All 10th and 11th students who want to take a dual credit course for the first time or are taking a new subject area for Dual Credit (example, I am currently a junior in Dual Credit English 3 and next year, I want to take Dual Credit Math) will be required to take the TSIA-2 exam and meet the "college readiness" benchmark(s) in order to be eligible to take a Dual Credit course next year.

Read on for more information!

The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative program designed to help determine if you are ready for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. This program also will help determine what type of course or intervention will best meet your needs to help you become better prepared for college-level coursework if you are not ready.

If you are an entering college student in Texas (or a high school student wanting to take Dual Credit), you are required to take the TSIA to determine your readiness for college-level work. Based on how you perform, you may either be enrolled in a college-level course that matches your skill level and/or be placed in the appropriate developmental course or intervention to improve your skills and prepare you for success in college-level courses.

WHO: All 10th and 11th grade students who selected a Dual Credit class for the 25-26 school year

WHEN: The test will be administered during the school day on Monday, February 10 and Tuesday, February 11. Students will be notified in late January which date they will test (students will NOT test for both days.)

WHERE: FHS Girls Gym

If you plan to take a Dual Credit class, you must demonstrate "college readiness" in the subject area where your wish to take Dual Credit and will therefore be asked to take one of these tests: mathematics or reading/writing. Where necessary, you may be given an additional diagnostic test in a particular subject. This diagnostic test is designed to provide more detailed information regarding your academic strengths and weaknesses.

These assessments include multiple-choice questions that are aligned to the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards. For the writing assessment, it’s likely that you will be asked to also write an essay.

Here are more details about how the TSIA works:

• The assessments are computer adaptive, which means that questions increase or decrease in difficulty level depending on how you respond.
• The assessments are untimed, which means there is no time limit on how long you can take to complete the assessment; however, it is important to allow yourself enough time to complete each test because the results are a key factor in determining the course or courses in which you can enroll.
• In most cases, this assessment provides immediate results upon completion. When you complete the assessment, you immediately receive information on your score and your skill or proficiency levels.
• You may start and stop anytime during your test session by using the “save and finish later” option, except during the essay, which must be started and completed in the same session. If you select this option, you must return and complete the remaining assessment within 13 calendar days.

If you plan to take a Dual Credit English or Social Studies class, you must:

1. Take the Reading section of the TSIA-2

2. Meet the College Readiness Benchmarks for ELAR: A score in the range of 945–990 on the ELAR CRC Test and a score of at least 5 on the Essay Test or an ELAR CRC Test score below 945 and an ELAR Diagnostic Test score of 5 or 6 and an Essay Test score of 5 or higher.

If you plan to take a Dual Credit Math class, you must:

1. Take the Math section of the TSIA-2

2. Meet the College Readiness Benchmarks for Mathematics: A score in the range of 950–990 on the Mathematics CRC Test or a Mathematics CRC Test score below 950 and a Mathematics Diagnostic Test score of 6.

The TSI Assessment in Reading is a multiple-choice assessment that covers the four content areas listed below. There are approximately 24 items on the TSI placement test and 10–12 items in each section of the Diagnostic Test (for a total of 40–48) for those students not meeting the college readiness benchmark on the placement test.

• Literary Analysis measures your skill in identifying and analyzing ideas in and elements of literary texts.

• Main Idea and Supporting Details measures your skill in identifying the main idea of a passage and in comprehending explicit textual information in a passage.

• Inferences in a Text or Texts measures your skill in synthesizing ideas by making a connection or comparison between two passages and in making an appropriate inference about single passages.

• Author’s Use of Language measures your skill in identifying an author’s purpose, tone, organization or rhetorical strategies, and use of evidence in determining the meaning of words in context.

The TSI Assessment in Writing is an assessment that contains a multiple-choice section and an essay section.

The TSI Assessment in Mathematics is a multiple-choice assessment that covers the four content areas listed below. There are approximately 20 items on the TSI placement test and 10 items in each section of the Diagnostic Test (for a total of 40) for those students not meeting the college readiness benchmark on the placement test.

• Elementary Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge of linear equations, inequalities, and systems; algebraic expressions and equations; and word problems and applications.

• Intermediate Algebra and Functions measures your knowledge of quadratic and other polynomial expressions, equations, and functions; expressions, equations, and functions involving powers, roots, and radicals; and rational and exponential expressions, equations, and functions.

• Geometry and Measurement measures your knowledge of plane geometry; transformations and symmetry; and linear, area, and three-dimensional measurements.

• Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability measures your knowledge of interpreting categorical and quantitative data, statistical measures, and probabilistic reasoning.

• Take advantage of free sample questions to improve in areas where your academic performance is not the strongest. These sample questions help you familiarize yourself with the types of questions asked on the TSI Assessment. To access the full sample questions document, visit collegeboard.org/texas-sample-questions.

• Free TSIA2 PAA and Practice Resources: this link gives access to Free Pre-Assessment Activity practice tests, Learning Resources, and sample questions/essay prompts/additional review resources!

College of the Mainland will provide you with a link to the PreAssessment Activity. You will be required to independently complete this activity no later than Monday, February 3. The activity includes the following:

• An explanation of the importance of the TSI Assessment and how the assessment works;
• Practice test questions and feedback;
• An explanation of all your college developmental education and/or high school options if you don’t meet the minimum passing standard; and
• Information on campus and community resources that will help you succeed as a college student.

Students who do not complete the Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity by Monday, February 3 will not be permitted to take the School Day TSIA-2 exam here at FHS on February 10 or 11 and will have their Dual Credit course dropped from their 2025-26 schedule until they complete the following:

1- Register independently for the TSIA-2 exam at a testing site.

2- Complete the Mandatory Pre-Assessment Activity

3- Meet College Readiness benchmarks on the exam

4- Turn in a copy of their TSIA-2 score report to their counselor (once submitted the counselor will verify the passing benchmark and can change their course to Dual Credit).

Contact your alpha counselor with any Dual Credit questions.

• Lori Lee (A-Ek)
• Renee Karim (El-K)
• Toni Batiste (L-Rh)
• Melissa Hickman (Ri-Z)
• Krystal Fletcher (Lead Counselor)

Contact Delaney Lyon, Student Success Coordinator, with any TSIA-2 questions!