Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA)

The Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative enacted by the Texas State Legislature and designed to determine a student's readiness for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. On January 11, 2021, the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) was revised to assess a student's readiness for college-level coursework in English language arts and reading and mathematics. Students are required to complete assessments before enrolling at Texas A&M-Kingsville unless they meet one of the exemptions listed below.

For the most accurate information on test score requirements or how to interpret them, please visit Accuplacer's TSI website or Texas A&M-Kingsville's TSI website.

Passing Scores

Students scoring at or above specific scores are considered "college ready" and eligible to enroll in any entry-level college course (for example, English composition, history, government, or college algebra). Some college level courses require passing scores in more than one area.

Passing Scores for TSIA for tests taken prior to January 11, 2021

  • Mathematics: A minimum score of 350
  • Reading: A minimum score of 351
  • Writing: A score of 5 on the essay section or a score of 4 on the essay and a minimum score of 340 on the multiple-choice section

Passing Scores for TSIA2 for tests taken after January 11, 2021

  • TSIA2 English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) College Readiness Classification (CRC) Test: 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.
  • 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.

Exemptions

A student shall be exempt from taking the TSIA or TSIA2 (or portions of the test) if the student meets any of the following:

  1. ACT composite score of 23 and a minimum of 19 on the English portion exempts students from both the Reading and Writing sections of the TSIA
  2. ACT composite score of 23 and a minimum of 19 on the Math portion exempts students from the Math section of the TSIA
  3. SAT (taken before March 2016) minimum score of 1070 combined and a minimum score of 500 on each section
  4. SAT (taken after March 2016) minimum score of 480 on the evidence-based Reading and Writing (EBRW) assessment and a minimum score of 530 on the Mathematics assessment (no combined score needed)
  5. STAAR end-of-course (EOC) Algebra II-Level 2 score of 4000 or higher for math or STAAR end-of-course (EOC) English III-Level 2 score of 4000 or higher.
  6. GED minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test shall be exempt for the math section of the TSIA and a GED minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test shall be exempt from the ELAR section of the TSI.
  7. HiSET minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest shall be exempt from the math section of the TSIA and a HiSET 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 ELAR section of the TSIA.
  8. Passing grade in a College Preparatory course in high school, for example, College Preparatory Mathematics (CPMAT) or English Language Arts (CPELA); the course must be notated on the official high school transcript.  Exempt for twenty-four (24) months from the date of high school graduation concerning the content area of the course. The student must enroll in the student's first college-level course in the exempted content area in the student's first year of enrollment in an institution of higher education.
  9. Advanced Placement (AP) test score of a 3 in English Language and Composition and a test score of a 3 in Calculus or Statistics.
  10. 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 of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment. A letter from the commanding officer must be submitted.
  11. 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 DD214 form showing honorable discharge status is required and must be submitted to Texas A&M-Kingsville)
  12. Students who take dual credit or have previous college course work may be eligible for a TSIA exemption depending on the college-level courses completed.  An official transcript must be submitted for coursework to be reviewed for exemptions.
  13. A student who has graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education may be eligible for a TSIA exemption.  An official transcript must be submitted for coursework to be reviewed for exemptions.
  14. A student who transfers to Texas A&M-Kingsville from a public, private or independent institution of higher education or an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education and who has satisfactorily completed at least three (3) hours of college-level core-related coursework with a grade of "C" or better is exempt in the TSIA component area (reading, writing, and/or math) assigned to the course. An official transcript must be submitted.