Texas Success Initiative (TSI)


What is TSI?

TSI is an acronym for the Texas Success Initiative.  TSI is a state initiative that assesses a student’s readiness to be successful in college-level course work.

Who must take an assessment?

All students, unless otherwise exempt (see below) must take the TSI Assessment prior to enrolling in college-level courses, to determine their course placement.  Transfer Students can meet the TSI Assessment requirements by having appropriate coursework in Reading, Writing, and Math.

TSI Exemptions: (scores must be within 5 years of test date)

ACT Reading/Writing: Composite 23 and English 19 Math: Composite 23 and Math 19

or

SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016: a combined critical reading (formerly "verbal") and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the critical reading test shall be exempt for both reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment; a combined critical reading (formerly "verbal") and mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment.

    (ii) SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016: a minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) test shall be exempt for both reading and writing sections of the TSI Assessment; a minimum score of 530 on the mathematics test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. There is no combined score.

    (iii) Mixing or combining scores from the SAT administered prior to March 5, 2016 and the SAT administered on or after March 5, 2016 is not allowable.

(C) GED: minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. A minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject test shall be exempt for the English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) section of the TSI Assessment

(D) HiSET: minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest shall be exempt for the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment. A minimum score of 15 on the Reading subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the essay, shall be exempt for the English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) section of the TSI Assessment.

or

TAKS – 11th Grade Reading/Writing: E/LA 2200 with a 3 writing score Math: Math score of 2200

or

STAAR – English III Reading EOC, Level II / Algebra II EOC, Level II

Testing Center: The Testing Center located on the main Northeast Texas Community College campus in the Student Services Center.

Students who are not TSI complete must enroll in at least one developmental course every semester until they are TSI complete.