: Last Updated: 17 February 2024

Texas Success Initiative Assessment

Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative. It is enacted by the Texas State Legislature and by design, used to determine student’s readiness for university or college course work in the general areas of mathematics, reading, and writing.

The Assessment (TSIA) or its exemption where applies has been as a practice, a requirement for students entering Texas college or university for almost ten years. Once a student has taken the assessment, they are either enrolled based on their performance in a college-level course or taken through necessary further interventions to boost their skills and prepare them for success in college-level courses. Universities, colleges, high schools, and school districts can always request to administer the TSIA to students through the College Board’s Accuplacer digital platform.

Passing score for TSIA

Only students who score at or above the cut scores are considered “college-ready” and qualified to register for any entry-level college course. However, some of these college-level courses may require passing scores in multiple areas.

The following are the passing cut scores for TSIA according to the state’s standards: -

Reading: not less than 351
Mathematics: not less than 350
Writing: a minimum score of 5 on the essay section or a score not less than 340 on the multiple-choice section and 4 on the essay.

Eligibility for TSIA

All incoming students seeking to enroll in an entry-level college course except those exempted from sitting the assessment as described below.

Texas Success Initiative Exemptions

A score of 23 or higher on the ACT composite and a score of not less than 19 on both math and English test
SAT taken before March 2016 and were, the student earned SAT score of 1070 for combined math plus verbal critical reading
SAT taken on March 2016 and thereafter, where a score for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) is 480 at a minimum and at least 530 for mathematics. For this, no combined score needed.
Scale score of a minimum of 2200 for math, and or 2200 on the English Language Arts section and a score of at least 3 the writing subsection
A transfer from another institution where a student satisfactorily completed college coursework or enrolled in a public institution for a one year or less certificate program
Active-duty personnel, veterans, and students serving as and, for a minimum of 3 years before enrollment, has duly served as a member of a reserve component of the U.S armed services.

Syllabus for TSIA

Pre-Assessment Activity

This is a mandatory requirement where all participants are required to participate in the Pre-Assessment Activity. Every college or university where students take their tests is required to provide the Pre-Assessment Activity and document students' participation. This activity varies from one institution to the next but generally, it includes the following:-

Well documented explanation on the importance of the TSIA and how it works
Practice test questions and results
Explanations on student’s education options
Solid information on campus and community resources that can help a student succeed as a college student.

Scope of test:-

Mathematics

Elementary Algebra and Functions: This measures student’s knowledge of inequalities, and systems, equations, algebraic expressions and equations, and word problems and their applications
Geometry and Measurements: Measures knowledge on plane geometry, transformations, and symmetry as well as linear, area, and three-dimensional measurements
Intermediate Algebra and Functions: This measures student’s knowledge of quadratic and polynomial expressions, functions, and expressions as well as those involving powers, roots, and radicals, rotational and exponential expressions
Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: Measures knowledge of interpreting categorical and quantitative data, probabilistic reasoning, and statistical measures.

Reading

Author’s Use of Language: Measures skills in realizing the author’s purpose, tone, organization, or rhetorical strategies as well as their ability to use evidence to determine the meaning of words in context
Literary Analysis: Measures skills in recognizing and analyzing ideas in literary texts
Inferences in a Text or Texts: Focuses on synthesis of ideas by making a link between two passages as well as making appropriate inference about single passages
Principle Idea and Supporting Details: Measures skills in identifying primary idea in a passage and understanding outstanding textual information within a passage

Writing

Contains multiple-choice section and essay section

Multiple-choice Section

Essay Revision: Measures ability to provide coherence, organization, and a good choice of words and ability to achieve rhetorical effectiveness and evidence use
Agreement: Measures one’s ability to perform the subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement and ability to comprehend verb tenses
Sentence Logic: focuses on the correct use of modifying phrases and clauses and the ability to use logical transitions
Sentence Structure: Measures knowledge of topics like comma splices and run-on sentences, punctuations, fragments, and parallelism, coordination, and subordination

Essay Section

Ensures student states clearly main ideas in their essays, provide logical examples, support their ideas as well as follow an acceptable standard of English

Structure of the test

Mathematics Section involve a Multiple-choice Assessment
Essay Section involves reading and writing