Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

WHY DO STUDENTS HAVE TO TAKE THE TEXAS SUCCESS INITIATIVE EXAMS?
It is state law. The Texas Success Initiative is a provision in Senate Bill 286. The TSI requires institutions of higher education to assess the academic skills of each entering undergraduate student to determine the student’s readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework. The law requires students to be assessed in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing.

For a chart of available TSI Exemptions based on ACT, SAT, or TAKS scores, click here.

HOW IS COLLEGE READINESS ASSESSED?
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has approved the following assessment instruments to be used in determining a students’ college readiness:

*THEA QT
*COMPASS
*ASSET
*ACCUPLACER

WHO MUST TAKE A TEXAS SUCCESS INITIATIVE EXAM?
Any full or part-time student in a public community college or university in Texas who is not exempt.

WHEN MUST STUDENTS TAKE ONE OF THE TSI EXAMS IF NOT EXEMPT?
BEFORE CLASS REGISTRATION. Students who are required to attend Orientation need to take a TSI approved exam and have scores back prior to attending Orientation.

WHO IS EXEMPT?
Students shall be exempt from the requirements of the Success Initiative who meet or exceed the following criteria:
(note: some of the exemptions are full and others are partial exemptions only)


· ACT - composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the English and Mathematics tests. If a student has a combined score of 23 with a minimum of 19 in only one and not both content areas, the student will be exempt in only one area and will be required to take a TSI exam in the other area. (ACT score exemptions are valid for 5 years from the date of test.) Note that the English test covers the TSI areas of reading and writing and the Mathematics test covers the TSI area of mathematics.

· SAT - combined Critical Reading and Mathematics score of 1070 with a minimum score of 500 on Critical Reading and/or Mathematics tests. If a student has a combined score of 1070 with a minimum of 500 in only one and not both content areas, the student will be exempt in only one area and will be required to take a TSI exam in the other area. (SAT score exemptions are valid for 5 years from the date of the test.) Note that the Critical Reading content covers the TSI areas of Reading and Writing and the Mathematics content covers the TSI area of Mathematics.

· TAKS (exit-level) – 2200 in mathematics and/or 2200 in English/Language Arts (ELA) with a subscore of at least 3. Students who do not meet the exemption criteria in all areas will need to take a TSI approved exam in the areas they did not meet the exemption criteria. Note that the English/Language section covers the TSI areas of Reading and Writing and the Mathematics section covers the TSI area of Mathematics. (Valid for 3 years.)


· A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

· A student who transfers to UTSA from a private or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed college-level coursework as determined by this institution.

· A student who has previously attended any Texas public institution of higher education and has been determined to have meet readiness standards at that institution. A student who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component for at least a three-year period preceding enrollment.

· A student who on or after August 1, 1990 was honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or service as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.

· A student who is non-degree seeking.

WHAT ARE PASSING SCORES FOR THE APPROVED TSI EXAMS?

Test	Reading	Mathematics	Writing
THEA QT	230	230	220
ACCUPLACER	78	63 (Elem. Algebra)	85 (Sentence Skills) & 6 (Essay)
COMPASS	81	39 (Elem. Algebra)	59 (Objective) & 5(Essay)
ASSET	41	38 (Elem. Algebra)	40 (Objective) & 5(Essay)

WHAT IF A STUDENT DOESN’T PASS ONE OF THE APPROVED TSI EXAMS?
If you do not pass one or more of the sections of the TSI approved exams, you must be enrolled in either course based or non-course based developmental activity in at least one of the subject areas you did not pass. Students placed into developmental activity may not drop that activity during the semester. A student with a TSI deficiency will be declared college ready after passing the highest level of developmental education in each area of deficiency.

HOW DO YOU REGISTER FOR A TSI APPROVED EXAM?

Accuplacer test registration can be accomplished by logging onto your ASAP account.

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