Hey guys!
Welcome to this introduction video on the TSI Assessment.
The TSI exam is also known as the Texas Success Initiative Assessment.
The purpose of this exam is to decide the proper level of college coursework for an incoming student.
Now, not every student is required to take the TSI.
It may be that you qualify for an exemption.
Basically, this just means that you have no restrictions keeping you from going ahead and enrolling in your entry level courses.
Most of the time exemptions vary per subject.
So, it may be that you are exempted in Mathematics, but you are not exempt in Writing.
So, how do you know if you are exempt from the TSI?
Here's 3 questions to ask:
Have you met the college readiness standard on the ACT, SAT, or the English III or Algebra II STAAR end of the year tests?
Have you already completed the college level courses (a given)?
Or have you enrolled in a Level-One certification program, which is less than 43 semester credit hours?
If you are not actually going to college to get a degree, then you don’t need to take the TSI.
And, if you are in the military, or have been previously enlisted (you don't need to take the exam).
If, right now, you are saying to yourself “I’m totally exempt,” then let your academic advisor know.
If you aren’t sure, and you are falling apart right now, then let your academic advisor know.
They can help with that.
Now, if you are not exempt from the TSIA then, then you need to take the TSIA, obviously.
When you go to take the test, you will actually have to take 3 different tests:
Mathematics, Reading, and Writing.
However, remember, that you may be exempt in one, but not the others;
so, consider that as well; but I will be covering the content of each test in this video.
Each of the 3 test are multiple choice, and if you take the writing test you will, more than likely, be asked to write an essay.
Alright, now, before we go on to cover the content of the 3 subjects, there are a few more things that you need to be aware of.
First, each of the 3 exams are computer adaptive.
This just means that the questions will automatically be adapted based on your performance.
So, if you are doing really well, then the questions will become harder, and if you are not doing so well, then the questions will become a little easier.
This is done to gauge your level of understanding of certain material, as means to place you in appropriate level courses.
Second, the exam is not timed.
You are allowed to take as long as you need in order to complete the exam.
This works completely to your favor, and you should take full advantage of the time that you need to complete the test.
Especially since your results are what determine your placement.
Third, you will receive results of your assessment immediately after finishing your exam.
This includes your overall score, and your level of proficiency in each area.
Lastly, you can start and stop your exam anytime during the test.
Which, is awesome, because you don’t have to worry about starving or dehydrating yourself
right before in order to ensure that you don’t have to use the restroom.
To start and stop the exam you just hit the “save and finish later” button.
However, you are not allowed to stop the exam during the essay portion of the test; you must begin and finish the essay in the same session.
If, for some reason, you just have to get up from the essay portion, then you will be asked to return within 13 days to finish.
Now, if you are a student with a disability, just like almost every other testing facility,
you will need to contact the disabilities service at the college or university.
They will ask for identification, as well as appropriate documentation that you will be required to provide.
If you are a high school student then you will need to contact your school counselor.
For all students taking the TSI Assessment, you are required to take the pre-assessment.
This basically tells you how important the TSI is, how it works, provides you with practice questions and helpful comments on your performance,
helps you navigate through other options if you don’t meet the requirements,
and it provides you with information on how to be a college student and how to be good at being a college student.
I mentioned before the 3 different assessments included in the TSIA:
Mathematics, Reading, and Writing.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what will be covered on each of these.
Starting with Mathematics.
The Mathematics portions of the TSI Assessment is, like I said, multiple choice with 40 questions.
The test covers 4 different areas of Mathematics, and there are 10 questions within each of the 4 content areas.
Here are the 4 different subcategories:
Rudimentary Algebra and Functions:
This includes things like basic inequalities, linear equations, algebraic equations, and word problems.
Intermediary Algebra and Functions:
This includes things like quadratic equations, other various polynomial equations, and rational and exponential expression.
Geometry and Measurement:
This includes planes, transformations and symmetry, linear, 2 dimensional, and 3 dimensional measurements.
Probability and Statistics, and Data Analysis:
In this section you will be tested on your ability to interpret certain data, statistics, and your probabilistic reasoning.
Now, onto the reading portion of the TSIA.
The reading assessment is also multiple choice, and there are between 40 to 48 questions within this session.
This session is also made up of four subcategories.
Here they are:
Literary Analysis:
The purpose of this section is to test your level of ability to spot and examine major themes, ideas, and rhetoric in writing.
Main Ideas and Supporting Details:
This section tests your level of ability to identify the author's purpose of the passage, and using the context to do so.
Inferences in a Passage:
This section tests your level of ability to draw proper inferences from a passage, and compare multiple passages.
Author’s Use of Language:
This section tests your level of ability to recognize the author's tone, rhetorical strategies,
and identifying the supporting evidence in order to make those claims.
And then the last assessment is the writing TSIA.
This portion of the assessment also contains 4 different subcategories that you will be tested on,
and like the reading portion it contains 40 to 48 questions.
The 4 subcategories are:
Sentence Logic which tests your skill in accurately using modifying phrases and clauses, as well as your ability to use coherent transitions.
Sentence Structure which tests your ability to identify run-on sentences, comma splices, incorrect punctuation, sentence fragments and parallelism,
as well as subordination and coordination.
Essay Revision tests your skills in using logical, organized, and appropriate word choice, as well as how well you can use rhetorical devices.
Agreement which tests your ability to use subject-verb agreement and pronoun agreement, and your capability to identify verb tenses.
Within the writing assessment it is common that you are asked to write an essay.
Generally the essay needs to be between 300 to 600 words.
The essay should be 5 paragraphs, and is a persuasive essay on a commonly disputed topic.
What they are looking for from you in this section is that you can make your main idea clear, and use proper english and grammar.
You will not be allowed to access the dictionary or any other supplemental resources.
Just your brain.
The center that you are being tested at will provide you with paper so that you can create an outline and a rough draft if you desire.
Now, that's pretty much everything you need to know about the actual test, but I’m sure you’re asking what do I need to make in order to pass,
and here is the answer:
In order to pass the Mathematics assessment portion you will need to get a minimum score of 350,
in order to pass the reading assessment you need to get a minimum score of 351 (why the extra one point? I have no idea),
in order to pass the writing assessment you'll need to score a 4 or 5 on the essay portion and get a score of 340 on the multiple choice portion.
If you fail to meet the minimum requirements of the TSI Assessment, then you will be given the option to take a bridge course.
The bridge course is short in length, but it's relatively intensive course.
It’s main purpose is to get students to the point where they are ready for college level courses.
Now, you also have the option to retake the test.
The fee for a retake is generally around $15, and you can retake it as many times as you would like.
Okay, so how can you prepare for the TSI Assessment?
Review content from the subcategories that we talked about within the Mathematics, Reading, and Writing assessments.
Now, the complexity of this arises when you have to go searching for problems all over the internet trying to track down
all the information that you will be tested over.
Most of your time is spent tracking down, and you are basically just taking a shot in the dark that these are the questions that will actually be on your TSIA.
The most effective way to do this is to use a study guide.
Study guides have done all the work for you in condensing all the information out there into information you will actually see on your exam.
Our people here at Mometrix have worked diligently to provide you with all the material you will see on the TSI Assessment,
and have also included practice question for you to test your knowledge.
I hope that this video has been helpful.
If you enjoyed it, then be sure to hit that like button.
If are looking for help preparing for the TSIA then head down to the comments to the link to our website.
See you guys next time.