on current versions.

Pearson VUE's FAA page describes the ATSA as covering "decision-making ability, spatial awareness, multitasking, and working memory, among others." Memory variables adds a reasoning step to pure recall: you have to work something out while still holding the rest of the set.

Worked examples

These are original illustrations, not real test items.

Level 1

Shown one at a time: A = 3, B = 1, C = 4. Asked: B, then C, then A. You type 1, 4, 3.

Level 2

Shown: A = C − 2, C = 4, B = 1. When C = 4 appears you can resolve A immediately: 4 − 2 = 2. Asked in a random order, the answers are A = 2, B = 1, C = 4.

Level 3

Shown: B = A × 2, C = B − 1, A = 2. Nothing can be resolved until A arrives last. Then work the chain: A = 2, so B = 4, so C = 3. Answers: A = 2, B = 4, C = 3.

A division case works the same way. Shown C = B ÷ 3, A = C + 1, B = 3: B is 3, so C is 1, so A is 2.

What makes it hard

• Order of presentation. When the value you need comes after the equation that uses it, you have to hold the equation itself, which is harder than holding a number.
• Direction errors. "C = B − 1" means C is one less than B. Under time pressure it's easy to compute B − 1 when you actually needed B from C, or to flip a division.
• Interference between sets. Values from the previous question linger. If the last set had A = 3, a fresh A can get contaminated.
• No second look. Candidates describe the values as flashing up only briefly, with no way to go back and nothing to write on.

Techniques that help

Resolve equations as early as possible

The most useful habit: as soon as you have enough information to turn an equation into a number, do it, and then forget the equation. Holding "A is 2" is far easier than holding "A equals C minus 2" and doing the math at recall time. In the level 2 example, the moment C = 4 appears, convert A to 2.

Rehearse the set as a short code

Once you have all three values, compress them into one chunk in alphabetical order. A = 2, B = 4, C = 3 becomes "two-four-three." Rehearse the chunk silently while the questions load, then read off whichever letter is asked. Always use the same order so the position tells you the letter.

Say equations in words

Translate symbols into a sentence that carries the direction: "C is one less than B," "B is double A." This protects against the most common arithmetic slip, which is getting the relationship backwards rather than miscalculating.

Clear the slate between sets

When a new question starts, take a deliberate mental "reset." Some people find it helps to think a neutral word, or to briefly focus on the screen edge, before the first new value appears.

Keep your hand on the keypad

Answers are typed on the numeric keypad, so the same home-row habit from number differences applies: middle finger on 5, eyes on the screen.

Common mistakes

• Waiting to calculate until the question is asked, then losing the equation.
• Reversing subtraction or division ("C = B − 1" computed as B = C − 1).
• Answering with a value from the previous set.
• Letting level 1 feel too easy and losing concentration before levels 2 and 3, where most of the difficulty is.
• Practicing with pen and paper. It builds the wrong skill; the test is about holding information, so practice without notes.

How to practice

You can make a basic drill yourself: have someone read three letter-value pairs and an equation at a steady pace, wait a few seconds, and then ask for the letters in a random order. What a dedicated drill adds is precise timing, shuffled presentation orders (including the harder "equation before its value" case), keypad input and a review of which kinds of item you miss.

Try the Memory Variables demo for a short timed run using original items. The practice version gives feedback after each item so you can see whether your errors are memory slips or direction errors, which call for different fixes. It's a familiarization tool built from public descriptions; it isn't the real test and can't guarantee a result. If you're new to the ATSA, the overview of all seven sections and our preparation plan put this section in context, and pricing shows what each plan includes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I write things down during memory variables?

Candidate descriptions of this section don't mention any way to take notes, and the task is built around holding information in memory. Plan to work without paper, and practice that way.

What math operations appear?

The detailed 2016 candidate description lists addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, with small whole-number answers. The FAA hasn't published the format, so be ready for all four.

How many questions are in each level?

Candidates have reported about ten per level across three levels. Counts may differ between test versions.

Is this the same as the number differences section?

No. Both rely on short-term memory, but number differences is a continuous chain of single-digit gaps, while memory variables asks you to store a set of letter values and solve simple equations before recalling them.