Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state-legislated program that requires students to be assessed in the areas of reading, writing, and math prior to enrolling at a Texas public institution. The results of the TSI assessment are used to determine your placement in certain courses and overall readiness to enroll in collegiate-level coursework.

TSIA2 Informative Brochure

If you will be enrolling as an undergraduate student at a Texas public community college or university, you are required to take the test unless you qualify for a TSI exemption or waiver.  Undergraduate students transferring from an out-of-state or private university, regardless of their classification, must also meet this requirement.  Failure to take the test and have the scores placed with your student file at the University will result in your inability to register for classes. 

If you take a test and fail certain/all sections, you will be required to enroll in the appropriate college readiness course(s). Placement and participation in developmental education is determined on an individual basis for students by the Office of College Readiness and Academic Support.

All TSI-liable students must attempt all three sections of the test prior to enrolling; freshmen should take the test and have their scores on file prior to attending Islander Launch. Those without scores  will be required to take take the exam the morning of the first day of Islander Launch.  Students are required to take an institution’s Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) prior to attempting the TSI Assessment.  The PAA will address the following: (1) Importance of assessment in students’ academic career, (2) Assessment process and components, (3) Developmental education options, and (4) Student resources. Information on the PAA can be found under Texas Success Initiative on the CASA website.

If you do not take the TSI-approved exam, you will be ineligible to enroll in any college-level courses. 

If you take a test and fail certain/all sections, you will be required to enroll in the appropriate college readiness course(s). Placement and participation in developmental education is determined on an individual basis for students by the Office of College Readiness and Academic Support. For more on placement in college readiness courses, you may contact College Readiness by phone at 361.825.2977 or go by their offices, located in the Glasscock Center.

If you fail certain/all sections of any given test, you have the option to re-test. Institutions may consider the performance in developmental education, in college-level courses, and on an assessment instrument in determining college readiness.

The scores expressed below are the state minimum passing standards on the TSI Assessment.  These scores are valid for five years:

TSIA2 Interpreting Your Score

 

The TSI Assessment is a Texas exam.  It can be taken on-campus, off-campus at a participating remote test center, or virtually.  You can locate a participating test center on the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

TSI Assessment Registration Information    

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You can request that your official test scores be sent to us electronically via the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

TSIA – Calculator and Highlighter Tutorial: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0UDMgHJvSc)
TSIA – Study App: (https://practice.accuplacer.org/login)
TSIA – Learning Resources:  (https://tsia2.pearsonperspective.com/perspective/)

You may be exempt or qualify for a waiver from the TSI if any of the following applies to you:

• You hold an associate and/or baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• You, on a single test administration on or after March 5, 2016, have an SAT score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test and a score of 530 on the mathematics test.*
• You, on a single test administration prior to February 15, 2023, have an ACT composite score of 23 with at least 19 on the Math and English sections.*
• You, on a single ACT test administration on or after February 15, 2023, have a combined score of 40 on the English and Reading and a score of 22 on the mathematics test.*
• You have a minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test and a minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) on the GED.
• You have a minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the essay, on the HISET.
• You have a minimum score of 4000 (Level 2) on the STAAR English III EOC for reading or writing and a minimum score of 4000 (Level 2) on the STAAR Algebra II EOC.*
• You have been honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the Armed Forces, Texas National Guard, or served as a member of a reserved component of the Armed Forces on or after August 1, 1990. (A copy of your DD Form 214 or DD Form 295 indicating this status is required).
• You have met the readiness standard at another Texas public higher education institution. (The explanation for completion or the exemption must be indicated on your official transcript).  If you are a transfer student from an accredited Texas private institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution with acceptable college-level course work determined by the receiving institution.

* SAT, ACT, STAAR EOC, HiSET, and GED scores are valid up to five years from the date of testing to the first day of enrollment at an accredited Texas public college/university institution.

Note:  Students holding the composite score on the SAT/ACT may be exempt from a portion of the TSI Assessment in the individual area in which they met the required score.  For example, a student holding a 480 on the EBRW SAT test administered after March 2016, will be exempt from both reading and writing. Mixing or combining scores from the SAT administered prior to March 2016 and the SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016 is not allowable.  Mixing or combining scores from the ACT prior to February 15 and after February 15 is allowed as long as the benchmarks set with the ACT after February 15 are met.  Students with the required score on the STAAR Algebra II EOC, but not the STAAR English III EOC, will be exempt from the TSI Assessment in math only.

