1.1 TSIA2 Purpose, Exemptions, and the Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA)

TSIA2 Purpose, Exemptions, and the Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA)

Quick Summary: The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state program, set out in Texas Education Code Chapter 51, Subchapter F-1, and in Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules at 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 4, Subchapter C. It requires Texas public institutions of higher education to decide whether each entering, non-exempt undergraduate is ready for entry-level college coursework in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and mathematics. The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is the instrument used to make that decision. Before a student's first TSIA2 administration, the testing institution must provide a Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA).

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Why the TSIA2 Exists

Texas public colleges and universities must assess the academic skills of every entering undergraduate who is not exempt, normally before the student enrolls. The result tells the institution whether the student can register for entry-level credit courses. These include ENGL 1301 (Composition I), MATH 1314 (College Algebra), MATH 1332 (Contemporary Mathematics), and MATH 1342 (Elementary Statistical Methods). The result also shows whether the student needs developmental education support in that subject.

Placement, Not Admission

Students often confuse the TSIA2 with an admissions exam. The difference matters:

Because TSIA2 is a placement tool, a low score does not take away an admission offer. It changes which courses you take first and what support comes with them.

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From TSIA (2013) to TSIA2 (2021)

The original TSI Assessment (TSIA) became the state's placement instrument in fall 2013. Under 19 TAC §4.56, TSIA2 replaced TSIA on January 11, 2021. Since then, TSIA2 has been the only Board-approved TSI instrument. College Board designed TSIA2 for the Coordinating Board and delivers it on the ACCUPLACER platform.

The College Board test specifications (version 1.4, January 2021) list the main design changes:

1. Reading and writing were combined into ELAR. TSIA had separate reading and writing placement tests. TSIA2 gives one ELAR multiple-choice College Readiness Classification (CRC) test plus the essay.
2. One classification score per subject. Each CRC test is scored 910–990. TSIA placement scores ran from 310 to 390.
3. Integrated diagnostics. A student who scores below the CRC benchmark moves straight into a Diagnostic Test in the same testing experience. The old separate developmental-education diagnostic and Adult Basic Education (ABE) tests were folded into this one diagnostic.
4. The essay itself did not change. The College Board specifications state that the Essay Test "remains unchanged from TSIA1."

THECB states that TSI results are usable for five years from the date of testing. Original TSIA scores from before January 11, 2021, are therefore past that window. Anyone who needs a TSI score today will take the TSIA2.

After diagnostic testing, students receive a Learning Locator Code (LLC). It unlocks a custom set of free TSIA2 Learning Resources: worksheets, tutorials, and videos matched to the student's results. The full library is also open before testing through the link on THECB's TSIA2 student materials.

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Who Does Not Have to Take the TSIA2

Many entering students never take the TSIA2, because the TSI rules either exempt them or do not apply to them. The lists below summarize the current rules: §4.54 (Exemption), amended effective May 16, 2024, and §4.52 (Applicability). Always confirm your status with your institution's testing or advising office. Institutions verify documents, and some statuses (such as current employment) are checked each term.

1. Test-Score Exemptions (valid five years from the test date)

Key details:

• SAT: There is no combined-score requirement, and scores from the pre-2016 SAT cannot be mixed with scores from the current SAT.
• ACT: The current benchmarks use no composite. The rule allows scores from ACT tests taken before and after February 15, 2023, to be used together only if the current benchmarks (E+R 40, Math 22) are met.
• Exemptions are subject-specific. A student who has SAT Math 560 but EBRW 450 is exempt in mathematics only and still takes TSIA2 ELAR.

2. Course and Program Completion

• College Preparatory Course: Completing a high school college preparatory course under Texas Education Code §28.014 exempts the student in that content area for 24 months after high school graduation. The student must take the first college-level course in that area during the first year of college. The student must also enroll at the partner institution or at an institution that accepts the course.
• Prior College Success: A student who was found college ready by another institution is exempt in that area. So is a student who completed college-level coursework in math, reading, or writing with a C or better, including dual-credit courses.
• Texas First Diploma: Students who earned the Texas First Diploma are exempt.

3. Students to Whom TSI Does Not Apply

• Holders of an associate or baccalaureate degree.
• Transfer students from a private, independent, or accredited out-of-state institution who completed college-level coursework in the corresponding subject.
• Students in a certificate program of one year or less (Level-One certificates, fewer than 43 semester credit hours) at a public junior college, technical institute, or state college.
• Students serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, the Texas National Guard, or a reserve component. Veterans who were honorably discharged, retired, or released on or after August 1, 1990 are also covered.
• Certified emergency medical technicians, fire protection personnel, and peace officers who meet the rule's service conditions (for example, being employed more than 20 hours a week in that role).

An institution may also exempt a student who is not seeking a degree or certificate. It may grant a temporary ESOL waiver so a student with limited English proficiency can complete ESOL coursework before testing.

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The Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA)

Under 19 TAC §4.55(b), before an approved TSI instrument is administered, the test administrator must give the student a Pre-Assessment Activity. It may be a workshop, an orientation, or an online module, and it must cover at least these four components:

1. Importance of the assessment in the student's academic career.
2. The assessment process and components, including practice with feedback on sample test questions in all subject areas.
3. Developmental education options, including corequisite, course-pairing, non-course-based, modular, and other non-conventional interventions.
4. Institutional and community resources, such as supplemental instruction, tutoring, transportation, childcare, and financial aid.

THECB's student materials describe the PAA as required before initial testing. The institution or school district that gives the test must provide the PAA and document that the student took part. Some colleges deliver it through the College Board practice app and issue a completion certificate that the testing center asks to see. Students who retest usually do not repeat it, but local practice varies.

Registration and Cost

THECB tells students to contact the testing center at the college or university they plan to attend. That office explains its testing schedule, registration, and cost. Many public school districts and charter schools also test high school students. Fees are set locally, so no single statewide price applies.

Practical Checklist Before Test Day

• Confirm whether an SAT, ACT, GED, HiSET, STAAR, coursework, or military exemption already covers either subject.
• Complete the PAA and save the completion confirmation.
• Use the free TSIA2 Student Portal (ACCUPLACER) for sample questions and the calculator and highlighter tutorials.
• Schedule enough time. The test is untimed, and a diagnostic test may be added if you score below a benchmark.