You may be exempt or qualify for a waiver from the TSI if any of the following applies to you:

• You are serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, Texas National Guard, or Reserve Component of Armed Forces and have been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment. (Required - documentation that shows at least three years).
• You are a non-degree seeking, visiting student.  (You must complete a TSI waiver contract).  At the point you become degree-seeking, TSI standards must be met. It should be duly noted that, at the point in which you become a degree-seeking student, you will be required to meet TSI standards.
• You have successfully completed a college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 with one of our partnering school districts or institutions of higher education.*

*In regards to the college preparatory course, the waiver is good for a period of two years from the date of high school graduation with respect to the content area of the course.  The student must enroll in the student's first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student's first year of enrollment in an institution of higher education. This exemption applies only at the institution of higher education that partners with the school district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course. Additionally, an institution of higher education may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with a partnering institution of higher education to accept the exemption for the college preparatory course.

If you are not exempt or do not qualify for a waiver, you will be required to take the TSI Assessment.

The assessment and/or the results of the assessment are not required as a condition of admission, but rather a condition of enrollment. Failure to take the test and have the scores placed with your student file at the University will result in your inability to register for Islander Launch and/or enroll in classes. 

Students are required to take an institution’s Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) prior to attempting the TSI Assessment.  The PAA will address the following: (1) Importance of assessment in students’ academic career, (2) Assessment process and components, (3) Developmental education options, and (4) Student resources. Information on the PAA can be found under Texas Success Initiative on the CASA website.

Students can access their TSIA score on the ACCUPLACER portal (https://studentportal.accuplacer.org/#/studentisr)

STEP 1: Complete your Pre-Assessment Activity.

STEP 2: The cost of the TSI Assessment is $30; one section is $15. After you have made payment, you will receive an order number.

PAY HERE

STEP 3: Call or email the Office of Academic Testing and schedule your appointment. Please be sure to provide them with your order number. The test is offered Monday thru Friday BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Students that require alternative arrangements should notify the office with the nature of the accommodation. A student can retest immediately, subject to availability.

STEP 4: Review test content and sample questions prior to your scheduled exam.

On the day of the test, you should arrive 15 minutes early to Corpus Christi Hall, Office of Academic Testing, Room 124. You must bring one form of current identification with a photograph.

IMPORTANT- The following items are prohibited in the testing room: calculators, any communication device, backpacks, beverages, books, briefcases, calculator watches, cameras, cellular phones, dictionaries, electronic pagers, food, highlighters, notebooks, notes, packages, paper, slide rules, spell checkers, or study aids.

The TSI Assessment is untimed. However, please allow 4 hours to complete all sections of the exam. The TSI Assessment uses computer-adaptive testing technology to select specific test questions that are best suited for each particular test taker. Questions will increase or decrease in difficulty level depending on how the student responds.

A score report will be generated immediately upon your completion of the exam.

To take a virtual exam, you must have the following:
• A desktop computer or laptop (Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones are not allowed)
• Webcam and microphone (built-in or external)
• System computer requirements can be verified here

You may request a voucher from the Office of Academic Testing to take the test at another college or university that participates in the TSI Assessment (or ACCUPLACER) voucher system.

Students have the option to take the TSI Assessment with an approved College Board vendor. This will
allow you to take the exam at home or at another location you choose as an appropriate testing site.

Students have the option to take the TSI Assessment with staff from the Office of Academic Testing via a video conferencing system. This will allow you to take the exam at home or at another location you choose as an appropriate testing site.  This option is only available to students during normal business hours.

STEP 1: Complete your Pre-Assessment Activity.

STEP 2: If you sign-up for a remote network voucher or virtual voucher, you will receive an email from ACCUPLACER, the testing platform for the TSI Assessment, detailing how to make an appointment with your assigned testing center and any proctoring costs.

ProctorU or Other Institution

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Zoom Session with A&M-Corpus Christi Staff

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View this study material, here.

View this study material, here.

View this study material, here.